It's OK to be Human
There are a few people in business who can remember LP Records, Eight Track Tapes, Cassettes, or Monochrome Monitors. There a few who can remember using the phone, as opposed to email, or even a time when we would walk down the hall to speak to someone in person. Some may even recall the dark ages of microfiche, facsimile machines or 56k modems. Those seasoned veterans will also remember a time when it was acceptable to be human.
Email is a way to communicate across great distances, to great numbers of people, and to create a lasting record of the correspondence. For some, it is saved as a personal archive of useful reference. In other cases it is saved as an electronic record to 'cover your hind-quarters' in the event of a dispute, or as a means to track a lack of accountability for another individual. For better or for worse, email has no face, no voice and no emotion. Using language to convey emotional tones can sometimes be misinterpreted and create an adverse impact. Before email, in the 1970's and 1980's, the same could be said for Memo's and Letters.
Email, Memo's and Letters are useful tools for correspondence and distributing your message. However, these tools can not create an emotional bond or develop a culture within an organization. Leadership, teamwork, direction and motivation come from personal interaction and direct contact. To increase productivity and group performance, it is necessary to understand the strengths and talents of the individuals within the group. In most cases there is untapped potential and underutilized talent that can be discovered when you get to know the people around you. How much more rewarding would it be for the people around you to understand your talents, your goals and your capabilities? The first step in such communication should always be 'listening' with encouragement, followed by 'speaking' as a sharing with integrity.
Sounds simple right? Then try stepping away from the monitor, walk around the desk and through the door to the office or cubicle, and give someone your biggest smile. If they appear concerned about your mental stability, then maybe you don't smile often enough. Do you know what is really important to them, what keeps them coming back to work each day? If so, how have you contributed to their success and satisfaction with your efforts? If you don't have a clue what matters to them, maybe it is time to intervene in the electronic life and demonstrate your human potential.
There are many important attributes to leadership. To be fully effective with the technical and tactical elements it is also necessary to be able to communicate and connect effectively with those around you. Integrity and understanding should be combined with compassion.
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Words of Wisdom
"You are on the precipice of an opportunity."
- Juan Vargas, Cosmopolitan Philosopher and ESP Adjudicator
"To paraphrase John F Kennedy, 'Don't ask what your company can
do for you . . . . just don't bother asking'."
- Anonymous HR Director, Company Name Withheld
"Begin a difficult conversation by listening. Don't just 'get right down to
business'. Start with a few open-ended questions: "How's are you feeling?',
'How's it going?' And when the other person is talking, be quiet. The trust that
can be built just by letting people say what they feel is incredible."
- Robert Buckman, Chairman and CEO, Buckman Laboratories,
"Building a Knowledge Driven Organization"
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About the Author:
John Mehrmann is a freelance writer and President of
Executive Blueprints Inc., an organization devoted to improving
business practices and developing human capital.
www.ExecutiveBlueprints.com provides resource materials for
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