The world was once a much smaller place. Working with a colleague meant sharing a desk, a whiteboard, and coffee machine with your teammates. That's still a big part - but it definitely got bigger!
As a leader of transformation and innovation projects at EY, I am lucky to work with teams across Europe and India. I realized, as projects grew more complex, so did our need for diverse skillsets.
Suddenly, the best person for the job wasn't always just a few desks away. Many of us are coordinating with teams across continents, juggling time zones, and learning to build trust across cultures and languages.
The pandemic threw us a bunch of unexpected issues. But it also taught us that connection doesn't happen only in physical space. Virtual meetings and shared documents became our new normal, and we learned (and still learning) to build relationships through screens and pixels.
But here's one more thing I learned: while technology is a powerful tool, it can't replace the magic of a genuine human connection. When we think, laugh or troubleshoot together, the real magic happens.
That's why I was so excited to welcome my dear colleague Amit Ranjan and his team to our Zurich office recently. It was lots of brainstorming, actions and Swiss chocolate 🍫. But more importantly, it was a chance to share our experiences and build the trust that makes great work possible.
I know that we will continue to collaborate across borders and time zones. And genuine interaction is the basis to make it successful - no corporate strategy can be more important. It's what makes the world feel a little smaller, and our work a little more meaningful.
So, how do you build trust in your world?
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