This was originally posted on LinkedIn. Occasionally, an actual conversation happens for me.

I reached out to a colleague as I had not heard from him in a while. Consequently, I was concerned about him, I sent him a message in Teams to see how he was doing.

As well, I took time and had an actual conversation with one of my teenage daughters, as her “best friend forever” has been traveling for the past couple of weeks.

I had a good, actual conversation with my wife about “showing up.”  She challenged me further with her own experience.

Undeniably, I was surprised, shocked, and delighted by what she shared. 

An actual conversation

My wife was born and raised in Yugoslavia. Today, her country is known as Hrvatska or, in English, Croatia.

Certainly, there is a cultural difference she shared was how her Mom would visit with the neighbors daily.  Mostly unannounced, for short, long, and in-between visits.  My mother-in-law would show up.

When people visit Croatia, visitors are pleasantly surprised by how nice most of their encounters with Croatians are in person.  In general, Croatians show up.

Separately, my wife reminded me of a chapter in Cody McClain Brown’s “Chasing a Croatian Girl.” In chapter 12, Cody describes neighbors and how they show up. Not to spoil the story, it’s worth a read. Try to continue to show up at work AND at home. 

Consider this as a guide for your teams to higher performance.  Think of it as a way to strengthen the relationships you have with your family, neighbors, and friends.