Source: Richard Branson on Passing the Bad-News BuckThis “us and them” problem is exacerbated by our reliance on impersonal communications technologies.
One of a leader’s greatest challenges these days is getting people to actually talk to each other; one-on-one meetings and old-fashioned brainstorming are vital to the success of any growing business.
Improving the flow of information is just one part of the communications challenge; getting employees to actually listen to each other is much more difficult.
A big part of the problem is that the only word that gets more play than “they” is “I”.
Credit: Richard Branson
Image Credits: Pixabay
(Pixabay)
In-person, 7–11 September 2026
Warbrook House, Hampshire, UK
We are living and working in conditions of uncertainty, complexity, and rapid change. This week-long workshop offers a space to practise Conversational Leadership as a shared, lived experience.
Blaming digital tools is common for people who don’t experience the underlying systemic issues that shape behaviour. Hence “Back to Office” policies. See also, this Linkedin thread:
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7153091435049676800?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28activity%3A7153091435049676800%2C7153100681661345792%29&dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A%287153100681661345792%2Curn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7153091435049676800%29
Thanks, Dan; indeed, digital tools are not the only cause of the lack of teamwork, but in my experience, they do play a large part.