The reconnecting challenge
“Assaults on flight attendants have risen. NBA fans spit and dumped popcorn on players this spring. Last week, servers at a Massachusetts restaurant experienced customer behavior so rude that the owners closed for part of a day. The pandemic was thought to make some of us more enlightened. But did it just make everyone more oblivious to others?”
This blurb was published as the Sketchbook in Sunday’s New York Times.
What do you think? Have we become even more desensitized to other humans after a gazillion virtual interactions?
More importantly, how can get our human connection back? It can be challenging now to think of other people as more than a face on a screen (who are probably on mute). It’s critical, even more than ever, to focus on reconnecting in a truly REAL way.
Respect – treat other people the way you want to be treated. It’s cliché but it still holds true as an important approach to communication and to humanity in general.
Empathy – try to understand what the other person is dealing with in the moment. What are their struggles? What have they been through? How can you help them with their goals?
Attention – focus on the other person when they are communicating with you. Pay attention to their body language and those subtle signals that will help you better understand them.
Listen – part of paying attention, stop thinking about what you are going to say next or where you’d rather be and truly listen when the other person is speaking.
As we ease back into the “real” world, communicating in a REAL way can make the difference in your success as a business person and as a human!
Words have power. Are your words working for you?
