Human Connections – Their Importance and How They Have Changed Through This Crisis

C.G. Jung said:  “The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed”.

Science shows and tells us that our brains are hard-wired to connect with others.  It’s human nature.  

But, just as important as human connection, is the type of human connection you make. Over the past couple of months, email and text has been the main channel of connection.  (And, I think we had gotten a little too reliant on email.) But now, more than ever, people want to connect “live”.  I am referring to the good old-fashioned phone call.  And people want to see each other, leading to the explosive rise in video chats.  

BLEND360 is in the business of human connections.  Every single day we connect with clients, consultants, and colleagues.  We always have.  That is what drives our business; that human connection.  And one thing that has remained constant here during this crisis, is the importance of those connections.

One thing that has changed, is how frequently we make those connections and how our human-to-human connections have changed (oh, and many more video chats)! We cannot (and should not) deny what is happening in our world or pretend it isn’t happening.   We need to name it. (Thank you, Brene Brown)! When we can do that, that is where the transformation happens.

I talk on the phone with clients and consultants now much more frequently. We do talk about the business at hand but we also talk about other things. We talk about how we are adapting to a remote work environment and how they are managing with their families.  One client shared with me that she has started “star gazing” in the evenings with her young children.  Another has family members who are struggling with the virus.  And others share the worry about aging parents who are miles away that they are unable to visit.  We’ve even shared graduations with our consultants.

Through all of the worries and concerns that each of us carry now, we continue to negotiate new partnerships, secure new business and ultimately support each other through this uncertain time.  

Clinical psychologist and psychotherapy educator Sophia Parnas said it beautifully; “Human to human connection is necessary for our own evolution and growth. Others shape who we are and who we become”.  We are who we are because of the connections that we make.  

“Live” connections, whether they be via phone or video chat, don’t come easy for everyone.  But they are critical for all of us right now, not just to ensure that we are keeping business moving forward but for our emotional well-being.  

Reflecting on our current situation, here are a few questions that might help get your conversations going (from Elizabeth Weingarten, managing editor of Behavioral Scientist Magazine).  

1. What’s the easiest part about the quarantine?
2. What do you do every day to take care of yourself?
3. What part of your shelter-in-place residence have you come to appreciate the most?
4. What surprising thing have you been stocking up on?
5. What habit have you started or broken, during the quarantine?
6. What is something that you miss that surprises you?
7. What specific place in your neighborhood are you most looking forward to visiting once this is all over?
8. What are some things you have realized that you don’t really need?
9. How do you think this experience will change you?
10. What do you hope to learn or take away from this experience?

Connect with someone new.  Connect with a new potential business partner.  Connect with someone you’ve always admired but never met.  Connect so that you transform your business relationships and your personal relationships through this crazy time.  You might be surprised who is there on the other side of this for you.

‍

‍

‍