Yes, “Who are you?”, not “How are you?”. We greet each other with “How are you?” so often that if we get the reply “Just terrible!”, we’d probably respond with “That’s great! Have a nice day!”. This is an example of an inanity, and it needs to be erased.

We indulge in inanities so much because we don’t want to commit to engaging with other people. Engagements are dangerous affairs. The word “engagement” is also used to describe battles and other encounters with the enemy. However, engagement is necessary if what we want are genuinely fruitful relationships. Someone talked about giving our best, and expecting the other party to give their best as well. One of my previous posts talked about “Under-promise and over-deliver. What is that?“. We need more transparency in our dealings. We need a genuine spirit of benevolence in ourselves if we are going to have a great and sustainable business. We need the same spirit of benevolence in us if we are going to grow great people, even greater than ourselves.

Today, make it a point to ask “Who are you?” instead of “How are you?” Ask “Who are you?” whether or not the person is familiar to you. Pay attention to what they say. Be genuine about their welfare and continued growth. It will make your day!