Want To Connect Better With People?

We do, too. That's why we're changing things up here on our blog beginning right now. There might be a lesson in all of this for you, too, so don't stop. Keep reading.

We've known for a long time that the key to getting anything done in this world is love. That's why we teach leaders to cultivate healthy relationships in the organizations they care about. We encourage them to practice igniting passion by helping the people they work with fall in love with each other and the purpose they share. People:

• Crave honesty and authenticity from their coworkers, friends, and family. 
• Want to know what you really think and who you really are. 
• Want more than what you know or what you can do for them. 
• Want a relationship. 
• Want you.

I think the members of our team, here at ARE, are pretty good at doing this in person, when we're working with people on the ground. As a matter of fact, most of our clients were either friends of ours before we started working with them or they have become our friends since. 

But for the last couple of years we've really kind of sucked at building relationships with people here online. We realize now that we were trying so hard to build a team here at ARE that, at least online, the individuals on the team have all but disappeared. 

 Even if you're a regular reader of this blog, you probably don't realize that the posts we produce each week are written by different people on our team. Sometimes Dave or Tana will write one. Once in awhile Jennifer, Catherine, Bob, or Marlene might add one. Often, but not always, it's me. But no matter who has been writing, each post sounds the same because they've all been written from the first person plural point of view. In other words, "we" wrote them all.

Frankly, that has been exhausting for all of us! Each member of this team is a force to be reckoned with. Strong opinions. Strong personalities. And, I think, voices –plural– that need to be heard.

So, starting right now, you'll know who's writing each post you read. The author's name and photo will appear at the bottom of the post. I'll probably still do most of the writing; I love it more than most and I manage the blog. And I may even do a little editing once in awhile (I can't help myself.) But you'll get to hear directly from my remarkable teammates. You'll get a name, a face, and an authentic voice. I believe they will challenge you, annoy you, inspire you, engage you, and sometimes even tick you off. But I also believe you'll come to love each one of them just as much as I do.

And, I believe, all of those things are critical for anyone who wants to connect with people in meaningful ways. 

Over at Hubspot, Kirsten Knipp, is giving 4 tips for making your online content remarkable:

• Stand for something.
• Take a risk. Different can be good.
• Know your audience.
• Engage people's creativity.

I think those things are true whether you're online or in person. If you want to connect, you've got to be real. Ask yourself:

• Do the people I'm trying to connect with know who I really am?
• Do people know what I stand for?
• Am I willing to risk being authentic and honest for the sake of building relationships?
• Am I really open to engaging people? 
• Do I listen (honestly)? 
• Am I willing to be changed by the relationships I'm in and the things I hear/learn from people?

Let me know what you think about our little experiment. 

By the way, I'm Kelly. Thanks for dropping by.

Comments

[Kirstenpetra]

What a great direction for your blog to take! Thanks so much for the link - looking forward to your progress and will certainly share with my twitter peeps:)