The View From My Office

Considering that my office window looks out into a parking lot and then a brick retaining wall, the view is almost a dead end. I feel that many times the professional employee is at a dead end with communication skills. I truly believe that we have become so dependent on technology that we have forgotten how to communicate face-to-face with customers and fellow employees. I am working with many clients who need to pay attention to their non-verbal communication. A pleasant facial expression goes a long way towards establishing rapport with others. Who wants to do business or work with someone who is sour, sullen and snappy? Additionally, I am finding that many IT or MIS professionals need help making small talk. Just interacting with little pleasantries and general conversation appears to be a difficult task for some. I see it with my own children. The tradition of sitting around and shooting the breeze over a meal is almost a lost art. My kids will text through an entire meal unless I make it off-limits! This is a time when we connect to others. At work, when we make time for small talk and casual conversation, we learn little details about our conversational partners that may help us meet their needs as customers or co-workers. I think that the more we focus on engaging others in conversation whether it is over lunch, a quick cup of coffee or the golf course the more likely we are to build bridges with our colleagues and customers as opposed to creating dead-end barriers!