Written by Betty Monroe

Last night I attended an event with some pretty amazing humans. I posed this statement to the group, and followed it with the question, "We are all human beings being human. What does this statement mean to YOU?"

Someone approached me afterward and said that it was a takeaway for him. We spoke briefly, and connected, and will be talking further, soon. I think it's actually simpler than we think.

In an era of human disconnect due to many varying factors, such as the insurgence of technology, the proven after-effects of a few years of isolation, and then the jarring resurgence of reintegrating in person, it makes sense that so many are struggling to build genuine relationships.

What once came so naturally in meeting new people along our pathways via grocery store encounters, chance gatherings of friends of friends, and work/life/school experiences, has now been replaced much of the time with email, social media, and on camera interactions.

Yet there is so much opportunity and positivity in this that goes unseen. As actors, we say, "It's not what we say, it's how we say it". In the case of meeting and working virtually, we should be saying, "It's not the medium in which we connect, it's how we engage in it".

It is about learning the nuances. Reading body language in smaller observations as you do so from the small screen rather than in person. Seeking to help, and give more than we take. Actively listening to one another and listening to understand, rather than to respond. Finding the joy in meeting, collaborating, and working with incredible people you may otherwise never ever have had the opportunity to meet, let alone build relationships with both professionally and personally.

Some of us have grown very comfortable being on camera, via zoom and the like. Some of us still need to grow into it. Some of us may never feel at ease, yet, the more we see the pros outweigh the cons, and recognize that we are all human beings being human, and learning to navigate the ever changing climate of how we do business, the more we will flourish, grow, and continue learning, together.

Have an amazing week, everyone!