Everyone wants to feel connected—it’s part of human nature. Whether it’s building relationships at home, in the community, or with friends, people like to feel bonded to each other. But perhaps it’s nowhere more important than at work. A connection culture in the workplace can impact customer experience and create a place where employees are engaged and excited to be. A connection culture builds long-term, sustainable performance, which creates a high-quality customer experience. When people don’t feel connected, they are only coming to work to get a paycheck, and it shows in their interactions with customers. As life continues to transition with the changing economy, end of summer, and multiple pivots in our business – we need to also think about how to best take care of ourselves. Here are a few ideas of how to develop a culture of connection in your business.

1) Inclusive and inviting communication:
Communicate with empathy. Employees and customers alike are all dealing with additional stressors during this time. Recognize what they’re going through and understand their perspective. Listen carefully to what someone is trying to tell you. Use your ears, eyes, and “gut instincts” to understand the entire message that they’re communicating. Start with listening for the keywords and phrases that they use, particularly if they use them repeatedly. Then think about how as well as what they’re saying. What’s their tone or body language telling you? Are they angry, ashamed, scared, or apprehensive? Take this a step further by listening empathically. Avoid asking direct questions, arguing with what is being said, or disputing facts at this stage. And be flexible – prepare for the conversation to change direction as the other person’s thoughts and feelings also change. An empathetic approach will draw people in this time of transition.

2) Two-way communication:
Allow for two way communication. To do this, understand your audience and what’s important to them, choose or create channels of communication, gather and encourage feedback, and act on that feedback. Check-in on your employees and customers, follow-up, and allow a space for response. This sets the stage for better communication, a satisfied business culture, and a productive atmosphere.

3) Communicate more – not less:
In the era of social distancing, customers and employees are yearning for human communication. People want to know what is happening and that they are involved. Make sure to follow through on potential sales. After a sale is completed, reach out to the customer to see how the product or service is working and if they have comments, concerns, or areas to improve. You can call them on the phone, send an email, or send newsletters. With COVID-19, Zoom calls or Google Meet can be helpful because you can still talk face-to-face with your customers and employees alike. Nevertheless, keep yourself open for genuine, honest communication.

Let’s talk about a custom plan to have a strong culture of communication in your business. Create the business that invites a true connection with clients. shelby@shelbyjolongcoaching.com

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