Touch People

I recently went to the Academy of Country Music Awards.  Great event.  Great atmosphere.  Great music.  Great people.  As I listened to country song after country song, I thought to myself…”how touching are some of these lyrics.”  These songs often tell stories, paint pictures, and make us think about life, love, family, and things that matter. I love country because not only is it great music, but its lyrics are also very touching.

What if more people proactively made an effort to touch people.  Wouldn’t it be great?  More people would smile.  More people would be happy.  More people would genuinely feel better about life.

The OneMoreStep thought for the week: touch people.

Seek out ways to enhance relationships.  Connect with the people in our lives more often.  We should share with those people just how much their friendship, relationship, and/or partnership means to us.  Once we’ve told them, we should show them, letting our actions speak louder than words.  Putting the focus on “them” rather than on “us” will almost always result in touching people in a positive, uplifting way.

Connect

Touch people…literally.  Whether you lead a team, teach in the classroom, coach a sport, or sell a product or service…devoting time out of your day to stop, take five, reach out and truly connect with team members, students, players, and/or clients makes an impact that matters.  Make it a point to touch base with that member of your staff that is quiet, reserved, and keeps to themselves.  They might be waiting for you to do just that.  Take the extra 10 minutes out of a busy day to place a phone call to an important client with whom you’ve been unable to reach because of scheduling conflicts.

If in a Guest Service role, think relationships not transactions.  Connect with your Guests in ways that matter to them, and set yourself and your organization apart from the competition.  That friend with whom you’ve lost touch recently…rather than Facebook, text, or email, give them a call.  It might mean the world to them that you cared enough to take the time to call.  Touch people.

Share

While connecting with important people in our lives, we should share with them how much we truly value our relationship with them.  So often we get complacent in our relationships because our daily interactions and conversations with folks become so routine.  It’s easy to quickly take for granted how helpful some people are, and we forget to tell them how much we appreciate them, care about them, and how much we truly value the impact they have on us at work and/or in life.

Next time you see that person whose friendship, partnership, and/or relationship means the world to you…go OneMoreStep.  Tell them just how much they mean to you.  Be specific.  Give examples of why and how what they do for you or others makes a positive impact.  That just might be the spark they needed to hear.  Your words of encouragement and positive feedback might just touch them in a way that is truly different that matters.  They will smile.  They will stand tall, proud, and be motivated to keep doing what they do…all because you went OneMoreStep.  Touch people.

Show Them

Actions truly speak louder than words.  So when you think you’ve been clear in telling those important people in your life how much you value them…go OneMoreStep, and show them.  What action can you take that will truly speak louder and be more impactful than anything you may have told them.

A handwritten thank you card, note out of the blue, or an email copying significant people in the organization?  A small gift, or token of your appreciation or gratitude can make someone’s day when they need it the most.  Listening to their suggestions, and going OneMoreStep to implement some of their suggestions can also show them we value them and their thoughts.  How about taking time to learn more about them: their favorite restaurant, their favorite vacation destination, and/or their favorite sports team.  What if we hit them with a gift card, tickets to a game, and/or an opportunity to visit their favorite city or attractions?  That shows them we care, and that we truly appreciate the impact they have on our lives.  They will not only smile because it makes them happy, but they’ll also be truly touched by our actions.  Touch people.

Take time to connect with the important people in your lives this week.  Share with them just how much you value them, and when you think you’ve told them enough…go OneMoreStep.  Show them how much you appreciate them.  Actions speak louder than words.  Soon you’ll have a smile on your face, and you will be happier…all because you touched people.

Have a great day.

Taylor

“…it ain’t hip to sing about tractors, trucks, little towns, and momma…but this is country music…and we do…” – Brad Paisley