Engaged Presence through Curiosity.

To break-down this phrase, think of it this way: “Engaged presence”, is about the structure of communication, and “through curiosity” refers to our approach to it. Here, it is all about communication and the “how.”  Engaged means to ”participate or become involved in” while being present means being “fully focused on or involved in what one is doing or experiencing.”  So when both of these words mean to be “involved”, why was it important to us to include both? We’re glad you ask. It’s because each defines a particular side of “involvement” or communication that both are essential to  building a meaningful relationship.

When we talk about engaging, we mean in the way that you actively engage through SaND, and each person as you become part of our community. Actively contributing is an important part for building and strengthening relationships because it allows us to get to know each other. Just as important, is how we put presence into practice. While engagement is your contribution, presence is about being receptive and focused on others’ contributions. Active listening and undivided attention is the other half of what it takes to build strong connections. We each need to be able to do both in order to build connections that are not one-sided.

Now, let’s tackle curiosity. This is a beautiful word because it is so unassuming in nature but it is POWERFUL. Curiosity simply means “a strong desire to know or learn something.” By approaching conversations with this genuine desire in mind, we begin to ask quality questions. We are no longer looking through a lense of passive observers but actively seeking better understanding.  Now, when you apply that approach to engaging, and being present when building relationships, think of the impact that can have. Imagine having a sincere desire to learn from one another, and share without expectations or personal motives. THAT is our aim.