Building Stronger Workplace Connections: An Interview with Adam Grant on His New Book

Organizational psychologist Adam Grant joins the HBR Ideacast to discuss his book on how people build, maintain, and scale connections at work. The conversation covers research on workplace relationships, team effectiveness, culture, conflict, and the impact of AI on human interaction.

■ Relationships and Teams
- Four categories of workplace relationships and why leaders don't need to make everyone friends
- Alignment versus affection: what research shows about task cohesion and social cohesion
- Designing informal interactions that support idea exchange and learning

■ Culture, Onboarding, and Hiring
- Articulating purpose, and involving the people who benefit from the work
- Pre-boarding and onboarding practices, plus helping new hires contribute distinctively
- Cultural fit versus culture add, defining a small set of core values, and a case with the U.S. women's national soccer team

■ Conflict, Candor, and Connection
- Distinguishing productive task and process conflict from relationship conflict
- How candor, feedback, and AI companionship affect human relationships
- Recognizing and responding to politeness cultures, and elevating people who challenge the status quo

Managers, executives, HR professionals, and team leads can take away practical frameworks and concrete steps for strengthening culture and team effectiveness. The discussion combines research findings with real-world examples from sports, music, and technology companies.