We took a little jaunt over to one of our favorite gelato establishments last weekend as a little reward for some hard work.

Entering the establishment, we were greeted by this sign that led us to take a deep breath and consider how we could enjoy the ambience and crowed as we waited in a line of 6 or 7 people to get our well-earned reward.

Effective communication can be a powerful mitigator and regulator of stress, especially these days when people seem inordinately inpatient and demanding of even the simplest requests. Here is how the restaurants folks did it:

1. Our Apologies: I don’t usually suggest that people start off a communication with an apology as it tends to diminish one’s own stature in comparison to others, especially when there is nothing to apologize for. It works in this situation, however in that it immediately grabs our attention and leads us to think, ”why are they apologizing?”
2. Now, they explain themselves…Like so many other restaurants, they just do not have enough staff to get the work done. Most of us can handle the stress of a situation if we know the back story. For example, I am always appreciative when the airline pilot comes on and explains why we are delayed on the tarmac. That simple communication makes the wait so much easier.
3. The powerful ask: This request goes beyond a simple understanding of the situation and to requesting that we actually take action, which in this case to demonstrate patience and kindness. Watching folks in the restaurant chat with their server and smile when their food or drink arrived told me that these customers fully embraced that ask and were all the more joyful as a result.
4. Just a little more information: It may not be necessary but to reinforce how much they want us to relax they are letting us know (with a smile) that they are on their game.
5. Thank you! What a great way for us all to savor the experience by getting a presumptive thanks for our supportive behavior before we even had to manifest any of it!

Getting ahead of potentially stressful situations is the best way to minimize the angst and difficulties of challenges we face (especially for first world problems like these) that might cause us some aggravation or worse. We can all do our part by communicating clearly and powerfully and responding appropriately to requests from others that will help make things a little bit better as we work our way through a global pandemic.

The gelato line moved smoothly but unfortunately; the magnificent coffee java had been taken by the gentleman ahead of me. I told him to enjoy it while I had to suffer through a cup of death by chocolate. Oh, the rewards of waiting!

What’s Happening?

I had a great response to my Resilient Mindfulness audio series last week with lots of signups!

This series, which I’ll be adding to every month, is geared to help each of us perform better and be happier at work and at home. These sessions are about 10-12 minutes long and focus on the following themes:

• Working with Clarity
• Building Better Relationships at Work
• Getting Your Day Off to a Great Start
• Strengthening Your Empathy Muscle
• Managing Negative Emotions

Right now, I am offering this with an Introductory Price of $19.95 which will provide your lifetime access to these and any additional ones that I add to the Series.

Once I add another 5 to the program, the price will go up, so head on over and check out my website for more Information!