Latest / The IDEA SANDWICH Podcast / We've Never Been More Connected… or Harder to Reach
Transcript
- Ara Topouzian: To make a great sandwich, you need great ingredients. And the same goes for your work and yourself. The way you layer them, balance them, and maybe even toast them a little, that's what makes something memorable. I'm Ara Tapuzian and this is the idea sandwich, where we mix the right layers of creativity, business, and life to make something worth biting into. Today's sandwich starts with a simple question. What's the best way to reach someone these days? It seems like a simple question, but in today's world, it really isn't. We have email, text messaging, LinkedIn, Slack, Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, Instagram messages, Facebook Messenger. Okay, you get the clue. There's a lot out there. Ironically, we've never had. More ways to communicate, yet it's never been harder to actually connect. That's what brings us to today's idea sandwich. One of the biggest mistakes we make is assuming that communication begins when we hit send. It doesn't. Communication begins when the other person actually receives your message, reads it, understands it, and has the opportunity to respond. That's a big difference. If someone doesn't reply right away, we often jump to conclusions. They're ignoring me. They're not interested. They don't care. But most of the time, none of those things are true. They're busy. They're traveling. They're in meetings. Your email got buried. Your text came at the wrong time. Or they simply planned to respond later and forgot. Silence doesn't always mean no. Sometimes it simply means not yet. So, how do we become better communicators? Here's two ideas. First, choose the communication method that best fits the relationship, not your convenience. If you're introducing yourself to someone for the first time, email is usually the professional choice. If you already have a relationship, a text may be perfectly appropriate. If it's a collaborative project, Slack or Teams might be the best place. And if the conversation is important, emotional, Or could easily be misunderstood. Put the phone down. Pick the phone up. Some conversations deserve to be heard, not typed. Second, practice patience persistence. Following up is not annoying. Following up 10 times in two days is. Give people room to breathe. When you do follow up, assume positive intent. Instead of just saying, checking again with you, try something like, I know your schedule is busy, so I wanted to move this back to the top of your inbox in case it slipped by. It's respectful and professional, and it keeps the relationship intact. The best communicators aren't the loudest, they're the most thoughtful. So technology has given us more communication tools than ever before, but great leadership isn't about using every tool. It's about choosing the right one at the right time for the right person. Remember. Your goal isn't to contact people. Your goal is to connect with them. And that's your idea sandwich.