Connecting

In SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives – learn more at www.SCORE.org ) meeting with a client is pretty personal. Up close, too. One mentor or two working with a client. Helping them sort out issues, elements, problems and possibilities. We do this in Roundtable Sessions as well once a month at several locations throughout our chapter’s territory. I host four per month; others host maybe another 10 or more. That’s a lot of talking. A lot of meeting. And just in small groups.

Mostly it is a lot of connecting.

People with questions seeking answers; mentors present to guide them through the thicket of information and possible answers to all of their questions. Well not all of their questions! Our roundtables are scheduled for 90 minutes; you can only accomplish so much in that time frame.

With 5 or 6 attendees and a couple of mentors, participants pose their questions and then the group answers those. Each person shares their knowledge and experience. The mentors are there to keep order and help with some of the material as needed. Most of the time, however, the hosts get the meeting started and then get out of the way! The interaction is amazing most of the time.

And the connectedness.

Once a group gets going their discussion takes on details that profile each business enough for each to understand the focus of the answer to the questions posed. Suddenly we are into the specifics and delivering assistance. It is not a theoretical discussion. It is nuts and bolts.

Connectedness has strong value. Observe the internet. It is a universe of connections. Think of your college and university classes; theoretical until small discussion groups were formed and suddenly everyone had focus – and purpose. Discussion became real in a hurry.

That’s what I mean by connectedness.

A coffee klatch. Friends know each other and talk; over a cup of coffee. A topic is tossed onto the table and the sharing begins.

The same happens in offices and workspaces, too, if it is supported and valued. The more it is valued, the more value it has for the organization. It is amazing what ideas fellow workers can come up with. I remember the informal smoking klatches on the loading dock of our office building; we weren’t allowed to smoke in the building. The group that gathered throughout the day usually spoke of business matters and the depth and breadth were stunning! We often commented on it!! And from a cross section of departments, too.

How about your life spaces? Do you have informal gatherings as part of your daily routines?

In SCORE we often meet clients one-on-one in coffee shops – Panera Bread and Starbucks. Those locations are used by all sorts of people with different affinities. Observe their talk and discussion. Some are deep and others are social. More and more I watch deep discussions going on that clearly are inventing new ideas, products and services. A lot of business is being conducted at these places. And the key to this activity is the connectedness of the people involved. Thank God for Panera and Starbucks! They provide the space for our activities. Hopefully everyone is buying their products to make it worth their while.

The point is the connectedness taking place within their spaces. It is something to behold. People are thinking, talking, and inventing. The future should be very interesting!

All this from connecting.

November 6, 2017