Integration. It’s an old idea, oft unemployed in meaningful ways but nonetheless talked up mightily. Especially today, in an AI-enhanced world of multiple platforms spreading key messages like wildfire. Multifaceted integration is everywhere. Yet many fundamentals often remain ignored, untapped, untended, and limiting natural communication channels in many corporations that ironically proudly tout their fluidity and openness.
A corporate culture based on openness
A certain lack of common-sense connections prevents true sharing of ideas and values. Teamwork is good, and works well but is oft limited to individual teams with goals unaligned to those of other teams within the same companies. More internal and external integration of teams will lead to a stickier cohesiveness marked by understanding for the needs and work culture of different work teams and how they operate, and how they share ideas and stay in touch with each other, as well as the individuals who compromise them and appreciation for their lives and families beyond the office.
No apps required
The nature of the fix is human-centered and involves a willingness to reach out to others in the office in frank and earnest ways. It’s not complicated, but involves a paradigm shift in mentality, away from acquisition and focused on better getting to know the people around you. Employee development has spiked by some $16 billion over the last three years. Change and innovation has led to many communications and information revolutions, which have nonetheless in other ways detracted from basic communication patterns, as unsophisticated texts replace voice-to-voice interactions, and the potential for email to engender meaningful letters is lost as the medium too many now seems – somewhat spectacularly – old-fashioned.
Off-key key messages
As fiefdoms and egoism as usual proliferate, and messages can chose to be “read” or not and certain e-profiles accepted or blocked, key messages spawned by true integration lessens, as cliques continue conquering corporate culture to the determent of a truly integrated office built on common values and interests. Hope is far from lost though – it just requires a determined a personal and inspiring leadership structure, dedicated to getting to know the people working for them, and getting them to connect.
The Human & Digital Communications Agency
Our award-winning communications team blends human interactions & digital engagement seamlessly to produce results for brands.
