Thursday, April 11, 2013

Things I Carry But Not In My Bag

Over the past two weeks or so I have read a number of blog posts entitled "Things I Carry".   The first post I read was a spinoff of the "What's In My Bag" from US Weekly.  Like the author of that blog, I too must admit I secretly enjoy flipping through the magazine and I do take time out to read that article.  However, it's not the article that I look forward to with each reading.  I am more fond of the 25 Things You Don't Know About Me.

While I can't say I really care if Jon Cryer is on Facebook or not, I did enjoy learning that he engages in triathlons and speaks fluent Cantonese.  Now, does that information do anything for me directly?  Well no.  But those are things about Jon that you wouldn't find out from looking in his bag.  Maybe not even from having a general conversation with him.  This type of information takes getting to know someone or getting published in US Weekly.  But let's face it, none of you reading this are going to end up in this magazine.  No offense.  We're just not that important....wait I meant famous!

There are things about each and every one of us people would never learn if they simply looked in our bag.  This rings true for our employees, colleagues, leaders, etc.  If we just look at them at a surface level or try to hard to keep our relationship on a completely professional level we miss out on some important aspects of the individual.  I get that many people want to draw a line that they don't cross.  But I ask you this, how do you really know what drives, motivates, engages, excites a person if you don't look beyond their social persona?  When you take time to really get to know those around you great things happen. 

You get an opportunity to learn what people's aspirations are, what scares them, what they do in their spare time, what they would like to do.  All those things not only make it easier to lead them, develop them or motivate them but taking the time builds a level of trust you wouldn't have otherwise.  People are social by nature regardless of if they are an introvert or extrovert.  We need relationships to thrive and succeed. 

So I'll leave you with this thought.  You may be able to identify what is in someone's bag but can you recite a list of not even 25 things, just 10 things about each of those people you work with closely?  If you can't, I challenge you to go find them out.  Focus on them for a while and you'll be amazed at what you learn.