I've been glued to CNN this past week trying to comprehend the catastophe following the earthquake in Haiti.  I've been impressed with many things, but  one of the things that has impressed me the most has been the power of relationships. In a catastrophe - be it in Haiti or in business-- when everything you had counted on has failed, often the only currency we have left is the power of relationships. Our ability to quickly make connections, create trust and find a common ground can be the difference between life and death. Those in Haiti -- or in business--who are paralyzed by fear, full of self-doubt and want to isolate are really struggling. Those in Haiti --or in business--who have had strong relationships or know how to create them guickly are doing better. They are the resilient ones, and they are the ones most likely to thrive in the future.

The good news is that we can all learn how to be better at creating relationships. There are tools and practices to help us. There is no magic to it. Relationship building  is a learned skill. The real challenge is to actively practice those skills before we need to depend on them in life or death situations. I think I need to keep practicing.