At SWAYworkplace, we believe the Future of Work is in our uniquely human capabilities like creative problem solving and collaborative work. With AI taking over our repetitive tasks, we have more time to do the work that makes us valuable. Now we need the skills to communicate that value through digital mediums.
Becoming an Intentional Communicator
As work futurists, we see the importance of developing intentional relationships, working collaboratively, and affirming value. But where do you start when you’re working a different schedule than your coworkers or working remotely?
In the new World of Work, intentional communication becomes the critical piece of transitioning from in-person office work to fully remote and hybrid workplaces. We can’t rely on catching up with a teammate in the elevator or overhearing a new idea from a different department on the other side of our cubicles.
Intentional communication relies on three statements: I see you, I hear you, and I value you.
I SEE YOU
The first step in becoming an intentional communicator is demonstrating that you physically see your coworkers. Seeing is easy in an office setting through proximity: seeing each other in the break room, getting lunch together, or attending social events after hours.
In a flexible and traditional workplace model, you would see your coworkers in scheduled meetings, but overall this component decreases as the World of Work becomes more remote.
Application: So how do we intentionally add in opportunities just to see our coworkers if we don’t walk past their desks every day? Start by scheduling touchpoint meetings every week to make sure a team member isn’t forgotten. Then, plan in-person events for the whole team to meet (at minimum) once a year, but you could arrange in-person events once a quarter if your team is geographically close. You could even arrange digital coworking sessions, where the team logs into the same Zoom room, mutes themselves, and works together quietly to mimic working in an office environment.
Intentionally SEEING your coworkers brings you closer to intentionally communicating with them, even without seeing them in person every workday.
I HEAR YOU
Now that you have opportunities just to see each other, the next step is hearing from the whole team. This starts as speaking face-to-face, then grows as you learn to recognize body language even through virtual meetings. You might also hear a teammate’s ideas and contributions through conversations with others, and you can point others towards the correct contact to solve problems on a project.
Application: One way to intentionally improve trust and communication is always turning on your video for conversations. Video enforces body language and builds trust between coworkers. Even though you may not work in the same office location, you can demonstrate that you hear your teammates by keeping in contact throughout the day through chat, video, phone calls, and email.
I VALUE YOU
The goal of intentional communication is to demonstrate human value. In a flexible or remote work environment, team members often feel forgotten or overlooked. Sometimes they’re not given credit for their ideas because they’re not in the physical room. When your teammates feel seen, heard, and valued, they’ll produce better work overall.
You show you value your colleagues by seeking them out for advice, providing timely feedback, and offering positive affirmations for a job well done.
Application: If you’re intentionally thinking of ways to see and hear your colleagues, value will naturally follow. Remember to reach out for face-to-face contact consistently, so remote teammates don’t feel left out (especially if part of the team is together in an office). Schedule regular calls for feedback and project updates, and reply to emails promptly.
Demonstrate the value of their work by pointing out how it’s used in the end result. The old world of work often resulted in reports that were never referenced and busy work left in a pile on a manager’s desk. If a team member worked on a project, make sure the project needed it. If the project didn’t need that component, apologize. Sometimes plans change, or you find a more efficient way to do something, but teams can become discouraged quickly when their work is ignored over and over.
The Future of Work: Demonstrating Value within Flexible Workplaces
Mastering intentional communication will set you apart in the new World of Work. When we feel valued by our manager or coworkers, we work faster and produce better results.
In the comments, answer these questions for yourself and encourage each other as you prepare for the Future of Work:
When have you felt seen, heard, or valued?
When has a manager or coworker devalued your work (even unintentionally!)?
What’s one thing you want to start doing immediately to demonstrate that you value your teammates?