As the season of Thanksgiving quickly approaches, it’s a fitting time to talk about connection and the role it plays in our increasingly digital landscape. With more and more people working hybrid or fully remote, it can be hard to build connections in and out of the workplace. Yet, connection remains a deeply important element to driving collaboration, innovation, and planning.

In addition to that, we’re spending more time on our phones and on social media than ever before. Thanksgiving is traditionally a time where we gather together with our loved ones, and it’s a chance to reconnect in person. This feeling is what I wanted to capture in this blog and show how we can weave connections back into our daily lives and work.

But the truth is this:

I spend a lot of time on my phone. This is often good, but can also be a hindrance at times. I am exactly what I’m saying needs to be fixed. So let’s explore this together.

As someone who is always on the go for work, my phone is my lifeline. It allows me to stay on top of deadlines, communication and anything else time-sensitive while I’m flying back and forth across the country. I can respond to emails, keep up with the news and most importantly, save myself hours of catchup when I’m back home and settled.

Even though I’m in near constant communication with my team, it doesn’t mean that we immediately have a connection. It takes continued energy and consistent thoughtfulness to keep relationships fresh and meaningful. The frequency of communication is nothing without the depth of the conversation.

Think about it this way: how many marketing texts or emails do you receive a day? We all know that there are companies out there who love to make sure that not a minute goes by where you’re not thinking about them and their newest product you can’t live without. How connected do you feel to that brand? Probably not too much.

Frequent communication without depth can often feel transactional, like I’m just trying to get something from you, or you’re only reaching out because you need something from me. Yet for many of us, frequent interactions are essential for work. So, perhaps a good question for us to answer together is this: how can we turn these exchanges into opportunities to build meaningful connections?

Here are three ways:

Meet with people in person. With my friends, we try to grab lunch or a coffee together a few times a year to see each other face to face and catch up. For work-related communication, I do my best to be there in person when I can. Take last month for example. I flew across the country for a one hour meeting with a client. Sometimes making the effort to connect in person makes all the difference.

Pick up the phone. This next one is kind of cliche, but it’s still an opportunity that so many people don’t take advantage of. Pick. Up. The. Phone! How much more personable is a phone call over a text or an email? On the phone you can convey emotions, show the person you’re truly engaged and there’s much less room for miscommunication. 

Make moments meaningful. Show people that you’re listening and present with them. Listen closely for details, and jump at the chance to show people you were listening with thoughtful intention. My favorite example to give when I’m talking about this is a time in which a client and I were in a really tough situation. Tough decisions had to be made. I lightened the mood with a thoughtful gift (curated with time and intention) that I popped in the mail to them. To this day, years later, the gift is referenced in nearly every email we send. It’s created a lasting connection, and we know that we can count on each other to be paying attention.

I’ve talked before about how connection builds trust, and how trust is more important than likeability (more about that in my blog post, Why Trust is More Important than Likeability in Consulting). But true, deep connection can be a game-changer in operations management.

When plans break down, the people that are going to step up and help you are the ones you’ve built deep connections with over time. If they don’t know you or you don’t know them, they’re most likely not going to be able to jump in and do what needs to be done to quickly fix the problem.

At Showpiece Solutions, we do everything we can to build a lasting connection with every client, partner, vendor – everyone who helps bring our big ideas to life. Whether this means flying across the country to meet in person for meetings or simply skipping the email and picking up the phone to chat, you can count on us to be there for you.