The Marble Jar Concept

There is this new concept I learned from Dr. Brene Brown which is the marble jar concept.

It means we gain trust and connection with others through very small gestures and moments. Simple acts like saying hello to your colleagues in the morning, congratulating a friend, calling an old friend or being present when someone who needs a listener.

She describes these small acts like putting marbles in a jar. When you only focus on work and ignore asking about personal life of your colleagues, you remove a lot of marbles from the jar. But when you approach your coworkers with friendly gestures, welcome them with a smile and have personal conversations with them, you put a lot of marbles in the jar.

So to gain meaningful connection in your interaction whether at work, home or community, ask yourself: What am I doing to put marbles in the jar? How can I be with this person who is suffering? How can I calm down this angry customer? How can I see through this person, not just professionally but personally as a human being?