I find myself drawn to the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow..."Ships that pass in the night,How do relationships in organizations stack up with Longfellow’s observation? Has technology accelerated our relationships or hindered them? Is there any way to gratify those human needs that infiltrate our workplaces in the oddest ways…our needs to be accepted, respected, and valued by others?
and speak each other in passing,
Only a signal shown, and a distant voice in the darkness.
So on the ocean of life we pass and speak one another.
Only a look and a voice;
then darkness again and a silence."
Like a blooming flower relationships take time. In the ethos of our organizations we are called to cultivate and nurture the people around us. Sunlight, water, time, and a host of other hard to traces forces work their complex magic…
There may be no short cuts to forming relationships but the shortest distance between two people is a story.
Draw the stories of people around corporate imperatives and watch how people are drawn to each other and become more engaged performers.
Spend 2 minutes with me reflecting by watching in this video and the share your thoughts...
I forgot to mention my inspiration for this post.
ReplyDeleteAt the front of the week I was having a delightful conversation with Marion Chapsal in Paris. She had just finished making, "gouter," snack for her children - crepes...YUM...the image of her children returning from school, sitting down for a moment to catch up with each other and enjoy a bite to eat. In my family we sit down to eat dinner together but snack are frequently a bag of something or other gobbled in the car....If you are hungry reading this anecdote than be sure to check out Marion's blog which is fantastic and has two new posts on the connections between food and presentation (well its the next best thing to sitting down with this muse of artful communication and presentations)....
http://geronimo.typepad.fr/
What a wonderful testament to relationship...and it was during our conversation that Marion and I were chatting about some of the themes that I consider in this video. Be sure to pay Marion a visit.