Episode: 422

Episode Title: Transactional Conversations Aren’t Enough

Transactional conversations are necessary to get stuff done, but they don’t go far enough to create a true human connection. Here’s what does, next on The Perna Syndicate.

Ep 422 show:

You’re now in The Perna Syndicate—welcome! Gratitude is a big deal at work, where we all want to be recognized for the effort we put in. But it can also be a game-changer in the classroom and at home, too. 

However, real gratitude can be hard to convey if all we have is transactional conversations with people. By transactional, I mean conversations that are solely focused on the task at hand, without much personal value to the interaction. 

Transactional conversations are all business, and you can have them with anyone. But real engagement comes when we speak and listen from a place of human connection. And that can only happen when we care enough to get past the surface-level stuff. 

Getting to the human level can be as simple as asking someone, “how are you?” and really, truly listening to their answer. If someone doesn’t want to give a deeply personal answer, that’s 100% fine. You showed them that you cared enough to ask. 

Transactional conversations are absolutely necessary, but they’re not enough by themselves. I’m not perfect at this, but I try to engage my team and clients with a personal touch every time we interact. 

When I do this, the gratitude I express means more. The other person knows it’s genuine and not just an automatic, throwaway “thanks” at the end of the message. And you know what? Adding a personal connection to transactional conversations helps us all get more done.

Tomorrow: does each generation have their own preferences about how they’re thanked? Join me on the next episode of The Perna Syndicate to find out. See you then!