EP80: Create Connection by Adapting
THE SMALLEST OF SHIFTS…
…can create meaningful connection. Let’s talk about it!
Enjoy!
Listen Here:
(The notes below are only a brief summary of what is discussed in the podcast. Be sure to listen to get all of the goodness! If you would like a full transcription of the episode, please send an email request to: angie@angie-robinson.com. We’d be happy to provide that!)
There are lots of “duties” and responsibilities of being a leader – whether you are leading a team of people, leading an effort or function or a project - - or leading your business and/or your clients. There are the task…the to-do’s….the check-box items. But those aren’t things that leadership is really about.
Leadership is about creating a vision, influencing and inspiring others toward that vision, developing others – helping to elevate their potential, creating connection with each other and the work. Are there some checkbox tasks help to create that vision? Yes – but how you show up in your leadership contributes to how effective and meaningful that development, influence and inspiration is. Creating connection is fundamental to this – because connection is a basic human need. We all want to been seen, heard and valued. We want to know we matter.
There are several ways to create connection …things like being curious, having compassion, using a whole person lens (all things I’ve talked about in previous episodes and posts). Another way to create connection is to adapt your communication style and preferences to the style and preferences of the person you are engaging with. I’m specifically referencing one-on-one interactions here. Doing this with groups of people looks a little different.
Here is what I know: we all have different ways that we hear information, that we process and that we approach our work, things around us and life in general. There are a lot of contributing factors – including our personality type.
Just knowing that and seeing that as a consideration is important. Our brains tend to be naturally biased – making assumptions that everyone is like us…or that everyone should BE like us. But when we can bring awareness that this is not the case – we allow space to understand ourselves and others better. And when we actually adapt our own style to someone else’s…even the tiniest bit – we build trust, we build connection, we gain understanding, we are more likely to get the best out of others (their ideas, their thoughts, their buy-in, etc.)
Be sure to listen to Episode 80 to hear some examples, including “The Tale of Two Leaders” and “The Tale of the MInivan”. Within those examples - you will understand why adapting to connect is important and makes such a difference in results.
What do you think?
Have you intentionally shifted your communication to connect with someone else’s preferences? What was the impact?
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