Touch People Before Paper

by Aubrey Patterson

What do you do upon entering your workspace each morning? 

We can choose how we show up. We also have it within our control to decide how to begin our days, and this doesn't need to include being immersed in email or a pile of paper. 

One of the saddest mistakes in time management is the propensity of people to spend the two most productive hours of their day on things that don’t require high cognitive capacity. (Dan Ariely)

Leaders are more impactful in person, and most experience greater productivity in the first two hours of a day. Imagine if we could maximize those precious hours and dedicate them to building a remarkable culture.

How great would it feel to be that leader who truly puts people first?

Touch People Before Paper

We always have an opportunity to be a thermostat by setting the temperature of the room.

It's always a good move to build a routine that has us spend a few minutes with team members early in the day. Simply sharing a warm greeting, learning where we might be needed, and removing obstacles for others are productive and contagious leadership habits. 

A Morning Routine

What can you do to better touch people before paper in your world? 

Choosing a simple, repeatable, and easily copied routine like these is one of the most effective touch people before paper plans we've encountered.

I will ... 

⇢ greet three people outside of my office every morning.

⇢ deliver specific positive reinforcement to two people before 9 am.

⇢ write five gratitude or encouragement notes every Friday and arrange for a message to greet one person each day the following week. 

Of course, starting someone else's day with warmth has positive effects on a leader's mindset, too. When we make it a habit to begin the morning with warmth, it's likely we will also experience an extra lift to our day.

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