Effective working relationships depend on our ability to go beyond our own interests and consider the needs of others. Despite this, the simple reality is that our needs must be met.

Relationship management is not a feel-good exercise. It's not about taking a client to a ball game or having lunch at a trendy restaurant. It certainly is not about having a group hug every time there is a challenge. It's about keeping distance and perspective. It's about being professional and working with others to satisfy our first priority – getting what we need and advancing our interests.

This is a highly practical book written by a former VP of Strategic Alliance Management for one of Canada's largest financial institutions who has managed workplace relationships for more than thirty years. It provides a wealth of principles, ideas and techniques to help establish an effective and professionally distant relationship based on soft power – our ability to influence others.

"Having sat at the opposite end of a negotiation table from Hugh MacDonald, I can attest to his skillful ability to deal with tenuous issues in a diplomatic and direct way. He is a true master of the art of relationship management and I am delighted he is now sharing his knowledge and experience with others."

— Robert Hakeem, Relationship Executive, Boston