Personal, Thankful Connections Matter

Tony Johnson
4 hours ago
6 min read

This time of year makes us all a little more mindful of gratitude. It becomes a time for reflection and intentionality about the last year and is a great time to pause and take a beat.

As A.I. continues to create tremendous opportunities for acceleration, growth, and efficiency, it has further eroded the personal touch. As I read about Chat-GPT created Christmas Messages and automating New Years outreach, it seems both very efficient and very soulless.

As a hospitality guy, I thrive on people. Now I understand that not everyone is wired that way - that what energizes me about a big room full of people probably makes some anxious or frustrated. It's always been that way, and everyone is different in that regard.

But we have to take a moment to consider that gratitude, connection, and people matter.

For me it has been a whirlwind year of change and adventure. I was on the road 22 weeks, traveled to 11 states, and worked with financial service organizations, universities, city government, chambers of commerce, restaurants, airlines, banks, and manufacturing to improve customer + employee experiences.

And I'm grateful to them all.

It was a year where I was able to join forces with a dear friend, Simon Elliot, to bring 4xi Global Consulting and Ignite Your Service Training & Consulting together to start a new journey into the future. One that has me excited beyond belief and thankful to my core.

And it was a year that saw my dear Customer Service Dog Charlie leave us over the rainbow road and Dobbie, our sweet little rescue puppy, join our family to keep TJ company. I couldn't feel luckier.

TJ Dobby Charlie

So What?

So why share any of this? Because gratitude and connection matter - and as we move through through the holidays into the new year, they will continue to matter even more. In a world where AI is finding its place and leaders are pushing to stay out front of the transformation, the best way to thrive is to keep the personal connection top of mind.

This seems like the perfect time to think about how we can all bring a bit more connection, gratitude, and intentional communication into the world.

People will follow those who make them feel seen and valued. Connection is a loyalty engine.
Teams engage at a higher level when they feel appreciated.
AI and human connection are a competitive advantage

Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. - Helen Keller

What You Should Do Right Now?

Now is the time to act - and that means really building new habits and taking the time to reinforce key behaviors in your team.

You can build intentional gratitude into your daily leadership with both your team and your customers - that means every day, every shift. This isn't one of those things you can just do when you have time or when you are "feeling it." It has to be a part of your leadership lexicon.

When you find ways to catch your team getting it right and train + inspire other leaders to do the same for their teams, it can quickly catch fire within your organization. No matter how large or small your business, there is always room for more connection and more recognition.

This is also the time to double down on connection and empathy. There is a shortfall of relationship building in the world right now - either dampened by technology, eroding communication skills, or those who connect to sell rather than to build relationships. Teams respect leaders who get to know them beyond the daily work and that is a core competency of the most successful leaders I work with. They take the time to know their teams as more than just "Bob from accounting." They know he is an avid fisherman with two kids who enjoy going to Kings Island, for example. Also Bob hates to be called Robert.

Thanks to the pandemic, and the rise of digital communication, personal connections are a struggle for many. A key impact has been the erosion of listening, communication, and in-person relationship building skills. According to a Harris Poll, 65% of Gen Z said they had to "relearn social skills" after pandemic restrictions were lifted.

Anecdotally, as I work with employers, the ability for team members to collaborate and work together with strong communication is seen as a weakness in many employees in our current workforce. There is also a feeling in younger Millennials and Gen Z that they are under-prepared to network, speak confidently, or resolve conflict.

The thing about communication, relationship building, and recognition is that everyone looks for the big moment rather than appreciating the small, daily, boring stuff. You don't build relationships or friendships from a single moment - you may feel that spark of something to build on as you discover a new colleague or potential friend - but the real work starts after that. You must put the work in to fan the spark and get to know people over a sustained time.

Relationships are funny things. They are never 50/50. They are also never quite balanced the same as time goes on. I have friends that I've had for over a decade and based on what's happening with us, one carries more of the load during given times, but it changes. Sometimes I'm the one calling or texting to keep the connection going - and other times I'm the one who slacks a bit and the other person takes on the mantle of not letting us lose touch. Most relationships or friendships that last a long time have some semblance of that in common.

Gratitude is the same way. So often leaders look for that big moment to celebrate a team member, customer, or client that they miss the opportunity to thank for them for the small things that really matter. The things that, over time, define excellence or partnership. The things that drive long term success.

Ready to up your Hospitality or leadership game? Schedule your training session, workshop, or on-site assessment today.

BOOK TIME WITH TONY

So that really is the message. Don't wait. Don't make it over complicated. Don't pull back from communication. Embrace it now and start moving forward on this before the new year. That way it's not a resolution, its a real commitment.

When you take the time to lean into gratitude and connection amazing things happen:

Increased customer loyalty and reduced churn
Stronger word of mouth and reputation
Improved employee engagement and retention
Teams feel more connected, fueling them to innovate and solve problems
Higher customer lifetime value

Consider how you will lead into the future - and how you will use your own personal style to build connection with your team. These skills will be what set you apart in a world that is rapidly changing due to AI and technology.

But the good news is that transformation is nothing new. It is a constant that leaders have dealt with since there were teams to lead. And through it all, those who could adapt, communicate, build relationships, solve problems, and embrace the innovations found themselves at the center of exciting things.

Until next time, keep your team and your customers top of mind and center stage.

Tony (Crafted by a human, not AI.)

Meet Tony Johnson

Tony is the Co-Managing Partner, Co-Owner, and Chief Experience Officer (CXO) for 4xi Global Consulting. Tony is an internationally recognized thought leader and influencer in Customer and Employee Experience. He hosts the wildly successful Customer Service Academy podcast and is the author of two books on leadership and CX.

Tony has worked with some of the top organizations across the globe, including Delta, 3M, Baylor Scott and White Health, University of Virginia, Siemens, SHRM, and more.

Tony is available to help your organization with:

Employee training and development
Executive and leadership coaching
CX and EX strategy creation
Inspirational keynote talks
Fractional Chief Experience Officer

Evolving Experiences, a 4xi brand, focuses on Customer Experience (CX) and Employee Experience (EX) as growth engines. By creating fierce loyalty with both employees and customers, organization can differentiate themselves in an ever-changing and competitive marketplace.

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4xi Global Consulting & Solutions is a team of talented leaders from both the client-side and service provider side, impacting the Human Experience (HX) for people at work, in education, rest, and at leisure.

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