The Human Moment

The Human Moment

Are you one of those people who answers your phone every single time it rings, regardless of what you were in the middle of?

I’ve noticed that places like the local post office, the doctors surgery and even some retail outlets are putting up signs asking customers to not answer their phone while they are at the counter. To have gotten to the point where it warrants a sign to remind us got me thinking; so keen to connect with people on the phone, are starting to lose touch with the ‘human in front of us’?

I read an article this week in the Harvard Business Review that describes the power and importance of, what was referred to as ‘The Human Moment’; the moment when two humans fully and totally connect. You know the one, you’ve experienced it, and it’s incredible.

According to this article the human moment requires two things:
1. Physical presence between two people
2. Emotional and intellectual energy

Human moments do not have to be long or even ‘touchy, feely’, they can be brisk, businesslike and brief, but you need to be truly present with the person in front of you. Can you imagine what would happen to your relationships with your staff and colleagues, let alone the all important relationships with your customers and clients if you had more human moments.

So today, ignore your phone, close your laptop, drown out the email/skype/msn messenger ‘ping’, turn down your internal monologue, and really connect with the person in front of you. It might just be the smartest business decision you make today!

Warm wishes,

Darren and Alison