5 ways to create stronger connections

So when was the last time that you wrote

a handwritten note?

It's probably been a while.

(playful piano music)

Technology has changed
the way we communicate.

We send emails, not letters,

text messages, not phone calls.

We order delivery instead of
cooking dinners in our kitchen.

All in the name of efficiency.

But here's the point.

Technology has made it
easier to communicate.

But it hasn't made it easier to connect

with other human beings.

I've found that the secret to connecting

in the high-tech, fast
paced world that we live in,

is doing a few small things,
the old-fashioned way.

Write a letter.

I've written thousands
of handwritten notes.

Thanking people for advice,

thanking them for an interview.

It just puts that extra effort

to show to someone that you really care

and that you're willing
to go above and beyond.

Some advice for writing a thank you letter

is to really make it clear

to the person that you're writing to.

The impact that they
have had on your life.

Talk about something specific.

Like "Thank you for the
advice that you gave me.

"It's because of the advice you gave me,

"that I am now doing x."

People are looking to make a difference.

And so if you can show someone,

that they've really had a impact

on the life that you're living,
the life you're pursuing,

it could have a huge impact.

Pick up the phone and dial.

We've hired thousands of employees.

And I've personally called
every single one of them

to welcome them to the Compass family.

I'm able to set the tone

of really what I want the company to be.

Where, you know, people
go above and beyond

to make people feel welcomed

and to give people a sense of belonging.

And sometimes I call people
on their last day of work.

When people leave, sometimes
they're more transparent

than they ever were
when they were actually

still at the company.

And so it's a great opportunity
to get the kinda feedback

that is very hard to get otherwise.

Ask interesting and meaningful questions

when you get outside of the office.

When I'm traveling the
country, every single night,

I'll have a dinner with
people in the company.

And I like to ask questions like

"What's your underlying motivation?

"What's something that's
happened this week

"that meant a lot to you?"

And when you go around the table,

and people really open up and
people are able to engage,

it sets a different tone.

When people come back to the office,

they can see each other
and they know each other

in a deeper way.

Answer questions with honesty.

You know how it feels when
you go into an elevator

and someone says "How was your weekend?"

It could've been, like
the best weekend ever,

you could've met the love of your life,

the person you wanna
marry and you would say

"Good, how was yours?"

If you wanna connect with
people, then you have to open up.

I'm not always that good at it

and I imagine most people aren't.

But that's why being
open stands out so much

because most people aren't.

Turn the video on.

I would always recommend
a video conference

over a phone call.

'Cause that's when you can
see the real personality

come out.

When you're on video,
you're forced to be present.

It's almost a forcing
mechanism to be in the moment.

Nobody succeeds alone.

The more you can take time

to develop genuine
authentic relationships,

the more you're gonna be
able to realize your dreams.

Because you're gonna be
able to take big risks

and know that there's gonna be
a network of people out there

to cheer you on and to
support your efforts.

(playful piano music)