When was the last time you spoke to each member of your team? And how about colleagues from other departments across the business?
This week, it was really brought home to me how easy it is to feel that you have been in touch with colleagues and friends, without actually speaking to them in person. I like to think that I am relatively good at keeping in touch with friends and family, however, when it came to having to share some news that was better delivered in person, it brought home to me how little some of us have actually spoken in person in recent months.
The digital age in which we live means it is all too easy to send a quick text message, respond to a chat in a WhatsApp group or keep up to date with one another’s lives with Facebook or Instagram. It can be all too easy to feel like we are in touch with someone without ever having to actually speak. Yet, as I’ve been reminded of this week, there really is no substitute for talking to someone directly, whether by picking up the phone or meeting in person.
This led me to wonder: as many of us continue to work remotely or in a hybrid arrangement post-pandemic, how has this changed how we communicate with one another within a business? In a physical work environment, so many conversations and interactions take place informally while making a coffee or during a watercooler moment. But how have these been replicated in these new ways of working? Or even, have they been?
When working apart from colleagues, it can feel much quicker to put a question or a statement into an email or Teams message, particularly when busy or up against a deadline. Yet, research has shown that actually speaking to colleagues can help to boost connections in the workplace, resulting in higher staff engagement and motivation. Taking the time to make a call or going out of your way to talk to someone really can make a difference.
As Bob Hoskins used to say in BT’s 90s TV adverts: “It’s good to talk”.
Debbie Lovewell-Tuck
Editor
Tweet: @DebbieLovewell