Wikipedia defines Trifecta as:

OneMoreStep thought for the week:  To make a positive difference for someone  – at home, at work, or in your social life – make him or her feel WELCOME, COMFORTABLE, & IMPORTANT…in that order.  It’s a OneMoreStep Trifecta…a lock…always a great bet that makes a true difference that matters every single time.

We can usually rattle off more instances in our past of when we felt unwelcome than examples of when we felt welcome.  That sounds rather pessimistic, but think about it.  It is what it is…kind of sad but true.  However, among the many “unwelcome memories”, we all have that one memory of feeling ever so welcome into someone’s home, someone’s office, arriving to a very warm and hospitable hotel/resort, or even the time we started a brand new job and they welcomed us into the organization with open arms.  Do you have one in mind?  I do.  It felt so good to be welcomed with open arms that it really is tough to forget it.  Wouldn’t you rather someone walk away from a meeting, conversation, or interaction with you thinking about how welcome you made them feel vs. the alternative?

How often do we have those little moments at the beginning, during, or after an interaction, with someone at work or otherwise, that we just feel like something is…off.  Unfortunately, that is often the rule as opposed to a surprising and delightful exception.  What if after we took the time to welcome someone into our home, office, or a simple conversation…we took the extra step to make him or her feel comfortable?  Often times we feel awkward or uneasy in certain situations…a new job, a new relationship, a new group of friends, or we’re just uncomfortable having those tough conversations about dicey topics.  Guess what…everybody else has those same worries, concerns, and anxious feelings.  Excellent OneMoreStep opportunity to take an extra five seconds or five minutes to engage an anxious or worried person in such a way that calms them down, eases their mind, and makes them feel comfortable.

People have a natural desire to feel needed and they want to know that they’re valued…people want to feel important.  So why not go OneMoreStep in meetings at work, conversations at home, and in developing meaningful relationships in our lives…why not make them feel important?  Make it about them for that moment, that meeting, that conversation.  Ask them about their opinion.  Ask them to share their thoughts.  Tell them they matter, but go even OneMOREStep, and show them you truly value them, their insight, and especially your relationship with them.

Sometimes the smallest gestures mean the most.  A quick email; a heartfelt handwritten note; a small gift; or even a handshake or hug can make someone feel important.  Once we take the focus off of us and turn it toward them, they become more comfortable around us, they begin to trust us, which allows for more meaningful conversations, which leads to strong, long lasting relationships that matter for everyone involved.

I took a few days off of work to visit my family in Kentucky this past weekend.  My mom and dad know that I love everything about summertime; especially grilling out…and they know that I like to eat plenty of vegetables.

The very first night I was home, my parents prepared a beautiful summertime meal – shrimp (marinated in teriyaki ginger sauce), along with zucchini, peppers, asparagus, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes all prepared on the grill.  It was a very nice WELCOME home dinner with the fam.

We had a full house at my parents’ home this weekend, as my sister and her family were visiting as well.  With my sister and brother-in-law in one bedroom, my nephew, Henry, in the other…all of the beds were occupied, and I was thinking I would have to sleep on the couch.  Nope.  Not on my parents’ watch.  They rolled out a queen-sized air mattress for me to make sure I would sleep well while I was home.  After the first night, my mom went even OneMoreStep and integrated some feather top bedding to the mix to make me event MORE COMFORTABLE.  I slept like a baby…

I love my nephew, Henry.  He’s two and a half years old, but going on 32.  I
don’t get to see him often, but when I do I’m always amazed at how fast he’s growing, how many more words he can say, and just how awesome he is.  I have an overwhelming desire to hug him, hold him, play with him, and just be involved in his life.  He’s only two…and he only sees me every five or six months so it takes him a while to warm up to “Uncle Taylor”.

Often times he’s hesitant to play with me or let me love on him as much as others do.  However, on our way into church on Sunday, as we were crossing the road…the little fella reached his little right hand up and grabbed mine as we crossed the street.  That was the proudest I’ve been in a long time…I felt IMPORTANT.  See…sometimes the smallest things mean the most to people.

Have a great day.

Taylor

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