By Jonathan Clausen, owner and president of Lilac City LLC.
In today’s world, so much communication has become a text, email, phone call or even a Zoom meeting. The human-to-human interactions are lost in translation. In my company, I do my best to promote face-to-face conversations and make sure a handshake still matters. Here are three ways you can do this too.
1. Encourage face-to-face meetings whenever possible. I rely heavily on phones because email, text, and even Zoom have all become so impersonal to some degree. The “old-fashioned” way of doing business – really a face-to-face or voice-to-voice agreement – is one of the best ways to make sure a business deal is a good one. Both sides need to feel that they are winning and that they have something of an advantage. I stand by the value “that a handshake or your word means more than your signature.”
To implement this in your company, it is crucial to have “face time” with your people, upper management and customers to keep companies connected to their roots.
2. Give more to the world/your people than you take. This is a very broad but specific statement. As long as you give more than you take in any scenario, you will always know that you have done your best and have elevated yourself to a point that 98% of the population cannot (meaning they choose not to). This is a huge problem in today’s society but we need to keep doing this because without people giving more than taking there would be no example or milestone to achieve. Giving more than taking is a lifestyle; it’s not just giving to charity or being nice to your neighbor or helping the old lady at the grocery store load her groceries. It is a lifestyle, a decision and a conscious choice that you have to make as a leader. We must give back to the youth of our communities by guiding and coaching them. Teaching the younger generation is the only way we can ensure the security of our future.
3. Do what is good for your neighbor, and do what is good, even when no one is looking. Living our lives doing the right thing, and knowing it, even if no one else ever knows, can take you places in business that no one else will be able to get to. I do believe that to get far in the business world you have to stand out as the one who everyone knows does it the “right way”. By doing this, you can start building upside momentum. It may not happen overnight, but results take time in almost any business. When everything is on the line and you need your business to grow, stick to your roots, even if it means skipping the financial benefit or getting less fulfillment in the workplace.
Keep your head up when working under these three core foundations and opportunities will come to you and your company sooner.