Friendships that cross realms

Jeff (Germany)

As a specialist in a large global corporation, I worked with a network of several hundred people around the world who, logistically, I would never meet in person. We developed the types of close ties that are necessary in carrying out difficult, coordinated tasks and also, in many cases, became as close as would my colleagues down the hall. The skills for developing these relationships are very important for those who want to work in the global economy, work from home, manage relationships through blogs, etc. As with other relationships, you have to work to make them work.

A screen displays the beginning of an online chat between an employee of the telephone counseling service and an online user in Zurich, Switzerland. [Photo/IC]