It's all about the smell

The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.
—Proverbs 27:9

Fresh warm apple pie or fresh bread right out of the oven. I know you smell them right now as you read this! They evoke warm and comfortable memories!

How about Charlie, Ysatis, Code, maybe even Brut…remember how they smell? They too evoke a certain response; real time or memory time doesn’t matter. The fragrance of life and relationship is very important.

A lesson from the hive: Honey bees communicate all the time and direct their hive and activities largely through fragrance or smell. Pheromones to be exact; chemical fragrances given off to direct behavior or even change physiology. Amazing that through a releaser-pheromone scent, behavior changes in foraging, swarming, egg laying, and stinging. Through a primer-pheromone scent, physiology is changed to prevent worker bees from laying eggs or to slow the aging of nursery bees. Primer pheromones change the physiology of the recipient. Releaser pheromones change the behavior of the recipient. Releaser pheromones have a short-term effect and they trigger an almost immediate behavioral response from the receiving bee.
Bees are always giving each other messages. Whether foraging for nectar or stinging the bee keeper, pheromones are involved to leave a mark that says, "GO HERE!" (This is why it is important to scrape off the stinger and wash quickly to remove the "homing in" action stimulated by the attack pheromone.)
While bees may counsel each other by communicating chemically, you and I use eyes, ears, touch and smell.

This is why AIDET (Acknowledge, Introduce, Duration, Explain, Thank) is such an important way of connecting with our patients, physicians, guests and each other. They need to have the assurance of our recognition and support, the comfort of having understanding and the honor of being thanked.

The hive is buzzing with communication and activty. Let every day of yours be one that buzzes with the fragrance of support through how you communicate and reassure those you serve each day.

In a few moments you will be walking the hall, making a call, or seeing a patient. Take time to connect, to communicate and don’t stop!

You telegraph a "fragrance" message every minute of every day. Fragrances that convey safety, openness, willingness to help or "I’m on your side." Others say stay away, danger, not welcome, do it yourself. They are sensed in the words you use, the smile you offer, the touch of your hand or the tone of your voice. Sometimes you are not aware of the "messages/fragrance" you are transmitting, or perhaps the messages others need to receive from you.

Being as busy as a bee doesn’t just involve doing, it also involves communicating all the time.

It is easy to let the work at hand isolate us form the people at hand and their need for information, support or counsel.