The Relational Lens

John Ashcroft is Research Director at the Relationships Foundation and co-author of Relationships in the NHS (with Geoffrey Meads, 1999) and The Case for Interprofessional Collaboration in Health and Social Care (with Geoffrey Meads, 2005). Roy Childs has worked in organisations at senior levels for more than twenty years focusing on developing capability and building relationships. He is an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society and a Chartered Occupational Psychologist. Alison Myers is an experienced consultant, facilitator and trainer. She has been a senior managing consultant with Accenture's Change Management and Human Performance practice and is now an ordained Anglican minister. Michael Schluter is an economist and social entrepreneur who has launched ten not-for-profit organisations and was awarded a CBE in the Queen's New Year's honours in 2009. He co-authored The R Factor (with David John Lee, 1993) and The Relational Manager (with David John Lee, 2009).

Introduction. The dark matter of organisations; 1. The value and importance of relationships; 2. Why organisations should think relationally; 3. How to measure relationships; 4. Directness - high touch organisation; 5. Continuity - connection across time; 6. Multiplexity - context for breadth; 7. Parity - power, balance, fairness; 8. Commonality - overlap of purpose; 9. What relational proximity builds; 10. Relationships between stakeholders; 11. Managing, measuring, reporting, regulating; Epilogue.