No, I’m not asking you into a relationship. But I do want your changes to work.

I’m asking because this is exactly what decides today whether a technology change in a company really lands well.

We are all focused on the tools.

AI. New platforms. New processes. New ways of working.

But technology does not create change on its own.

People do.

And people do not follow a system.

They follow trust, collaboration, and relationships.

When I speak about my experience implementing new technology in different countries, relationship building is exactly what created the foundation for high adoption and engagement. Not Excel. Not a slide deck. Not a perfectly documented project plan.

Relationships.

With the sponsor – the global leader.

With the programme manager.

With the subject matter experts most affected by the change.

With HR teams in each country.

With change ambassadors.

With different local groups impacted by the change.

That is what created the space for trust, openness, faster responses to people’s concerns, and better collaboration across the whole change journey.

And it’s not only my experience.

Prosci has consistently shown that employee engagement is one of the top factors in successful change. 

Deloitte confirms that high-performing teams are built on respect, trust, and support. 

McKinsey reminds us that without real buy-in and role modelling from leaders, transformation starts to stall. 

And psychology is almost uncomfortably clear on this point: in moments of uncertainty, people first assess whether they are safe – and only then do they listen to what is actually changing.

So no:

First the system, then the people.

More like:

First relationships, then collaboration, and only then real adoption.

Relationships cannot be rolled out like new software. They cannot be generated with a prompt. They are built slowly. Consistently. Through presence.

How consciously are you building relationships in your team today – before asking people to go through yet another change?