March 2019 Newsletter

Has Convenience Replaced Courtesy?

It happens to the best of us: voice mails pile up, inboxes overflow, and text messages disappear. There’s always more work than there are hours in the day.

I know it’s stressful because these things happen to me, too.

But there is a new communication trend that I find unacceptable—as should anyone else whose livelihood is dependent on other people. (For that matter, aren't we ALL dependent on other people?)

Watch as I explain myself in the video below. It's part of The Connector’s Way System, a brand new online curriculum featuring 52 videos on important relationship building topics accompanied by exercises and resources designed to deliver measurable results. If you’re interested in taking a look at the system for your company or team, please contact me.

Thank you,

Patrick Galvin, Chief Galvanizer
The Galvanizing Group
Author of The Connector's Way

Agree or Disagree?

For another take on the topic, read organizational psychologist Adam Grant's 2/15/19 opinion piece for The New York Times which was provocatively titled "No, You Can't Ignore Email. It's Rude."

Grant argues that being overwhelmed is no excuse for not responding to others. "It's hard to be good at your job if you're bad at responding to people," he notes.

What are your thoughts on the matter? Keep in mind that Grant isn't suggesting we owe anything to spammers, phishers and other all-around time-wasters. Rather, he's advocating that we owe it as business professionals to respond to and engage with other professionals who've been thoughtful in reaching out to us. Food for thought, for sure.

The Solution? Be Human.

We’re all busy. We all juggle. But if we get so busy that we forget to be human, then we’ve failed.

As good connectors and effective communicators, we understand that great relationships are everything. We back it up with our actions and in the process we remind others that manners still matter.

If you dropped the ball, acknowledge the error and fix it.
Put yourself in other people’s shoes. Most would rather hear “I’m sorry, but it won’t work out” than to hear nothing at all.
Don’t rely on technology to relay complicated or sensitive information. Tools that make it fast and easy to communicate turn genuine dialogue into short, impersonal word bursts.
If you’re feeling disrespected, take a step back. Ask yourself if there’s a better way to communicate and connect with the person you’re trying to reach.

How can you bring more of a human touch to your business relationships?

About This Newsletter

Since 2002, The Galvanizing Group has operated on the principle that great relationships are the difference between failure and success in business. Our newsletter is filled with stories, tips & ideas for creating the connections that galvanize success. Be assured that your information will NEVER be shared and that you may unsubscribe any time by clicking the link at the bottom of every email. Thank you!