Set your table for success

With another Memorial Day weekend behind us, it is almost certain that the majority of us would have sat down to eat with family or friends. Some may have been in beautiful back gardens, some in dining rooms, some on patios with cliff-top views, and others in small kitchens.

Regardless of the setting, there were two commonalities. A warm welcome and a willingness to communicate. The give and take of open communication, which, if entered into with an open mind, can lead to better understanding and perhaps even a lesson or two worth heeding.

There has been much debate recently about the decline of basic family values brought about by time and work commitments making it difficult to sit down together as a family over meals. In the Corporate meeting world, too, we are getting away from the physical, and instead our personalities are being reduced to Gifs and emojis in a series of online discussions whether by video, audio, or text.

However, just like the leaders of Countries, amazing progress can be made when you get everyone physically in a room and talk. You can watch body language, expressions, tone of voice, posture, etc. which can all help in giving instant feedback and validation of a discussion or point of view.

It is a wonderful trend to see boutique hotels and shared office space companies like ‘WeWork‘  bringing back collaborative meeting spaces not only with modern conference rooms but also large communal tables in the bar or restaurant areas. These only encourage people from all walks of life to, if even for a brief moment, sit down on a common bench and perhaps let a conversation break out!

With demands on our time and attention forever expanding, it is more important than ever to ask your family or friends to put down that phone, look you in the eye, and start a conversation. You never know what great idea or new friend is around the next table.