HOW MY HABIT GIVES ME STORIES

Every morning I get my coffee from the same café. This early morning habit has given me the opportunity to meet some incredible people.

There is the ex-PA from a large Investment bank who takes in and walks dogs from the pound.

There is the female anaesthetist who is pioneering an innovation in post-operative care with a newly developed laser treatment.

And the couple who shared how over the last two years they have been through a gender reassignment with their son, who has just become their daughter at the age of 30.

See, everyone has a story. You just have to ask.

And these conversations have led to more than just knowledge and connectedness about each other’s lives, it has led to a little café community whose members help each other out.

This same principle can be applied at your work.

So often we arrive at work and talk to the same people about the same things.

Why don’t do you try striking up a conversation with someone new in the kitchen or on the phone.

One of the most engaging internal communications campaigns came from a conversation I had with a factory manager who said that his staff felt disconnected from the company because of their language and cultural differences. It was his words that opened us up to a more effective way to connect with his team who came from a multitude of different backgrounds and countries. That company now runs cultural cooking days, where each Friday one person from the factory brings in a dish from their homeland and describes the heritage of the recipe.

How wonderful life can be that we don’t have to leave the comfort of our day to day world to experience stories that are so far removed from our everyday thinking.

So here’s a Small Act that can have a Major Impact on your day and life –

Think about the gift that awaits you “the story of the person sitting right next to you”.