We often introduce friends and co-workers to others. There are many ways to do this – you can emphasize what is most amazing about them, you can share their official ‘bio’, you can explain how you met, etc.
An idea that I’m implementing more over the past couple of years is to introduce them by sharing what they mean to you. These days, if I have to introduce someone to an audience, I have begun doing an “official” version that I gloss over and an “unofficial” version where I share my ‘personal experience’ of the person and what they’ve meant to me.
The bio approach approaches every person as a collection of achievements. The meaning approach does tend to skip an achievement or two but hugely personalizes the process and, I think, leads to more impact.
After all, people don’t remember what you say or do as well as they remember how you made them feel.
Hat tip: Lifehacker for bringing this idea together in my head
A Learning a Day 