Social business strategist Bryan Kramer comments, “Communication shouldn’t be complicated. It should just be genuine and simple, with the humility and understanding that we’re all multidimensional humans, every one of which has spent time in both the dark and delightful parts of life. That’s human to human.”
The heart of #H2H is so simple you could miss its wisdom. It is a mindset. It is the intentional decision to break down barriers and communicate authentically to everyone – your team members, prospects, customers, the board, and all the various people we engage and connect with – during the course of “doing” business. How? As an active listener. Why? Because humans just want to be heard. So simple.
Commit to practice authentic listening with everyone you encounter this week. Make them feel like they matter. Then, as Bryan Kramer suggests, “Invite your people to the party.” Ask your team members to make a small shift in their interactions – to simply talk less and listen more. Ask them to take notes. Be sure to lead a team follow-up conversation to find out what resulted.
Be sure to explore Bryan’s ideas on how to speak human via his eBook and take a deeper dive into his book There is No B2B or B2C: It is Human to Human. The promise to break down the communication barriers and be authentic is the simplest, most important step. Embrace the simplicity shift – to “speak human” – and you may find solutions to challenges that have seemed more complex. Remember, it is possible to move forward without having it all figured out. That’s the beauty, and the brilliance, of being human.
