Why does communication and productivity even matter?

Is there an art of communication and productivity?

In this segment, I wanted to highlight a couple of things that focus on different ways of working.

Firstly, I wanted to explore some of the challenges we can have with communication, especially with instant communication tools. Secondly, I wanted to explore broader challenges of productivity. Each of them can easily create a sense of being overwhelmed.?

Both of these things are often things we can feel challenged by at work or in other situations.

Enjoy!

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Communication styles are different for everyone

In the digital age, are they truly digital?

Our communication styles have turned genuinely digital. We often think this has increased effectiveness. Whilst it has increased how quickly we can communicate, I would argue that it has not been all good.

Sending an email or instant message offers a fast method of communication. Research from? Grammarly ?and? The Harris Poll ?found that most people spend almost 50% of their workweek on written communication alone. Nevertheless, such communication channels lack the complexity of in-person engagement due to the scarcity of nonverbal cues.

Using email and other instant mechanisms removes essential context that we need to piece together the puzzle. It removes things like facial expressions, eye contact, timing and even tone of voice. The consequence of this means that even a simple question means one thing is interpreted very differently depending on the person.?

As? Stephanie Vozza ?for?Fast Company?noted; "Our brains are built to assume the negative, which means the receiver could assume a tone or underlying meaning that's just not there."

In turn, we will try to reach for context that simply is not there, and this is especially true for those who are neurodiverse. Context is truly everything.

It is not just those with anxiety that overthink how they communicate.?Loom?found that over 90% of workers have had their messages misunderstood, in addition almost 50% of workers said they overthink their emails and messages.

Typical adjustments to ways of communicating include:

• ?? The addition of extra words
• ? Being extra careful with punctuation
• ?? Ensuring clarity of tone with the use of emojis

I have experienced this every day of my professional career. I've always had to pitch myself to the level of communication required, scrutinised my ways of working as well as re-reading emails/IMs before sending out multiple times.

I've found ways that work for me - and one of them is voice notes. Good heavens, these are the best thing ever. I often love bomb my favourites with a good old song (special thanks to those notable mentions or putting up with my singing).

How do you communicate? Do you ever struggle with context with emails or instant messages? You can join in the wider conversation here.

How can we be more productive?

Especially when feeling overwhelmed?

The first of any month can often feel overwhelming—the rise in the need to be productive adds stress.

I treat every first of the month as a new chapter of a book or even a blank page. Often I fail (no, seriously, I have), but I always seek to be intentional.

One might not connect productivity and intention necessarily together. However, being intentional with the things you choose to invest your time in can aid in how productive you are. I know this first hand.

Every day (but especially on the first of the month), I try to:

• ?? Create a morning routine that works for me
• ?? Try to unplug in the evening
• ?? Scheduling updates from my phone at specific times of the day
• ?? Seeking to set an intention for any activity I need to do

If I am honest, I don't always hit all of these daily. But I'm ok with that, as I know I've tried my best. Things always don't work out, and I think the part of intention setting we don't talk about is when things don't work out.?

It's ok not to get everything right; we aren't robots.?You can join the full conversation here.

Why "The Standard Brain"?

I think we are all so different, and we also work differently. I fully believe in building expertise, learning from others and bringing together different sectors positively. We often do not explore outside our industries or what we know.

Exploration can lead to some fantastic ideas, collaborations and connections. It is, therefore, my aim through this blog and personal space to embrace all of myself: someone who is neurodiverse.

I've always seen the world, unlike most - in a connected way. So in a sense, interdisciplinary thinking is something I've always done; I didn't have the vocabulary to articulate myself.

*Me being derpy with a coffee.

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Thanks for reading—see you shortly!