Pandemin har inneburit många förändringar, inte minst i människans sätt att kommunicera. Vi har pratat med Conveys delägare, författaren Per Schlingmann, om kommunikationens nya landskap och hur man bäst navigerar det – med mod, förändringsvilja och digitala kommunikationsverktyg.
The pandemic has affected us all, regardless of age, status, or nationality. For some, the pandemic has meant positive changes such as better job opportunities, more time for family, or a newly purchased vacation home. For others, it has meant uncertain working conditions and layoffs. But no one has remained untouched.
One thing that has undergone a significant change during the pandemic is the way people communicate. Per Schlingmann, speaker and author of, among other things, How to Win the Communication War and Corona Express, believes that the change in the communication landscape began before the pandemic – but received a significant boost when much of the world was forced to digitize:
– We clearly left mass communication even before the pandemic – when one communicated with many; one sender, several receivers. With social media and digitization, many now communicate with many. As a result, conversations have become increasingly important, with stories as the new black gold.
According to Per, the pandemic was a unique global event that forced all of us to make similar changes in behaviors and lifestyles – regardless of location, profession, or age.
– The pandemic has served as a time machine by moving us several years into the future. Both privately and professionally, we were involuntarily forced to step on the gas pedal and start using digital tools for communication. Businesses and organizations had to take a giant leap forward in digital development very quickly. The result is that we are now entering a hybrid world where the physical mixes with the digital. Three areas and challenges that require new tools
Per explains that the new hybrid world particularly affects three areas where communication will play an extra important role – and where communication tools like Hilma* offer the best support.
– First and foremost: Leadership. How we lead has changed during the pandemic and will need to continue to change. It must become more communicative and visionary now that employees work decentralized. A good leader needs to be empathetic and like people and work with a relationship-oriented approach. During the pandemic, it became incredibly clear how important communication was for leadership, and many found the challenge of remote leadership overwhelming – especially when they did not have the right communication tools. Here, Hilma can help as part of leadership development by developing leaders’ ability to communicate and improve their rhetorical skills, and for the organization, it means better conditions for coordinating and to a greater extent speaking with one voice.
In addition to leadership, Per sees a change in the channels of the communication landscape with digital tools.
– The pandemic led to an accelerated use of digital channels, across all target groups: e-commerce has increased among older people, and many of us have had coffee with grandma over FaceTime when restrictions prevented us from meeting. This significant channel change began before the pandemic, but now it is even more important for companies to adapt their communication to fit the new need for digital channels. Once again, Hilma is an excellent tool, as it is extremely interactive, digital, and tailored to the hybrid workplace – you don’t need to be on-site to collaboratively create a team presentation.
– Last but not least, people’s behaviors and values have undergone a major change during the pandemic. Quality of life and balance between work and personal life have become more important, as has the importance of accessibility when it comes to digital tools. Now comes the significant challenge for companies: to update their brands to remain relevant in the new era. As I mentioned, the pandemic has acted as a time machine where we all jumped ten years into the future. Therefore, companies and employers must move to, and stay in, this new time and not get stuck in pre-pandemic processes, behaviors, and values, emphasizes Per. Strike while the iron is hot
As an experienced strategist and trend spotter, Per has a knack for seeing how new trends and phenomena will impact modern society at large. He is now convinced that we are in a phase of change that he calls year zero.
– There is an expectation of change in the air: a belief that the old is over and that a new world is now taking over. The state we are in is like modeling clay: very soft and malleable but will soon harden and crumble, as we humans are inherently habitual creatures. It is therefore important for companies and organizations to capitalize on this innovative time; to take the opportunity to drive through changes, update their brand, and innovate, says Per and continues:
– The winners are those who truly dare to challenge the status quo and dare to try the new.
Finally, Per reiterates the importance of digital tools that can support future leaders and organizations in the new, post-pandemic communication landscape.
– The time for change is now. But it is also important to develop in the right direction and to give all leaders and employees the opportunity to strengthen their communicative competence in the new digital landscape. Hilma is a tool that makes this possible, while also helping leaders and communicators take ownership of the narrative of the company’s “I.” How do we want to define our story and our brand? The best form of learning is also when we learn from each other – therefore, interactive tools are a must in the communicative, empathetic, and mature organization that will be the winners of the post-pandemic world.