I volunteered at our local Habitat for Humanity event last weekend. With my husband leading the International Sidewalk Astronomy night in Portsmouth, I went to the fund raiser as a guest and volunteer. Working at checkout, most people gave me their auction bid number. I explained that we value them as the generous people they are, and I preferred to learn their names. Most smiled and introduced themselves.
In our hectic lives, I find it sad that we accept being identified by number, to feed the many systems we deal with each day. Life is about people, about the relationships we have with family, friends, co-workers and acquaintances in the communities where we live. As technology becomes more prevalent in our lives, we have to work to maintain a balance between systems that save us time and relationships that re-charge our emotional batteries.
I wondered what others were saying on-line about this problem, and so I borrow from another blog on Treating Your Readers Like Human Beings, Not Numbers (scary that I've got a url, but couldn't find the authors name). The original post focused on blogging, but I've personalized this to all types of communication on-line and off-line.
In real life there is a hierarchy within the community of people we interact with. These roles may change over time based on the actions of one/both people ... but we are forever, all human beings and should be treated accordingly. Successful relationships, be they on-line or face-2-face, require that you consider each individual and your relationship with them. You want people to feel like your friend, and where the opportunity presents itself, you want to move people higher up the hierarchy.
- Mentors - are people we look up to because of their expertise in some area. Mentors are people willing to share their expertise with others, such as Gail Zona, Next Step Business Strategies, who teaches classes through NH's Women's Business Center.
- For these people, you want to roll out the red carpet.
- Friends - are people we work with in co-operative initiatives to create win-win solutions for all participants like Gayle Sanders, GRS Home Design, who is helping me build 4 Walls 1 Roof.
- I appreciate these people and find ways to show that appreciation.
- Partners - are people who don't always share interests or preferences but work together for mutual benefit, so translating into my small business ... these people are my suppliers.
- I am respectful but I don’t say yes just to be friendly.
- Colleagues - are people doing the same/similar work or ... work in the same company/community. As owner of My Handyman, they include business owners/professionals involved in construction, real estate and the business community in southern NH.
- I am polite and helpful.
- Acquaintances - are people I encounter occasionally at networking events but don't interact with to any extent.
- I say hello to these people.
- Guests - are people who might visit my business, my home or interestingly, one of my web sites or ... we might chat on-line without ever meeting.
- Clients - are people I know only through work, typically because we have a monetary relationship (which may be true of some people above, but that is not our primary relationship.)
- I will try to make eye contact and smile.
- Casual Visitors - are people who might casually view your web site or blog, but won’t talk to you, they are just there.
- I ask “how can I help you?”
- Strangers - are people you won’t ever notice. They might see you on a Google search results page and not even click through to your web site.
- You may ignore them or not.
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