Tight Tribes Are Made of This

Ever had an encounter on the street, or perhaps at a check-out counter, maybe even from a car stopped at a light next to you, where you have a momentary contact, and there is an exchange, a smile, a nod, a transfer of positive feeling? There is a fundamental element of human confirmation in those moments, and temporary as they are, they lift your day.

In tribes, those exchanges, in their extended form, are its currency. Tribal structures are built of bricks like these: the customer service person who steps away from her script to say, "Gosh, that's lousy that our product didn't work for you. Let me see what I can do to get you a refund." On the phone, you can hear that woman smiling. Or consider the manager who stops by the desk of an employee and says, "Wow, that was a sharp idea you brought up in the presentation. Good work!"

Maybe the best bowler in your bowling league taps you on the shoulder after your toss and says, "Lady, I've got to watch out for you! Your skills are jumping forward like there's no tomorrow!' Small gestures that knit ties. Knit again and again, the tribal fabric becomes resiliently strong.

Acknowledgements: simple. Their consequences: mind-blowing

Tom Bentley  http://www.tombentley.com

Comments

[bonnieL]

Ed/Tom, just opened my RSS and found this article selcted as a full version, complete with Bernd's button. What a surprise. And a treat.

@Tom Super article Tom. thanks

bonnieL