Introduction to the changing landscape of work
Have you noticed how the way our workplaces are evolving?
Increasingly traditional office settings are no longer! Especially, now that we are faced with the prospect of remote, hybrid and flexible working.
The digital age has brought about a myriad of communication challenges that can actually hinder our ability to truly connect with others. Technology has certainly made communication more convenient, yet at the same time, it has led to a decrease in meaningful, authentic connections.
Human Connect to Human
What is connectivity?
Social Sciences, specifically:
Social Connectivity: The degree to which individuals or groups are connected to one another, often measured by the strength and number of social ties and interactions.
Definition of Human Connectivity
Human connectivity refers to the ability of individuals to establish and maintain relationships, communicate, and interact with others on emotional, social, and cognitive levels.
Human Nature Connection
The human connection to nature is like a tree's roots reaching deep into the earth, anchoring us to our foundation and grounding us in the present moment.
My secrets!
As an ambivert, I am comfortable with my introverted and extroverted tendencies. I enjoy working alone but also love socialising including settings like training rooms.
Some people are surprised when they witness my introverted side. Vice versa for others when they are familiar with me in alone mode and then see me as a facilitator absolutely thrilled to be there and radiating enthusiasm.
When in office mode ( I usually work alone) There are occasions when I need to remind myself of the benefits of chatting and collaborating with connections as a quote I like suggests: “If you stay silent, you’ll never be noticed. You’ll never contribute the way you could if folks heard your voice.
Importance of Connectivity
- Facilitates Communication: Enables the exchange of information between individuals, devices, and systems.
- Enhances Efficiency: Streamlines processes and operations by enabling seamless interactions and data exchange.
- Promotes Innovation: Drives technological and social advancements by connecting diverse ideas, resources, and capabilities.
- Improves Quality of Life: Enhances access to information, services, and social interactions, contributing to overall well-being
You’re actually robbing your self and/or your organisation of your insights.” Aren't human beings complex? so with this in mind and with the ever-changing situation out there, I thought it would make perfect sense to examine and list 9 sure-fire, easy pointers to improving human connectivity. Pursuing just any one of these will show signs of making a difference. Similarly to myself, some of you may have to nudge your way forward, but it's usually well worth it in the end.
Technological advancements are most certainly shifting attitudes towards work and life balance.
As automation increases, at the same time, it seems there is an increasing importance for the need for soft skills. But what could this mean for the future of workplace relations?
One thing is for sure, the future of work is uncertain yet seemingly full of possibilities. In this article, we will explore how individuals, leaders, and organisations can adapt and learn to better connect.
Whether you are a freelancer, a remote worker, or a traditional employee or your work involves leading,, understanding how re-installing the idea of communication can help avoid the implications of working alone in the modern workforce.
Importance of connectivity in enabling collaboration and productivity
“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” – Michael Althsuler
We are all in this journey called life, together. Whilst many of us now separate ourselves due to teams working in silo, remote or hybrid working, realistically it can prove difficult to live a fulfilling life without the input of others. Don’t wait for others, it is time for you to instigate improved connectivity.
The importance of not communicating in this digital age
With the rise of social media, email, and direct messaging, it has become increasingly common for people to communicate primarily through screens. It may seem counterintuitive to suggest the importance of not communicating face-to-face.
Without Human Feeling
5 concerns associated with a lack of human connectivity
- Decline in Mental Health/ Emotional Well-being: Insufficient meaningful connections can lead to increased feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and even depression.
- Without human communication and rapport in the workplace can bear upon problem-solving, innovation, and achieving team and organisational goals, moreover, misunderstandings and conflicts can arise, reducing efficiency and effectiveness.
- Employees who feel disconnected are likely to experience a low level of morale due to the absence of interactions in turn this can result in impaired engagement and ultimately productivity,
- In the absence of face-to-face interactions, digital communication is likely utilised more so. The risks here are misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and loss of clarity, which of course impacts negatively on outcomes.
- Promoting shared values, norms, and a sense of community among employees is essential. The absence or shortage of connectivity can lead to a fragmented culture, where employees feel disconnected from the organisation and its mission and values.
One highly effective way of meeting or connecting with people is when you are the one who instigates and then facilitates finding connection with others. Effective because you will feel empowered along with a great feeling of accomplishment.
Strategies for adapting to the evolving work environment
1) Good Old Fashioned Networking
No matter how hard we try and no matter how many different channels exist, we cannot escape traditional face-to-face networking.
It is a great chance to not only meet people but to introduce people to others as well. Think about this for a moment, if you connect two or more people who can help each other, it is quite likely they will remember you!
Reaching out to others in a face-to-face manner is still one of the best mechanisms for connecting with others and connecting them with others. Whilst It is possible to connect without the traditional form of networking, it is likely to take much more time.
There is something about meeting someone in person that no amount of social media can match. Eye contact and body language are two core ingredients missing from online interaction (see our article on communicating effectively inc the power of body language) ) Video chatting will indeed bring some of those elements into the mix. But, it shouldn’t be viewed as a replacement for networking in person. You will be remembered much more readily when you meet a person than when you simply connect with them on a faceless (somewhat) social media channel.
2 Help Others to Help You
Your goal should always be to help other people without expecting anything in return. However, if you can create a meaningful connection between two people, they will remember this and will likely want to help you out in the future. Especially, true if that relationship lasts in the longer -term.
Again, it’s important not to expect anything in return as this will be viewed as manipulating the situation for personal gain. Remember, people in general are keen to help those who have helped them. It’s human nature.
Learn More About the Other Parties
To help with facilitating connections, you need to know about the people you are connecting. For example, if one person is looking to start up a business, while the other is simply seeking promotion in their workplace, It might not be a good match, that said if they are in the same or similar industries it could prove to be a positive experience. Knowing the people in your network and building rapport with them will in turn lead to their trust in you and eventually your judgment.
Needs can change over time. What people wanted five years ago can be significantly different than what they are looking for now. That’s why keeping the communication channels open is essential.
Find Common Traits
It’s always better to make the right kind of connections from the beginning of a relationship. When you are in the throes of learning about individuals, try to determine their traits so that you know who you are most likely to align with. If you are a manager or leader, iIt may help to create a grid (spreadsheet) and record the names of the people followed by their traits. Then, you can filter the traits and see who comes up as having similar ones.
3 Connect with Connectors
The best people to connect with are people who are already influential. These are people who have been making connections already. Connect with these people and offer to help them out in a way that you are able. You want your name to come up whenever they are looking for something or someone. These people can quickly expand your network, particularly helpful if you are a freelancer or seeking partnership or stakeholder arrangements for your organisation.
To find these people, simply look for the most authoritative and influential resources on social media, within your industry of course. LinkedIn can be a good way to check this out, but it can also be done with Twitter and Facebook. When making contact with these people, make sure you respect their time and be willing to give much more than you receive. You could offer to help set up their next seminar or give them access to a tool that you find helpful in making connections, etc. The more you help them, the more they will come to know who you are.
If you are familiar with the DiSC model, you will most certainly be aware of this personality type, who will be only to willing to spread the message and help make connections.
- Direct messaging caution: do not overdo it, if you do it at all!
- Don’t overlook the step that comes before social media those people who are literally on your doorstep ie in front of your face.
4 Nurture Your Connections for the Future
You can’t expect people to know who you are after letting your communications with them lapse for several months or years. If you connect people and then don’t check in on them frequently, you will need to reestablish who you are and how you helped. If you are truly making positive connections, people in your network should not have to ask who you are when you are reaching out. They should go out of their way to make sure they are available to receive your communication.
If you can’t find the time to call your connections, you can send a quick update or ask them how they are doing via private messages or email. Unlike those initial stages where its important to be cautious when it comes to direct messaging. Once the foundations of a relationship is established, this is when technology has its benefits.
While calling or meeting directly are the preferred means to communicate, these other methods are better than not reaching out at all. The key is to keep your name in on their radar.
5 Try to Help Resolve Differences
When you connect human beings, there will be times when conflicts arise. Either you did not connect with the right people, or perhaps the individuals didn’t fully know their pathway at the introduction stage and then later took a different turn. As mentioned, people’s needs change and it's this that can be the cause of difference/ conflict.
If you can help to settle disputes, the parties involved will see you in a positive light. They can rely on you to be the peacemaker and keep the connections going for the better. That being said, it's always best to be honest and encourage the two or more individuals in disagreement to negotiate between themselves.
See Article: Steps to Reduce Conflict
6 Create Social Events... Regularly
Meeting up with people face-to-face is one of the best ways to connect. So, why not create events where that can happen?
Schedule social events on a regular basis. To keep the costs down, you can either raise money for these events, or you can charge the participants. To give people an incentive to pay, make the event something worth attending. For instance, you could ask prominent speakers to speak at the event.
Not every event will be a raving success, but if you continue to build a name for yourself as a connector, it should get easier as time goes by. Besides, there can never be anything lost when it comes to getting similar-minded people together.
Make your events fun to attend. This will get people to come back, and ultimately that is the goal of holding these events. You want to be at the forefront of the event so that people know you are the one responsible. You can be the announcer, or you can be one of the speakers. Ask other attendees to speak based on what you know they can contribute. You can choose to pay them, or they may be willing to do it for exposure for themselves or their business or will just be happy to share their knowledge with others.
The more events (formal and otherwise) you instigate the more people will see you as the coordinator, and the more they will connect with you. This, in turn, gives you the ability to connect them with others in your network.
7 Learn How to Manage Your Growing Connections (Schedule)
Essential, if you are in a position where forming relations is a way forward to enhance your organisation. As your network grows, you will need to put in place some methods to manage who is in it and when you are going to reach out to the individuals.
What many people find helpful is to set up a schedule throughout the year on when you are going to contact people or put important events for those people on the schedule. If someone in your network is going to speak at an event, let your network know about it. The speaker will appreciate you giving them this exposure.
Sometimes, it can be as simple as sending a birthday greeting to keep up-to-date with your network. It does take time to do this, but it pays dividends in the long run.
Remember though, all this being said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with exercising autonomy, in fact, there can be a lot right with it!
8 Show Others How to Be Connectors and Grow Your Network Further (Spread the word!)
When you refine your connecting skills, you can lead and guide others in your network to start facilitating meet-ups.
This will expand the network even further. The people you teach may go on to form their own groups without you. Encourage people to connect with other and just keep going and don’t worry about it! Usually, with this kind of networking, it all usually comes back around. Continue to build and nurture your own network.
9 Become a mentor
Once your face-to-face network is gathering momentum you could consider the idea of mentoring or coordinating others in your circle to mentor someone else.
However, the decision to mentor or be mentored should be taken seriously as the process requires commitment and the need to remain without judgment or to offer advice unless it's well-trodden and trusted.
Pros of mentoring
Remember Be Vulnerable You've made mistakes. Be willing to share your catastrophes. There's a lot of lessons to be learned from other people's mistakes. Your experiences are a valuable tool when it comes to working with others.
In the end, the best way to make a positive impact on someone's life is to be open and honest in your desire to help and in how you treat the other person. Honesty is crucial to the mentoring relationship and this means the ability to recognise when its no longer beneficial for one or the other or both parties.
Notwithstanding the fact that It’s is also important to recognise the value of taking a step back and allowing for moments of solitude to gather your strengths and thoughts.
Not All Relationships Will Work
Sometimes, no matter what, people just cannot seem to get along. It’s going to happen. Quite simply you have to let some of these connections go, importantly don’t take it personally. When a situation gets to the point where it cannot be reasonably resolved, there is nothing you can do to make it work.
Hopefully, both parties will keep in contact with you directly, and you may be able to create connections for each other with other people. Sometimes, even this won’t be possible. Again, just keep going.
Importantly if you are responsible for teams in a workplace, then this elephant in the room can not be ignored.
One solution is you could discover the Power of Everything DiSC® to help enhance team dynamics by embracing and appreciating everyone's unique differences.
Human Resource Connection
In this world where we risk the decline of meaningful connections in the workplace. Be it due to instant messaging, emails, working remotely, virtual conferencing and meetings. It is now more important than ever for people to understand each other's communication preferences.
Implementing Everything DiSC® profiling across the team, workforce or among your networking groups will help increase understanding and the ability to respect individuals' preferred communication styles
Enhance communication with Everything DiSC® profiling now! by visiting our designated section for professional and personal development
Or simply take your own assessment and gain your self-awareness.
PDF Human Connectivity 9 Tips (FREE)
© Sian
