36. Practice Human Connection.

Listen for, and pay attention to, the unique things that make people special. Use handwritten notes, personal cards, and timely encounters or phone calls to acknowledge them, and to show your appreciation for them. Show people you care about them as individuals, rather than as transactions.

Pam's Message:

Society today can feel disconnected. Before the rising of technology with cell phones and the internet, we lived in a much simpler time. No matter where we went or worked, we made eye contact and said hello. We asked “how are you?”, or “can I help you?”. We made human connection.

Today, with the internet and cell phones, we sometimes lose the art of seeing that person we are talking to or ordering from.

We spend at least 8 hours a day at work. It is essential that we make that human connection with everyone we encounter. We need to get to know others, listen to their needs, and make them feel welcome. We should get to know them as a person, not just a customer. We need to make them feel seen, heard and valued as all need to do in any relationship.

Jeff Boone, our Customer Service Manager at Washington is a perfect example of this fundamental. He worked at the dock for many years, became the foreman, and now runs the Washington branch. He has grown a lot and learned a lot from all of us as to what our jobs are in each department. He knows that we need to make connections with our contractors and make them feel more than just a paying customer.

There is no significant learning that can occur in life without a significant relationship.

This is the value and importance of HUMAN CONNECTION.

Pam Phillips
Showroom/ Washington