Tag Archives: connection

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Cultivating a Culture of Connection at Home

Happy family washing a dog in the backyard to illustrate connection culture at home

Our focus is on the importance of human connection and cultivating a culture of connection in the workplace, but what we’ve learned about connection applies beyond the realm of our work lives. The principles are relevant for individuals, community groups, sports teams, nations and even families. Knowing that a connection deficit negatively affects our own health and well-being, the health of groups and the health of society, we’ve become concerned observing how the pace and stress of life threaten to squeeze out time for supportive, lifegiving relationships and endeavors. Improving connection in the home can lead toward a more fulfilling life and healthier communities, organizations and nations.

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4 Ways Millennials Can Boost Productivity and Fulfillment at Work

Kate Otto Speaking

Kate Otto Speaking

Kate Otto has a message for fellow Millennials. Her work experience at an HIV/AIDS clinic in Indonesia inspired her to research the power of personal relationships. She saw that practicing certain attitudes contributed to developing meaningful relationships at work. These relationships made her more productive and increased her feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment.

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How Queen Elizabeth I Used Connection to Restore a Nation

Queen Elizabeth I of England

One of the greatest turnaround stories in all of history is also one of the most unlikely. It is the story of Queen Elizabeth I, a twenty-five-year-old woman who inherited the throne of England in 1558 having no leadership experience, faced prejudice in a time when women were considered grossly inferior to men, and lived with frequent threats of death. Despite these obstacles, she overcame the odds and led her country from near financial ruin to one of the most powerful kingdoms on earth. She is a timeless example of how a leader can connect with people and bring out the best in them.

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Why You May Not Be Connecting with Others

5 Gears Book Cover

We connect with some people and not with others. Great leaders master how to connect with just about everyone and that’s one reason why people want to follow them.

There are many facets to connection. Jeremie Kubicek and Steve Cockram have written an excellent book titled 5 Gears: How to Be Present and Productive When There is Never Enough Time that provides insight into an important aspect of connection.

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To Connect With Others, Don’t Interrupt

Communicating Through Tin Can and String

#97 Give People Time to Finish Speaking Before You Begin

Make sure there is a pause in the conversation so that you don’t cut someone off from what they were trying to communicate. Don’t interrupt!

This is the ninety-seventh post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.

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Secure Tools and Training

Business Training Book

#94 Secure Tools and Training

Be sure to get people the tools and training they need to do their work well. Doing so not only helps others to grow, but also helps to reduce unnecessary stress that is harmful to performance.

This is the ninety-fourth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.

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Expect the Best of People

Frances Hesselbein

#90 Expect the Best of People

Frances Hesselbein, the amazing woman who led the turnaround of the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. and whom we wrote about in Fired Up or Burned Out, once told me that her mindset was to always expect the best in others. A mindset or attitude of expecting the best in others helps you connect with them.

Byron Wien, respected market analyst and vice chairman of Blackstone, echoed the sentiment in a blog post on lessons he learned throughout his career. 

“When you meet someone new, treat that person as a friend. Assume he or she is a winner and will become a positive force in your life. Most people wait for others to prove their value. Give them the benefit of the doubt from the start. Occasionally you will be disappointed, but your network will broaden rapidly if you follow this path.”

This is the ninetieth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.