Slow it down

In an age where speed, brevity and urgency seem omnipotent, our greatest opportunity may be to slow down the cadence, gather our thoughts, relearn patience, pick up the pen, and invest time and intent in the crafting of letters.

The following five categories of correspondence are critical to the advancement of an enterprise:

• Affirmation: We have the capacity to lessen the burden of others by offering words of affirmation that lift their courage and determination — be it family, employees, customers, vendors or the kid next door. Crafting words of affirmation feeds an abundance mindset in both the sender and the recipient.
• Apology: Despite our best efforts, we make mistakes and come up short. In an era when trust levels are lagging, individuals and organizations that sincerely own their mistakes are setting the stage for loyalty while providing an accountability model employees and customers can embrace.
• Consultation: A mentor once advised me that an offering of advice may prove to be risky business. Mastering the ability to provide credible, sound consultation constrained with the self-awareness to know the limits of our wisdom increase confidence and avoids the dangers of one-size-fits-all approaches or making promises that are not kept.
• Inquiry: Asking for advice or connection to resource providers can be difficult as it opens us to vulnerability. We often become fearful that asking for advice, information, perspective or help somehow signals to the world that we are inept or weak. Making the ask for advice and constructive critique is a critical step in discovery and is often the catalytic event that unlocks the full potential of an idea or enterprise.
• Introduction: Creating connections between people is a generous and noble act. Connecting others within and beyond our network yields both direct and indirect value. While individual talent is important, those who cultivate and build wide-ranging networks are force multipliers.

A challenge

Allow me to offer a challenge during the winter months: Write one letter a week in your own hand. Start with something straightforward, such as a thank-you note; and then graduate into the categories described above. Spend no time stressing about form, style or even punctuation. Length matters not, only that you took the time to write.

While the effect on the recipient may be difficult to measure in the short term, perhaps the true benefit falls to the author — a reminder about events, experiences and people who have mattered.

Editor’s note: In “Outside the Box,” a regular, separate column in both the Angus Journal® and the Angus Beef Bulletin, author Tom Field shares his experience as a cattleman and his insightful perspective on the business aspects of ranching. Field is director of the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where he holds the Paul Engler Chair of Agribusiness Entrepreneurship.