As some of you know, I recently broke a bone in my foot while playing tennis. The first question most people ask when they see my cast is, “Are you in a lot of pain?”

After a few weeks of hearing that question, I started thinking about why pain is the first thing people ask about. I developed a couple of theories.

Perhaps it comes from people's sympathy: wanting to offer comfort if the pain is severe. Or perhaps it comes from their fear: wondering how much an injury would hurt if it happened to them. I've got a few more weeks in a cast to figure it out.

Whatever the reason, it’s a good reminder that pain – or even the idea of pain – can have a powerful effect on how we think, feel and act. As communicators and leaders, one way to improve our effectiveness is to seek out our customers’ (or employees’ or teammates’) pain points, and find ways to help provide relief.

By the way, it doesn’t really hurt. Thanks for asking!