PICK UP THE DARN PHONE: Stephanie Haydn, Director Business Development People AK.

• Position: HR MATTERS

With all of the disruption and changes to how we communicate, it is more challenging than ever for teams to pick up the phone. The pandemic certainly put us on a fast track to remote work, cloud migration, chatting, and emailing. However there is still and always wilt be a need for conversations. Time and time again, I have asked a team member if they've responded to a client, and too often the answer is, "I emailed them last week." I respond with, "So, have we confirmed a resolution or decision'?'" "I am not sure; they did not answer." PICK UP THE DARN PHONE!

Technology has glitches, emails get buried, and people infer tone and meaning in chats. Simply calling a client, a prospective employer, or a sales lead is polite and develops a deeper relationship.

It is a new year, there are new opportunities, and we are all maneuvering new technigues for creating meaningful relationships with our clients, candidates, and even coworkers. We continue to read headlines about unemployment alongside the lack of available talent. There is truth to both. So to get the most out of the employees and clients you have, it is more important than ever to build meaningful relationships. Relationships are built on trust that is developed over time. It is hard to build trust in an email or chat application. Most of us need verbal communication that engages us emotionally to connect authentically.

Authentic communication and relationships build trust that results in loyalty. This is not industry-specific. Loyal employees outperform, and loyal clients do not shop for the next deal. It is essential that managers check in on their teams, ask them how they are, or let them know you appreciate them and mean it. Let your tone convey your sincere desire to be supportive. If you call on a client, express a genuine desire to solve a need and spend time maintaining rapport. Maintaining rapport reguires not only occasional conversations but also consistent, meaningful, and routine check-ins.

Gallup studies human potential and behaviors. At the center of their work, you will find that creating authentic loyal teams will increase revenue and attract more talent.

Employees and clients alike are...