The Conversation
The future of work is often described in terms of where it will take place and what tools we will use, but I don't hear enough about understanding the emotional side of working together.
The future of work is often described in terms of where it will take place and what tools we will use. But I don't hear enough about understanding the emotional side of working with each other.
The best design I've brought to life was the fruit of great collaboration. Collaboration succeeds or fails based on the conversations we have. Are we truly listening to each other to create shared value? Are we merely listening to reply? Even if we are listening, do we have the language to respond?
The EQ of knowing how to work with people is a woefully under-appreciated skill, yet it often determines the success or failure of a team or company. Companies measure performance in many ways, but hardly any measure a person's EQ or how well they can collaborate.
Simon Sinek tells a great story on how the Navy SEALS, likely one of the highest-performing teams in the world, will bias toward trustworthiness and EQ over superior performance in selecting new team members. When it comes to the workplace, it's hard enough being human and doing business simultaneously, so how can we optimize the companies we build for collaboration and communication?
As a designer, I think we have a unique opportunity at hand. Designers have a special gift when it comes to collaboration. Design is collaboration brought to life. If done right, it's an empathetic exercise of addressing the pain points of everyone involved—both those of the customer and colleague.
When conditions permit, designers also have the unique ability to help organizations see their future. Visualizing possibility reduces the unknown. The known can act as a Northstar, while the unknown creates team chaos. When design genuinely solves a business and customer need, it can unite a team towards a shared, inherently optimistic goal. This makes the work meaningful to employees, and the two times I've seen this happen in my career, it had a profound impact on the company.
While design can benefit a business, humans were never trained to move work through complex organizations. When we consider how to improve the future of work, perhaps we think about how we emotionally work together. Instead of focusing on the tools, we focus on ourselves and our conversations. We understand that our words are the work, and perhaps the next era of great designers will consider craft and communication as one discipline.
A Call to Words:
As someone who has seen firsthand how conversations impact the success of businesses and design, I've learned that talent alone isn't enough. Even the most well-funded projects can only succeed with a shared vision and open communication.
I plan to explore this topic further and invite you to subscribe below. I'm also eager to hear about your experiences in bringing ideas to life, regardless of your profession. Let's learn from each other and start a conversation.
Thank you for reading!