"The Art of Disconnecting is Truly the Art of Connecting": A Recap of Facebook Live Segment 'The Art Of Connection'
We know that over half of the global human population is connected to the Internet, but did you know that 60% of the population are mobile device users and 37% are active social media users?
With the average mobile connections per user at 1.64 and 18.7 billion texts sent worldwide everyday, it is no wonder that buzz words such as 'work life balance' and 'social networking' came into existence. With technology having drastically impacted the way we communicate, have we lost the art, or richness, of connecting?
My guest for The Art Of Connection was Laura Varn, career executive and strategic leader in the areas of Communications and Human Resources for Fortune 500 companies and electric utilities. In this segment, Laura joined me in a discussion about focusing on relationships, rapport, and building trust by supplementing electronic means of communication with more traditional ones. Here's a recap.
'The Art Of' Facebook Live series features guests who embody passion, business, life in their industry, expertise and/or ideas, to inspire and engage viewers in the development of their own journey.
LAURA'S TIPS FOR CONNECTING, IN EITHER OUR BUSINESS OR PERSONAL LIVES
"The first of my four tips is, if you can, get up and talk to the person," said Laura. She stresses that eye to eye helps to build trust, and enables both parties to read and give off the natural cues used in body language.
"I find it funny that we still call our mobile devices 'phones' when we don't even use them as much for that purpose anymore!" Laura says Tip Number 2 is to pick up the phone, if face to face isn't an option. She states that research shows that 70% of communication is about body language, with 20% being voice. When we communicate via electronics alone, we lose 90%.
Use the FROM model to get to know your connections better, faster, and be the difference of connecting vs. 'networking': Family, Recreation, Organization and Mission. Check out the segment on-demand at 12:09 to get the full details on this model.
Be Brief. "Brevity is valued. Imagine a pyramid, with the 'point' being first." We often encounter, or find ourselves, in longwinded explanations, with redundancies throughout. There are times and places for niceties, yet understanding your audience is key to delivering your message.
"WORK LIFE BALANCE DOESN'T EXIST"
Laura and I both agree 'work life balance' does not exist. We do believe, that the power of true connection is in the art of disconnecting. Do you agree that by mastering disconnection, we can become more powerful connectors?
Watch 'The Art Of Connection' for the details on the "FROM" model, how fulfillment plays a large role in fuller, richer relationships, and being able to adapt across the spectrum of communication channels.
