But, are we missing something? Over the last few months I have met with many, many people. I try to really make sure that I meet people one-on-one, live and in-person whenever it makes sense. It’s so much better to me than a digital conversation. No, I am not being old school, I just find it better when I sit with someone versus using the other methods of communication. Now don\u2019t misunderstand me, I am not going to fly to Toronto just for a cup of coffee at a small, quaint shop, but you can rest assured that when I am anywhere near there, without a doubt I am calling my friend Denis to see if we can sit and chat for a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You may be thinking, “OK, great\u2026 what\u2019s the point?” <\/p>\n\n\n\n My point is this; having \u201cquasi interviewed\u201d a few dozen people, meaning I asked them, if meeting one-on-one was the way they preferred to stay connected and\/or meet new people, they said yes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Crazy as it sounds, given all the means possible to \u201cchat\u201d, people still like to sit together and have a verbal conversation. It flies in the face of everything I hear. As I meander through my days, I ask people for their take on my hunch. Do people like to sit and chat or do they prefer to use a digital device? I am 54 years old, so maybe it\u2019s just us baby boomers<\/a> who like it, yeah, that must be it. But wait! My 24 year old friend<\/a> Courtney likes it. We met a couple of weeks ago and did just that, chatted and got caught up on her life and career. OK, then maybe it\u2019s those often-discussed Millennials we are always hearing about. Nope, I have enjoyed many cups of coffee and other beverages with my friend Hilt, she happens to be age appropriate for the millennial slot<\/a>. Well, I then wander over to my well-seasoned friend who happens to fall into the silent generation<\/a> age group, yep, he likes it too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, the big question blossoms in my head. If we all like sitting and talking so much, why the heck aren’t we doing it more? You know the answer already. We simply don\u2019t have time to do it. Or do we?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Several years ago I read a book by Daniel Kahneman<\/a> entitled, Thinking Fast & Slow<\/em><\/a>, a great book on how our brains are wired to work. As I read the book, it really taught me a lesson about how I have always gone about business, even though I was unaware at the time I was doing it. I am right hand dominant, my left hand is more of a meat-hook, but yet it is plenty functional for the non-dexterity required tasks of life. When I have a series of task, I find that I am working Fast & Slow \u2026 the left hand (the meat-hook) is doing the fast work that doesn\u2019t require a ton of finesse, more like being at a buffet, just scraping, filling the plate and moving on. Then, the more elegant (maybe a stretch if you do know me) right hand. I am thinking calligraphy, thinking Picasso, thinking neuro-surgeon. Skill, laser focus, precision\u2026 working slowly towards excellence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n How does that play into having a cup of coffee you may wonder? In my view, it has a ton to do with it. Think of your relationships, the existing ones, the new ones you are trying to foster, the old ones, the broken ones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n How can you make time to get out and make these connections happen, develop or maybe even mend a broken one? Prioritization will win this battle. My little 5-foot-tall, weighing next-to-nothing, sized mother had a saying. She said, \u201cPeople will always do want they really want to do\u201d. My wife and I fall back on this truism from time to time when we are wondering why people do or don\u2019t do certain things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So back to the buffet versus artists\u2019 analogy, some relationships are doable from the left-handed, meat hook view. Depending on the purpose of the relationship, you must decide how much effort to put into it. Others however really need a gentle stroke, better said, \u201cdeserve a gentle stroke\u201d. That cup of coffee or that bowl of soup and half of a sandwich could change lives\u2019. Theirs, yours, who really knows?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.gregcrumpton.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/image001.jpg\")