Letter on the Third — November 2024
Dear Datamax Family,
Later this month, families will gather around a table to express their gratitude and enjoy a delicious, communal meal. While the Thanksgiving holiday is a savored time-honored tradition, it’s also a reminder of the power of Breaking Bread together… any day of the week.
Food is a universal, unifying force in our world. There is momentum and connection that transpires around a dinner table that might not around a conference room table. Are we Breaking Bread often enough with our colleagues and clients? Are we utilizing its power?
Breaking Bread: It brings us together.
A colleague and long-time friend Mike Riordan (who helped conceptualize the Little Blue Book) and I talk often about Breaking Bread, and the conversation behind its influence leads to this question: “How well do you REALLY know that person?” You think you do. But when you go out and you share a meal outside of your normal elements at the office, people become more themselves. That’s when you learn about your colleagues, and they learn about you.
Breaking Bread: It creates real impact.
When my son Cody was merely five days old, my father and I took him to Waffle House for breakfast. That meal became a tradition every Saturday and Sunday for the three of us, and a memory I cherish greatly. So what did we do when our grandsons were born? Cody and I took them to the Waffle House. These little traditions can have a huge impact. How could you apply that in your role?
Breaking Bread: It’s great when it’s spontaneous.
Breaking Bread together is commonplace for meetings or events – but it doesn’t always have to be planned! It’s not uncommon for me to grab someone in the office and say, “Let’s go to lunch.” During these meals, we may talk some business but usually, we talk about everything else outside of the office. We connect. We garner trust. We break down potential barriers – and we did so spontaneously.
Breaking Bread: It requires follow-up.
Two things to remember: 1. When establishing rapport with coworkers, “The more they trust, the more they share. The more they share, the more they trust.” Breaking Bread is a great means for establishing both of those credentials. 2. However, Breaking Bread and establishing greater trust requires follow-up. A perfect example: If I ask an employee what they are doing on a given weekend, and they share plans, it’s important that the next week I stop by and ask “How did it go?” That’s so important. People respect you if you respect them. When you show evidence of just how much you care? That’s a culture builder.
I wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving this month. Just remember: It doesn’t take a holiday or special event to unleash the power of Breaking Bread together.
The Best is Yet to Be.
Your Raving Fan,
