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Why ‘glue work’ can finally shine in the age of AI
Automating technical skills will transform the value of those who can build relationships and hold projects together.
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Managers everywhere should ask themselves who is doing the glue work on their teams and whether they are rewarding them for it, says the writer.
PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK
Sarah O’Connor
Are you the person who takes the time to explain to new hires on your team what everyone does? Are you the person who notices when a project is in danger of going wrong because two teams have different ideas of what is actually required? Do you know the name of the person on the third floor who can sort out the fiddly problem that has slowed down your colleague for weeks?
If you answered yes to most of these questions, then you are doing “glue work”: you build relationships with people; you can see the bigger picture; you fix the organisational cracks and help to hold projects together.
