Be Fresh
A friend was leafing through the pages of my book We yesterday, stopping on page 90 to comment on this sentence:
“No matter what the interaction is, it is always possible to make it less formulaic and scripted.”
I don’t care how many times the hotel clerk has checked people in, I don’t care how many times the doctor has described a condition, I don’t care how many times you have been a certain type of situation, it is possible – and necessary – to make the person you interact with feel that this is a unique, fresh, unscripted encounter that you have prepared just for her, as if it were the first time you have done it.
Be aware today of freshness. Notice if people are replaying used scripts as they talk to you, notice if you are doing the same. Notice how easy it is for you to discern if someone is formulaic and scripted, think of how easy it must be for others to know when you are.
Be fresh! (For this kind of freshness, you won’t get slapped.)
Read
This piece about interactions reminded me of the way Stephen Covey (7 Habits…) talks about the kind of legacy you’d want to leave behind, what you’d want people to say about you at your funeral. I encourage my clients to think about , the impressions they leave behind when they’ve had an interaction with someone. If you’re a manager, business owner or parent, try to make sure a person you’ve just interacted with is left with these sorts of feelings – inspired, enthused, optimistic, excited, intrigued, enlightened, energized. It’s a terrific short term legacy and makes you into a ‘pull person’, a handy thing in business!
Andy reminds us that what counts in an interaction is not what you say but the other person believes after the encounter. I love the short term legacy thought. Instead of Covey’s question, “What will people say at your funeral,” we should ask, “What would this one person say and believe after this interaction?”
Hi, Steve. Nice to see you’ve published a new book. I’ve read your freebook and looks great! An interesting micro perspective of business, compatible with your Brand Harmony step-by-step model. Congratulations.
Nice to hear from you Felix. I hope you’ll enjoy We if you have a chance to read it. I’d love to see your comments here.
Steve