3. Lead well.
If everyone leads, then no one leads.
What we communicate by doing it: “I value your trust in me.”
When people show up, they’ve already put a level of trust in you. When we lead well, we value and cultivate that trust.
We we communicate by not doing it: “You shouldn’t have trusted me.”
When we show up somewhere or to something, and there is a leadership vacuum, we’re certainly less likely to trust the purveyors of that event in the future. Therefore, we’re less likely to show up in the future.
4. Exceed expectations.
What we communicate by doing it: “I’m calling you to a deeper level of investment.”
When we exceed expectations, we raise them. By doing more than expected, we challenge people to a deeper level of attention, respect and expectation for the future.
What we communicate by not doing it: “We’re settled right where we should be. I’m fine where I am. You’re fine where you are.”
It’s easy to settle into a rote, apathetic life — especially when we’re not challenged by those around us. Once we give each other permission to settle, we stop moving forward.
5. Follow up.
So often, we’re so focused on the event that we forget to follow up, but follow up conveys something equally important.
What we communicate by doing it: “You weren’t just a warm body in a seat. You are an integral part of what took place.”
By following up, we demonstrate that we actually care about the individual and his or her contribution to the process. If there’s no need for follow up, there was probably no need for the person to be there in the first place.
What we’re communicating by not doing it: Either, “You’ve already served my purpose, and I’m done with you,” or “You’re not integral moving forward.”
We don’t want to use people, and if just showing up to something is enough, then we’ve probably used them. Our goal was to have a lot of consumers at our gathering, and we used them for just that purpose. Now, we don’t really need them anymore. This is much the same as: “You’re not integral moving forward.” And sometimes, this is an OK thing to learn. Just don’t be hurt if they don’t show up next time.
Preparing for the arrival of people is really important. Let’s do it well!
