At times it seems like the most popular individuals are those with the most signs of external success – the car, the house, the wife (or husband), the children, the dog, the cat – whatever. In other words, “the Joneses.”
Dr. Kelly Campbell’s work More than Chemistry: What Makes Relationships Tick brings great news. You don’t have to get the car, the house or the job to have natural chemistry with others. The key determinants of friendship chemistry according to her article are openness, conscientiousness and agreeableness.
Openness goes hand-in-hand with adventurousness, imagination and emotional presence. Conscientiousness refers to competency, discipline and work ethic. Agreeableness means overall friendliness, cooperativeness and considerate behavior toward others. Other traits that facilitate chemistry between individuals are being non- judgmental and similarity.
With this information, it’s hard to underestimate the worth of recruiting the right people to work on your front line. Employees who are emotionally present, hardworking and considerate toward others can’t go wrong with the customer. An attitude of non-judgment makes a customer feel comfortable and “at home.” Combined with perceived commonalities, customers are more likely to open up to employees and share valuable information that can be used to create an excellent experience and build loyalty.
Taking the time from the outset to screen for these three key traits (openness, conscientiousness, and agreeableness) and combining good candidates with adequate training initiatives can save headaches in the long run.
