Great leaders know they should have great relationships with their employees. Too many are never able to form those relationships that create great employees.
Why?
I believe it’s because they don’t have common experiences with their team.
What Are Common Experiences?
You may be scratching your head, wondering what common experiences are… You wouldn’t be wrong for doing so. The term can be slightly confusing. Yet, once you understand the meaning, it’ll click.
Common experiences could also be expressed as shared experiences. These are experiences you and your team/family/friends have together.
When you do life together, you create these common experiences. For me, some of the most impactful common experiences have been:
- Annual ice climbing trips with other business owners/explorers
- Hosting the Catalyst Conference Blogger Meetup with Paul Sohn
- Running full and half marathons with other church leaders
I connected, grew, and built relationships with the people in these experiences. The experiences were no longer solo but common between the participants.
But your common experiences don’t have to be such lofty adventures. Your common experiences may be:
- Driving to the airport with coworkers and discussing your hopes and dreams
- Hosting a book club in which you read and share about great books
- Hosting a lunch and learn at the office
All in all, what common experiences do is connect the people that are a part of the experience. Once you have these experiences together, you’ll be connected.
How To Create More Common Experiences
I’ve already shared a few ways you can create those common experiences. From lunch and learns to book clubs to driving together. But there are more ways than this.
What about joining your local chapter of Toastmasters? Or attending a church or faith-based service with others? Or it could be an online group where you meet once a week?
Common experiences can be extreme or they can be the mundane. You don’t have to do crazy things to connect with others. You can do life.
Understanding that everything you do can form a common experience is the key. As you begin to realize every interaction you have with a coworker, employee, or vendor is a shared experience, you begin to understand how connected you are to those around you.
Create those common experiences by being together with others. Use the time to grow and connect. Help those you’re experiencing life with understand that these aren’t just experiences but common experiences you’re sharing together.
Common Experiences Create Extraordinary Connections
All in all, common experiences create extraordinary experiences. Think about what you’re going to do next to create the connections you, as a leader, know you need to form.
The next common experience you have could be the one that propels you or your organization forward.
