Mercurial

The mere fact that we are dependent on coffee machines to start up our day ought to call our attention to the importance of the coffee break in our corporate culture:

Who your people drink coffee with, and where, is important. You may not think you need to promote the rise of "café society" internally, but a coffee culture could be beneficial - for collaboration, networking, and cross-fertilisation. It is this sort of so-called "soft" issue that has forced its way to the top of management's agenda.

We get out of our cubicles to drink coffee with coworkers, gossip with them, and get the news on the more important issues: who is dating whom, who is leaving, who is coming back; we build product lines out of the inspiration from a relaxed conversation, doodle on napkins while listening to concerns about complains, and set up informal networks that are the places where decisions are initiated.
Which bring us on to soft power:

Attracting others to shared objectives is the very essence of soft power

This in the context of flatter organizations, innovative companies and generally unorthodox methodologies of competition.

Because, as always, the hard manager rarely gets anything done.