How to build relationships beyond a heart felt thank you. My Aha from real stories.
What could a grandmother –granddaughter bond, an office Christmas party and an interaction with a barista have in common that can create ahas? If that intrigues you, you may enjoy the read. A graph at the end, for those of you who love snapshots.
I was on skype with my mother in India. Just like many grandparents, my mother was interested in things that really matter in life. She asked about my daughter’s schooling. I was parroting what my 7 year old daughter’s teacher had shared. As it related to my daughter, I glanced her way. She was a few feet away doing her own thing. I looked at my daughter fleetingly, her face grabbed my attention- every inch …show more content…
That aha brought a smile to my face. I framed it as steps, in picture below.
Still, my daughter story did not fit in. My daughter was moved by facts shared with her grandmother – who was not a boss equivalent. As I thought about what her grandmother means to her, a bigger smile dawned on my face. Something at office Christmas party that was tucked in my memory came flooding back.
As cars drove in to the Office Christmas party, I saw one recurring theme. As the valet opened the car door for employee‘s spouse and welcomed him/her like a royal – it brought a million dollar smile on every employees face. Even usually serious folks had a perceptible smile. In that small swoop of act, many unspoken positive things were shared with the spouses about the employees!
Just like employees at the Christmas party, my daughter was thrilled that someone who mattered to her heard about her progress. I had inadvertently acted like the valet who opened the door. With my biggest aha, I attempted to …show more content…
They come in different names – teachers, coaches, parents, grandparents, well-wishers, spouses, children, mentors, role models, true givers and many more. I am going to call them collectively your guardian angels.
Takeaway: Vision for future…
My biggest aha - in my earnestness to crack the code for my daughter’s unbridled joy, I may have stumbled upon something profound, subtle, simple and powerful.
Best explained with an example. You want to share a heart-felt thank you with a colleague Joanna. You share a note with a mentor who gave Joanna her first break many moons ago. Somebody you have heard her rave about with gratitude, her guardian angel:
“I know that you mean a lot to Joanna. Here is what Joanna did for me (specifics). My heart felt thanks for her efforts. Thought you should know. “
Think about the positive ramifications. Sharing genuine thank you directly with someone is great, sharing it with bosses is a higher step, but sharing it with their guardian angel brings unbelievable propulsion to human connections. See picture below.
We talk about driving change that matters for the future (#2030NOW, #action2015). Can human connectivity be the bedrock for future? I believe
What could a grandmother –granddaughter bond, an office Christmas party and an interaction with a barista have in common that can create ahas? If that intrigues you, you may enjoy the read. A graph at the end, for those of you who love snapshots.
I was on skype with my mother in India. Just like many grandparents, my mother was interested in things that really matter in life. She asked about my daughter’s schooling. I was parroting what my 7 year old daughter’s teacher had shared. As it related to my daughter, I glanced her way. She was a few feet away doing her own thing. I looked at my daughter fleetingly, her face grabbed my attention- every inch …show more content…
That aha brought a smile to my face. I framed it as steps, in picture below.
Still, my daughter story did not fit in. My daughter was moved by facts shared with her grandmother – who was not a boss equivalent. As I thought about what her grandmother means to her, a bigger smile dawned on my face. Something at office Christmas party that was tucked in my memory came flooding back.
As cars drove in to the Office Christmas party, I saw one recurring theme. As the valet opened the car door for employee‘s spouse and welcomed him/her like a royal – it brought a million dollar smile on every employees face. Even usually serious folks had a perceptible smile. In that small swoop of act, many unspoken positive things were shared with the spouses about the employees!
Just like employees at the Christmas party, my daughter was thrilled that someone who mattered to her heard about her progress. I had inadvertently acted like the valet who opened the door. With my biggest aha, I attempted to …show more content…
They come in different names – teachers, coaches, parents, grandparents, well-wishers, spouses, children, mentors, role models, true givers and many more. I am going to call them collectively your guardian angels.
Takeaway: Vision for future…
My biggest aha - in my earnestness to crack the code for my daughter’s unbridled joy, I may have stumbled upon something profound, subtle, simple and powerful.
Best explained with an example. You want to share a heart-felt thank you with a colleague Joanna. You share a note with a mentor who gave Joanna her first break many moons ago. Somebody you have heard her rave about with gratitude, her guardian angel:
“I know that you mean a lot to Joanna. Here is what Joanna did for me (specifics). My heart felt thanks for her efforts. Thought you should know. “
Think about the positive ramifications. Sharing genuine thank you directly with someone is great, sharing it with bosses is a higher step, but sharing it with their guardian angel brings unbelievable propulsion to human connections. See picture below.
We talk about driving change that matters for the future (#2030NOW, #action2015). Can human connectivity be the bedrock for future? I believe