Let’s bring some humanity into it all!

We are all involved in an amazing amount of new video conference time. What had once been something that we used occasionally has become the de facto standard for almost every conversation and meeting. It has shown us a lot of good and I hope that this new mode of excellence does not fade a bit. We plan better when we know this is about to happen. We get focused on outcomes better, and we simply get more done in this mode than ever. It is amazing, and it is a bit flat.

What I find is that it does bring a higher level of personalization vs cold, faceless, boring emails. We are spending time face to face, not keyboard to keyboard. Much better for true complex conversations. And yet it has a certain limited 2 dimension nature to it. I believe that is because we don’t start these gatherings with any of the social interactions that we would normally do. No idle chit-chat or “how are you’s”. So I have a proposal for those of you brave enough to step up a bit.

In a conversation that I was having with my colleague Ken Pye the other day, we invented a new move to start every video before you dive into all of the “agenda”. And we labeled it the….. VIRTUAL FIST BUMP!

So, as you get everyone online… ask them all to do a Virtual Fist Bump to their camera…. Start the conversation with the smile that is generated from that little activity and then move into an even more personalized form of “chatting”.

You know the move… Know where your camera is at, give yourself a bit of room to see others, and do a VIRTUAL FIST BUMP!

Let’s start a global movement… VIRTUAL FIST BUMPs transcend language and culture. No room to shake hands, bow, or otherwise salute, but this new media form works perfectly in VIRTUAL FIST BUMP mode.

Try it!

And then Ken and I ended the meeting the same way…. A goodbye VIRTUAL FIST BUMP… Very cool! Double bumps!

VIRTUAL FIST BUMPs may not change the world, but it just might bring a few smiles into this video conferencing world.

Ok, LETS ROLL… and have a bit of fun!

- Mitch

No sales chatter this time. No business issues, not this time. This time I write from a very personal perspective. Please forgive my unusual demeanor this time….During the many months that we have globally battled COVID-19 our corporate family has lost several of those close to us. We have lost mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters. Each loss is a tremendous blow to all of the family. I talk with many of you around the globe with the same deeply felt shared pain. My prayers are with each of you and your family.

Your help is needed now!

A very good friend of mine, a good man that I have known for decades faces a family battle unlike any. He has a beautiful 9-month-old granddaughter that is tonight fighting for her life. Baby “H” has been in intensive care for the last week. Her medical issues are not COVID related, however, they are threatening her life deeply. Nine-month-old little girls are meant to be wearing princess dresses, not hospital gowns, tierras, not oxygen masks.

I may be out of line here, so be it. The family that I know that takes a moment to read this stuff cares about “little girls”! So my request of you is simple….

Please put Baby “H” in your prayers tonight and each night. I know the power of this community to make a difference it great. Please help me with prayers to make a difference for Baby “H”.

Bless you, all!

Mitch