Wired for Connection

Last week, I traveled to Miami for work.

In addition to the massive amounts of learning, there was lots of this:

Pull up a chair.
Scoot in close.
Lean in and whisper, “Did you catch that last part in your notes?”

And also this:

“Would you like to try the buffalo cauliflower?”
“How about a sip of my Pisco sour?”
“Here, have a bite of mine!”

There were handshakes, hugs, and arm grabs.

There were 14 people crowded around a dinner table, lined up shoulder to shoulder. There were two people sharing a single menu, huddled close to read small text in dark light.

There was learning and reflection and connections and conversations.

And there was closeness — of the good old fashioned physical kind.

Research tells us that we are wired for connection and that perhaps, the need to connect with each other is even more basic than food and shelter, and is the primary motivation of one’s behavior.

Other findings suggest that connection, a sense of community and mutuality, is the greatest predictor of happiness.

We are wired for connection.
For this type of spontaneous, casual physical touch.
To see each other’s faces and the full expression of a smile.
To feel a sense of closeness.

A little can go a long way as we make our way back to each other.

If you’re comfortable, my invitation to you this week is: pull up a chair, and scoot in close.
Let us each be reminded of the goodness that comes from connection, particularly after the last few years that we've been through.
*Caveat for consent and respecting individual comfort levels and all the things.

High fives and fist bumps could be a place to start.

If you would like to cultivate this feeling of connection on your own team, through a highly impactful, in-person or virtual leadership experience, please feel free to get in touch; we can talk more about what this could look like within your organization.

Here's what a recent HR leader said about one of these leadership experiences:

"I owe you a very huge and sincere thank you.The more we can continue to reinforce the importance of leadership development the better off we will be - at work, in our communities, at home, etc. Thanks very much for putting in the time and energy to deliver such a well-polished and authentic product."

And here's what a recent participant said:

“Thank you for an amazing session today! I truly am motivated/refreshed after your sessions. Not to mention, so many takeaways, simple takeaways to implement. THANK YOU!”