One of the things we always hear from people is that they are extremely comfortable talking to people they know well, but whenever they are in the presence of a stranger, particularly if that person is someone who they consider important, they do not know how to act.
A way not to be left to fate when it comes to getting along with someone or being able to express yourself at a meeting or job interview is learning the “connection method”.
Everyone Can Learn To Connect
Connecting to others is a capability, not an ability. After all, to connect is a human trait, if you’re alive, you’re connected. For a second, imagine all of the people you interact with every day: friends, family members, work colleagues, neighbours, clients, sports mates, strangers on the street – the list is endless.
How come it is so difficult to establish a connection with people when we already interact so much with them? This happens because, first and foremost, you need to be aware to be in control.
First Step: Connect With Yourself
The first step to empathy is getting to know oneself. You can only, indeed, see yourself in someone else once you know who you are. It is fundamental that you perceive your own humanity in order to access what’s human about someone else. In doing so, you will also unlock your creative potential and will start recognising your ideas and materialising them.
Believe What You Say
To truly connect with people, you need to establish trust. In a work scenario, for example, it is crucial that you are truthful in your speech or with the material you share during a meeting.
“What if I have to say things I don’t believe in 100%?”, you may ask. In this case, you should find at least one thing to which you can relate and use that feeling to fuel charisma during your whole presentation.
Practice Connection Through Design Thinking
Putting yourself in vulnerable positions, being open-minded, working with people from different backgrounds will enrich your potential to connect and be genuine in your empathy. Testing your biases and listening to others rhetoric, to their ideas is a great way to solve problems in a human-centred way and, therefore, connect to other people meaningfully.
If you’d like to learn more about Design Thinking, click here.
*Original article by Raquel Sherazade. This article was translated, adapted and edited by Rani Ghazzaoui Luke.
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