Do You Know Their Favorite Word?

When I was growing up, the local newspaper was a lifeline. Within their pages, we were kept informed about the world and our little corner of it. If you had your picture in the paper, well, that was big news!

 One of the best parts about the Sunday newspaper was a weekly insert with a short section where someone famous answered a series of questions about themselves.  It somehow made them more human, more like us. 

 We learned about their favorite movie, favorite book, favorite song - all things that gave insight into how they lived their life.  In those pre-social media days, those articles influenced the economy and industry in a big way. 

 The books they liked became the books we bought.  If they liked a movie or a song, that influenced our own cultural choices.  Their answers seemed more genuine since they were spontaneous. There was greater confidence that we could be more like them if we shared the same preference.

 Television took up that same banner.

 I enjoyed a similar experience watching interviews on the television show, Inside the Actor's Studio hosted by James Lipton from 1994 until he died in 2020. 

Imagine a show that is just about a man asking famous people a series of seemingly unremarkable questions sustaining that kind of success! 

 Why do we care?  Because we want to connect. 

 You may have found that you liked someone better, or perhaps not as much.  But always, you felt as if you then had some indisputable insider information.

That feeling created a bond that translated into that connection that, in many cases, converted us from mere fans to advocates of their various causes.

 The prospect of this in our personal and professional circles is an exciting idea when we think about our connection with customers, partners, suppliers, vendors, etc.  What if we allowed that same level of curiosity to come into play about their humanity?  When was the last time you asked a customer what book they have read that left an impression?  Or what movie has recently touched their heart?  What if we allowed ourselves to peer in a bit to learn what we could do to better connect with them inside their world?

 Borrowing a few queries from James Lipton's playbook, take a moment and ask yourself if you know the answers to these questions even about yourself and those closest to you:

 What is your favorite word?  Your least favorite word?

What sound do you love?  What sound do you hate?

 Now think of the questions that you would like to ask.  What knowledge would help you create more value?  Do you make sure that you gain that insight about those in your community?

 We tend always to ask what they think about us, about our work.  Wouldn't it be more powerful to ask about something more and focus our curiosity on them and not ourselves? 

 Questions are a powerful tool.  They can change our perspective.  And in changing perspective, they change everything.

 What would they like you to know?  Maybe we should start there.