Last weekend I flew into Edinburgh and got this great view of the 3 Forth bridges in the late afternoon sunshine. You have the iconic 19th century rail bridge at the front, the current road bridge from the 1960s in the middle, and, at the back, the new road bridge which is due to open in May 2017.

There is a fascinating video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BrFhrBQGUA which shows how segments of the road deck, each weighing 650 tons, are raised by crane one at a time, from a barge way down below on the river, up to the bridge and then attached by cable to one of the towers. The further from the tower, the more complex the process of attachment. Clearly this requires the immense skill of a large team of engineers and support staff.

No doubt in years to come the new bridge will be admired for its graceful looks and functional effectiveness. I think it also has a message today for the business world. A huge amount of preparation and “heavy lifting” goes into the development of successful, lasting business relationships. The chief executive may be the one who signs the deal, but let’s recognise the critical importance of all the sales and delivery people, without whose expertise, focus on detail, and piece-by-piece hard work, the connection will never get made.