We are all spending so much time checking the latest updates on our virtual social network worrying about how many likes we received for that picture of the meal we just ate and have forgotten about the need to be liked in our real social network (the one we are living in the one that’s not virtual).

So I started to be different it became my goal to give a real world “LIKE” which was the acronym for

Look people in the eye
Include their name when talking to them
Kindness - always
Erect - Stand Erect - don’t hunch over like a cell phone drone

Now that’s a real world “LIKE”

I started doing this regularly and I saw changes everywhere even in situations when I was interacting for only a couple of minutes like at the supermarket or the coffee house. I would go out of my way to create eye contact and use their name - that’s why their name tag is there in the first place and by doing such a small thing, it was amazing to see the change - all of a sudden I would get more respect and treated with better service and whenever I would come back they remembered me and wanted to serve me. That’s with just a couple of minutes of interaction now imagine the impact you can make on the people you interact with all day long like your employees.

Begin real world LIKEing today. Look people in the eye, Include their name in conversation, Kindness always and Erect - stand erect don’t be a cell phone drone. By doing this - by making these very small changes, you will begin to create the foundation for stronger more trusting and caring relationships. It worked for me - I became a better manager, I became a better leader, I became a better person….and they were all small changes. Try it today - begin to LIKE people in this real world! (Listen to the complete podcast on this topic)