Building Trust at Work with the Rise of Tech
Hi there!
In the span of just a few decades, tech has completely changed the way we work and communicate.
Most will argue that technology changed our lives for the better. It’s now hard to imagine that a phone call back in the 1940s, required an actual human phone receiver who had to ‘plug you in’ to make the connection.
But did technology really help us feel more connected?
A 2023 American data study revealed we are dealing with an epidemic of loneliness and isolation of which technology is the main driver. Tech certainly helps us send a message, but we’re absolutely missing out on trust due to the lacking human factor in these digital communication forms.
So How Do We Bring Back Trust?
Here’s a few easy to implement tips to help build trust at work (and at home) with the rise of tech:
Authenticity - Face-to-Face meetings in the era of Zoom
Strive to have more face-to-face meetings if possible.
In a rapidly evolving, unfamiliar tech world, the more humanly real and authentic we perceive things or people to be - the more we trust. No perfect profile pictures or posts that may or may not be written by AI, real life interactions can’t be edited.
Showcasing your true authentic (sometimes flawed) self is at the foundation of building trust.
Empathy - Smile for the camera!
If a face-to-face meeting just isn’t a possibility, kindly ask Zoom attendees to switch on their cameras.
Nonverbal cues like listening and reacting in an empathetic way, are much harder to express or pick up on when you can’t see someone’s face. These acts of genuine empathy are precisely what is required to foster trust.
Commitment - Keep Meetings Device-Free
It’s impossible to have a productive meeting when attendees are buried in their digital devices, due to the fact that we simply can not do 2 things at the same time.
Putting your device away signals to other people in the room, that you respect their time and ideas. It’s a powerful non-verbal message.
Attendees will also feel more encouraged to actively take part in the meeting, as they can’t hide behind their screens. We trust those who we feel are committed to the same cause.
Disconnect to reconnect.
Small changes can make a big difference.
Presentation Skills Myths and Realities
Why Filler Words are actually a Good Thing!
Amongst all the misunderstanding as to what makes for a great presentation, there are 8 Myths that need to be laid to rest. We would like to share them with you over the next couple of months.
Here’s the first one: Myth 1: Disfluencies (better known as ‘ums’, or ‘ers’) are a mark of poor communication.
Read on the blog this month:
Why we believe Filler Words are actually a Good Thing!
When Tech Doesn’t Work in your Favour…
'I’m not a cat': lawyer gets stuck on Zoom kitten filter during court case
A lawyer showed up to virtual court in the 394th district of Texas with a kitten filter turned on, the cat moving its lips and eyes, as Rod Ponton said he an...
Help us Grow our Community!
Please feel free to forward this newsletter to colleagues/friends who could benefit from receiving them.
Feedback or ideas for future editions? Feel free to send us a quick message to this email address. We would love to hear from you.
Until next month!
Warmest regards,
The Connect Family
