We connect with people all the time, particularly on social media, so what do we mean when we say we bring people together for meaningful connection?
We connect with other people, sometimes because we have to. Maybe you’re getting someone to service your boiler or you’re trying to purchase something in a shop. Sometimes we connect because we choose to, at a work meeting or meeting up with a friend.
The people we have the relationships with are often the ones with more meaning, there is a shared history and a shared experience. Those are the connections with meaning. They mean something to us.
And when we feel connected we often do our best work. It motivates, it builds trust and it helps individuals and teams to thrive.
We’ve all been to events or meetings when we have met new people but we didn’t follow up with a meeting. We didn’t see them again or produce any excellent work together, it simply was meaningless.
What factors do you need when you make connections with people at events or gatherings?
It helps create meaning where there is:
- depth
- purpose
- future connection – a chance to follow up and carry on the conversation
When you are planning your events, it’s good to consider how people can connect in a deep way, with purpose. This usually involves dedicating time for people to connect. We also want to be enablers of future connection. In the planning process we consider how people can continue their connect from meeting at an event. What could they do next? How could you encourage this?
Why is meaningful connection important to us?
We believe we are hard wired for connection. Brene Brown says it often and we believe it.
As we are hard wired for connection, we seek out connections to have purpose and meaning. We don’t want people to turn up to an event, subsequently find out a few things, and then leave. Or worse still, have a few superficial conversations and then go.
When we learn or experience something new, the learning or imprint of it is expanded when we share it with someone else. It has meaning. This beautiful woodland experience we shared gave us lots of learning points. Nomadic Dinners now have a waiting list for their experiences.
Autumn Live events and gatherings bring people together for meaningful connection.
