Micro Interactions : Massive Impact
By: Jonathan Darling
Tags: Kindness, Leadership Development, Impact, Leadership, Love

I recently asked a question to my followers on social media.

“How many people do you have a face to face interaction with on a given day?”

The answers I received ranged from 5 to 100’s. They stated that it depended on their day and whether they were at work or out running errands. Some stated that most of their interactions came from their families and children. No one however, gave the answer “zero”. Everyone, everyday, had an interaction with another human being.

The more and more that I have studied leadership, I keep uncovering and discovering that leadership has nothing to do with a title or position, but our ability to love and care for those in our sphere of influence and how we can impact positive change in the lives of those around us. It’s become very clear then, that leadership is not reserved for corporate entities or organizations, but is a virtue that can be developed and distributed freely among the masses.

For many, the challenge is identifying the opportunities they have to lead. Which is what inspired me to ask the question. I wanted to give a little more visibility to the chances people have, on a daily basis to lead and impact. Every day, we interact with multiple people. Some of those interactions are prolonged due to the relationship or environment in which the interaction is taking place. This could be with your family, work environments and meetings. Others, are small and short in duration similar to what you would experience with your barista at Starbucks, the gas station attendant and the cashier at the grocery store. I call these, “micro interactions”.

These micro interactions, when viewed through the lens of true leadership, are opportunities to create massive positive impact.

So let’s use an average of 10 micro interactions per day. That means, in a weeks time, we have 70 micro interactions with other people. 280 in a month and 3,360 in a year.

3,360 micro interactions in a single year!!

If we started focusing on the micro interactions, and taking the time to impact those individuals in the most positive way we could, what would this world look like? How would we begin to treat people in society? How would this affect our political landscape and how we communicate our differences with others?

Let’s look at some ways, we can create massive impact by focusing on these micro interactions.

1. Phone Down, Eyes Up: When you are checking out at the grocery, or buying your water from the gas station, put your phone down. No one likes talking to someone with their head buried in their phone. Set it down and realize that you are speaking to another human. Be present. When you do, you will see opportunities to lift them up, encourage and inspire them.

2. Smile: Did you know smiling makes you feel good and that it’s contagious? When we smile, the neurotransmitters that make us feel good are released in our body. They are dopamine, endorphins and serotonin. Neuropeptides are also released that help reduce stress in the body. When we smile at someone else, they have an unconscious automatic response and mimic our facial expression. So, our smile is not only releasing feel good chemicals into us, it is causing them to have those same chemicals released in those we smile at. Our smile can biologically make others feel better and more relaxed.

3. Positive Compliments: Walmart is notorious for having 70,000 shoppers in their store, and only 3 registers open. All day long, the cashiers are receiving hateful, negative communication from frustrated patrons. It has to be exhausting. Psychologist William James noted that the deepest principle in human nature is the need to be appreciated. Compliments can make someone feel important, valued and seen. A specific positive compliment has been shown to have the same affect in someone as if you had paid them money. It elicits increased productivity and commitment.

Taking the time in these micro interactions, to make the most massive positive impact can have a profound impact on the world. They can drastically impact the direction of someone’s day and propel them to a more positive place. When we do this, it creates a ripple effect by creating in that person a need to pay it forward and look for ways they can make that same positive impact in the lives of others.

Mother Theresa once said, “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples.”

Who’s willing to cast the first stone?