Building bridges is a dangerous work. The most dangerous part of it is the construction of the underwater foundations, where the currents in particular pose a serious problem.

Similarly, I’ve been building bridges between people, teams, and organizations for most of my career. Though it’s not as dangerous as working with the strong, unpredictable flows of river or ocean depths, it has its own set of challenges.

Namely, the biggest problem involves finding common ground upon which people can stand and, hopefully, build a sustainable future together.

Arriving at this common ground is not without its own perils. It can take time to peel away the layers of an organization, sorting through the various undercurrents of personalities and agendas to find a solid foundation for collaboration.

From this experience comes a lesson: like the construction of a bridge, fostering successful relationships requires careful planning, an understanding of the underlying environment, and a steady hand to navigate through the choppy waters of human interaction.