Happiness = Building Relationships with Meaningful Conversations
Posted on Fri, Mar 12, 2010
By Katie
For me, one of the most fulfilling aspects of public relations is building connections and having meaningful conversations with people – ultimately developing lasting relationships with my clients, partners, editors and analysts, and anyone else that crosses my path. Just this week I bonded with a reporter over an all too familiar scenario in business: there are not enough hours in the day to do everything that needs to get done, and still make time for self-fulfilling activities. What started out as small talk (and a slight complain-fest), turned into a great discussion about making time for endeavors that are significant and personally valuable.
CNN recently highlighted a research study from the University of Arizona that suggested how people can move away from “small talk” and engage in deeper, more meaningful conversations to find true happiness. In the study, experts found that the happiest people tend to have twice as many substantive conversations as unhappy people. Conversations are key for online marketing and public relations professionals – we find success by learning about our industry contacts and clients, connecting with them and working to maintain these relationships.
I read this study and smiled in appreciation. It’s a simple enough discovery, but one that some people go through each day without realizing or acknowledging: conversations that connect people in a meaningful way can lead to happiness.
Some people are discouraged by the physical disconnect that social networks promote, but I use social media daily to build meaningful connections with people with whom I might not otherwise speak with on the phone or run into on the street. This happiness study can be applied to our belief that with social media, customers will be successful social networkers if they stop broadcasting and transition to authentic engagement. Brands that do not get personal and actually speak with their customers will lose out in the end – both from a business and happiness perspective.
What types of conversations do you think are meaningful and how often are you having them? If you feel like you don’t, perhaps set a goal to have one great conversation a day. Become your own test subject and see how it affects your days, mood and overall happiness meter.