“Text me.” “Shoot me an email.” “DM me.” “Hit me up on Slack.”
In a world where we have so many ways to “connect,” it seems we’ve never been more disconnected. Screen time is increasingly up, and face-to-face time is increasingly down. Modern technology has truly changed the game in our industry. Because of these advances, we can coach from afar, motivate and inspire virtually, create programming for clients around the world, create communities and connections from desktops worldwide, and build our businesses with ease. Technology provides access to people, locations and resources we never had before… it has opened doors that we never imagined existed!
It’s beyond apparent that our technology and our reliance on it isn’t going away. In fact, we will likely see increasing advancements and usage in years to come. Here’s the awareness we must not lose; our human connections are crucial to our well-being and our careers. To start, connect with live video when it is available, look at faces and feel emotion when connecting. Even better, when possible, being in the same room with a client, a team member or a potential partner in business is a non-negotiable. The kinesthetic rewards of creating together, pushing each other, brainstorming together or aligning with your team in the same room is was creates magic. It must not be replaced.
Dr. Ned Hallowell noted, “Human connection is an energy exchange between people who are paying attention to one another. It has the power to deepen the moment, inspire change and build trust.” We are humans who need each other; in life and in business. Celebrate the increased connections and touch points technology offers, all while seeking out ways to keep human interactions intact; you and your professional world will rise exponentially.
