We have integrated technology into our lives more in the last 5 years than in the previous 50. We are pioneers of an era that will undoubtedly be digital. Technological advancements and innovations seem to know no bounds, forcing us to push our own limits and to constantly rethink our ways of communicating and collaborating. In just a few years, we have learned to integrate technology into most aspects of our daily lives, whether personal or professional.
Today, we are so obsessed with the idea of missing a call, a message, or even a piece of information that we check our smartphone up to 150 times a day.
The constant innovations of recent years have captivated us, although they have also drawn some criticism. The most frequent criticisms highlight the risk of “dehumanization” of societies, and the loss of awareness of our immediate surroundings —the other side of the world now being accessible with a click. Yet, it’s hard to deny the usefulness of these innovations: technology significantly simplifies our lives. We can now check international news, shop, contact loved ones, order a pizza, and even perform banking operations directly from our smartphone —all while sitting in the back seat of an Uber booked just minutes earlier.
To combat the “over-digitalization” of your workplace, here are 5 ways to re-humanize it in the digital age.
1. Vary your communication methods
Before communicating, you should ask yourself two questions: what idea are you trying to communicate, and what is the best method to achieve it?
Managers should very carefully choose how they communicate with their employees, depending on the situations they face. Some messages will be more easily accepted and assimilated if you deliver them in person, during a one-on-one meeting or an informal conversation, depending on the context. Other messages can simply be the subject of a digital conversation, via the company intranet, instant messaging, or Skype.
2. Enhance convenience
Technology introduces more flexibility into our workspaces. It simplifies our lives by improving our communication methods. Nowadays, it’s possible to organize a meeting by bringing together employees scattered across the globe, all from our living room. Should we really continue to schedule interviews or video conferences in the office, when company employees are increasingly mobile —even nomadic? Take advantage of mobile and/or digital communication methods: they will save you time, reduce stress within your team, and improve its productivity.
3. Amplify your team’s voices
Put an end to the vertical communication that still prevails in many commercial organizations! Digital communication tools will allow you to value your employees’ feedback and better engage them by showing them that their opinion truly matters. By inviting them to discuss among themselves, but also with their supervisors, decisions that directly affect them, you will foster the sharing of best practices and encourage them to ask relevant questions for the entire organization.
4. Don’t be afraid to be old-school
Healthy team management necessarily involves transparency. And while digital communication tools offer certain advantages, many non-verbal cues can be lost from one smartphone to another. Some messages require tact, responsiveness, and good adaptability: all skills of a sales manager that a computer or phone cannot duplicate. The digitalization of communication methods should not become an easy solution: when necessary, know how to prioritize traditional face-to-face discussion.
5. Don’t forget to disconnect!
When it comes to finding the right balance between private and professional life, we generally choose one of two paths:
- Either we “segment,” creating a clear boundary between personal life and professional career;
- Or we “integrate,” easily blending these two aspects of our lives —are you one of those who check their emails before going to sleep, or as soon as the alarm rings?
However, whether you prefer to segment or integrate, our work environment sometimes imposes a method that is unfamiliar to us, so that we adapt to the organization’s objectives. What if we all forced ourselves to segment? Many studies show that the productivity and fulfillment of “segmenters” are often superior to those of “integrators”.
“Technology forces us to affirm our human values, which means we must first understand what they are,” Sherry Turkle.
Many international companies, such as Apple and Alphabet, Facebook, and Amazon, use technology to improve the work environment, interactions, and performance of their employees. The Incenteev platform is also committed to this path, by implementing a user-centric, 4-step digital tool designed to improve communication and engagement within your workspace.
In a constantly evolving and progressing technological context, you must not forget to make the human factor a true priority. Only this human-centered approach will allow you to integrate technology harmoniously within your commercial organization.