If we didn’t realize it before, the pandemic certainly proved how important human connections truly are. As social creatures, we thrive on interaction with our peers. So, it is no surprise that many of us struggled personally and professionally while unable to connect with family, friends, colleagues, and coworkers for an extended period of time. However, with vaccinations helping to increase our ability to see each other once again, one of the biggest opportunities we are presented with is the potential to reconnect and start new connections.
We need to consider just how much the last couple of years distanced us from others, aim to accept and adapt to the things that have changed, and actively work to rekindle existing relationships while continuing to build new ones. For example, offices are reopening and we need to understand the pace and extent of the reopening. Water cooler jokes may be obsolete, but connecting via Zoom will probably be here for the long-term.
So, what can you do in this new norm to adjust in order to foster worthwhile and effective connections? This should not be a sophisticated analytical exercise. Instead, I suggest simpler and, sometimes, known recommendations that can be quickly adapted:
Small moments make a difference. Saying please and thank you go a long way. Asking, “how are you?” (and truly listening to the response) can really benefit a conversation.
Be brief. Keep things simple whenever possible. And, when creating a presentation, try cutting it in half… then cut it in half again! It’s better to keep people wanting more.
Make a meaningful impression. Did you know that 90% of most impressions are made in the first 30 seconds of contact, and they are not based on the substance of the communication? Make those 30 seconds count.
Utilize facial expressions and body language. Your eyes, mouth, brows, and other facial features can reveal more than what you say. These clues give professionals better effectiveness in meetings. Especially with the rise of virtual interactions, it’s helpful to be more expressive in order to convey your meaning and/or attitude.
Interpersonal trust. Invest in building personal trust and developing richer sensory experiences that help cultivate connections. For example, our sense of touch (like when we shake hands) conveys emotions that can greatly enhance our communications.
Develop and use new communication tools and don’t depend on PowerPoint. It is among the most overused current communication tool and it ignores the needs of the audience. There is nothing worse than having the lights go out and sitting through a 30-60 minute canned, slick, PowerPoint sales presentation. Instead, aim to create a presentation that engages and interacts with your audience.
Understand and respect colleagues, clients, and competition. Asking questions is one of the best ways to gain a better understanding of someone else’s experience. Additionally, when reviewing your service offering or considering new ideas, try asking yourself what customers are currently using and how your product or service is better? In other words, why should customers choose you? Genuinely knowing your customers will help you answer these questions.
Recognize the benefits and strengths we learned from video and virtual communication. Workers are becoming increasingly comfortable using video and audio-conferencing technology. Companies are acknowledging and accepting the benefits of online meetings, such as greater reach and efficiency. Use these to your advantage.
Focus on engagement. Distractions continue to be a challenge, but they aren’t a result of technological limitations. The solution is actually in the way we run meetings. With enhanced visibility, live chat, polls, surveys, and even sub-conferencing features, guests can easily ask questions, gain clarity, brainstorm, and collaborate together. It’s just a matter of finding what works best for your meetings.
A great presentation relies on several different aspects. It’s not just about the words you say or the images you show. The entire experience plays a part in how much the audience retains or feels inspired. People can become preoccupied with the environment of the meeting. Communication, lighting, room temperature, and other factors can ruin a connection. The easiest recommendation to improve audience connection is with food. We all know what it’s like to get hungry, bored, and distracted, especially in long sessions. Taking breaks and offering snacks can reduce boredom and fatigue.
Interpersonal connections are the glue holding together our social circles, our business networks, and our company cultures. When we put in the work to maintain existing relationships and strive to establish new connections in a healthy, respectful, and effective manner, our lives and businesses are better off for it. While some people may have grown distant over the last couple ears, there are always ways to reach out and revive these connections. Great opportunities often arise from those we know. And when we are all looking out for one another, rooting for each other, and helping one another succeed, that’s when we know we’ve truly cultivated valuable and genuine connections.
Dr. Bert Shlensky, President of www.startupconnection.net, offers experience, skills, and a team devoted to developing and executing winning strategies. We guide your plans for business success and unlock your profits. Our strategy includes clear steps, and over 150 free articles and templates to facilitate your efforts and guide your process. We’re here to help you get on track and stay there as you move forward.
We welcome comments, suggestions, and questions. You can write us at: bshlensky@startupconnection.net or call at 914-632-6977
Functioning during a pandemic is the ultimate conundrum. While constant uncertainty, risk, and complexity complicates (and slows) every decision, the pressing need for immediate change, adaptation, and redirection never lets up. It’s a relentless balancing act between immediate survival and long-term success and the only sure thing is inconsistency. Amidst so many necessary adjustments, it’s difficult to know the best way to advance effectively as we are maneuvering through a pandemic. But, alas, advance we must.
Are baby steps the answer or is big change the way to go?
As we find ourselves maneuvering through a pandemic, on one hand, some baby steps are critical because problems continue to develop every moment that require urgent and immediate changes. While we are rushing to develop solutions, the nature and complexity of immediate goals has dramatically shifted. Safety must be at the forefront of every program and decision. Short-term financial constraints have become paramount while uncertainty is limiting most forecasting through 2021 at least.
Crises Response:
With forecasting unavailable in a rapidly changing business environment, instant flexibility and response are crucial. For example, work-from-home, online shopping, and crowd avoidance will continue to evolve over the next few months.
People management is requiring more quick decisions and administration. When, who, and how do you bring back staff? How do you make decisions and adapt the organization while considering factors like work-from-home, more volatility, and more uncertainty? Should you consider hiring creative types or especially skilled people who can offer new solutions?
Pricing strategies during a pandemic are critical both in controlling costs and generating volume. In particular, you need to recognize new costs and new customer preferences; which will require analysis and measurement using multiple small trials. Consider alternative pricing tactics as well as the entire pricing package. Online sales, measurement, and flexibility will make these rapid changes executable.
The latest trends in dealing with the crises also bias our decisions. For example, many businesses are executing 25% operating formats that most experts think will fail. Every business owner needs to continue to test a lot of alternatives that integrate expectations, uncertainty, psychology, culture, risk, quality control, consumer confidence, and values.
Planning ahead:
Short-term small efforts must be integrated and designed with long-term strategies and operational efforts in mind. Start with a quick assessment of who you are and where you are going with your business. Don’t worry about the details. Just take a half hour or so and write down key goals, challenges, and opportunities. Make it short so you can focus on priorities rather than overwhelming yourself with too much. You can (and should) come back and revise this list frequently.
Assess your potential profitability and financial needs. There are simple profit models that can help you easily determine your viability, key issues, and alternatives. In particular, the analysis should focus on the impact of various factors on your profitability and potential. One of the surprising aspects of this analysis is that growth and prioritization are frequently more important than cost cutting in business success.
Focus on what you do well and eliminate efforts that will fail.
Keep strategies and programs integrated. Issues like rent, supplier relations, marketing, operations distribution, etc. are critical and must remain flexible on a daily basis. And while finances may be tight, marketing could be the best opportunity for success. Additionally, collaboration with suppliers and landlords will be essential for success. Many tenants and landlords seem to avoiding each other, but I suggest negotiating new rent requirements and marketing efforts in order to survive and generate more business. There are also a number of marketing efforts that can be tested and purchased on a reduced or trial fee.
A lot of great discussions are taking place regarding working-from-home, office spacing, and communication. However, most of the talk revolves around physical settings to accommodate spacing and other requirements. We need to also examine the impact on structure, communication, social interacting, and decision-making.
The new normal must include tools that encourage informal communication in order to help develop relationships, build trust, encourage new ideas, and create safe feedback. Examples: some in-office meetings and social events, including part-time or other department staff, promote health and wellness, and develop community efforts to replace interactions that no longer exist such as “water cooler chats.”
“I just thought we should talk more.”
In general, I support developing confidence and taking more risk. In many cases, we overestimate the costs of failures and underestimate the value of success. Midst pandemic, constant uncertainty makes risk more prevalent in all decision-making. Make sure you understand the value, alternatives, and the probability. Similarly, analytics frequently ignores the potential of innovation and out-of-the-box-solutions. Adapt and be flexible. Most efforts won’t succeed on the first try, but practice integrating the positive components from each trial with some different approaches.
Traditional organizations will most likely fail in the wake of the “new normal” because they are inflexible, hierarchical, and change too slowly. Walter Isaacson’s book, The Innovators, illustrates how commitment, diversity, collaboration, and friction among diverse participants such as Jobs and Wozniak or Gates and Allen led to success. The structural key to change is the need to be open to measurement and feedback. Looking at, understanding, and sharing financials, operations reports, and sales reports are the first step. Simple research studies and social media can be additional tools.
As we find ourselves maneuvering through a pandemic, the solution seems to be found in a paradoxical combination of immediate change and big baby steps. Inarguably, the slate needs to be wiped clean and new paradigms are a necessity. This will include immediate crises and opportunity management as well as long-term strategic considerations. A focus on cooperation, open collaborative systems, and trying to keep in mind that “smaller can be better” may offer hope for organizations as they restructure. Finding a way to stay afloat and, ideally, thrive during such a transformative time requires nuanced decision-making. You’ll need to find a balance between small steps, immediate action, gradual shifts, and drastic change while determining which approach works where and deciding if it’s a short-term response or a long-term solution. Sure, it sounds complicated, but that’s the nature of business. And you already knew that.
When you want to stand out, reach out to Bert for the tools that will build your “sticky” brand. My focus is on understanding and analyzing your dilemmas and challenges, so your company becomes profitable faster.
Call (914) 632-6977 or email me at bshlensky@startupconnection.net. Don’t leave without signing up for our useful free eBook!
Feeling stumped or overwhelmed? Contact Bert at (914) 632-6977 or Email to start the process. Thanks!
