Conversations: The Currency of the Future

BY Jennifer Yoshikoshi | November 08, 2024

Steve Artnz, CEO of Campfire, poses the question, “what is a conversation to you?” In the digital age, conversations can include verbal communication, texts, phone calls and even interactions with artificial intelligence.

During a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s October virtual conference, Arntz spoke about the art of conversations to build stronger relationships, productive work environments and inclusive workplaces.

Conversations are fundamental to fueling relationships with everyone in your life, but some conversations are harder than others. Arntz presents the audience with a mnemonic to help people focus on the key aspects to a conversation: FLAME for fluid, lively, authentic, meaningful, engaging.

Fluidity “creates a mutual understanding and respect,” he said. Liveliness provides the enthusiasm and engagement between people. Authenticity helps build trust and opens up meaningful conversations that strengthen relationships. Engagement is crucial to maintain participation from both sides in the conversation.

As conversation tools in the workplace, Arntz focuses on check-ins, asking deep questions and listening generatively.

Steve Arntz, CEO of Campfire, led the virtual thought leadership spotlight 

In a general check-in, you might ask “How are you feeling?” but Arntz suggests posing deeper questions like “What are you feeling? What are your distractions? What are your intentions for our time and space together?” These can serve as more effective starting points for teams to check-in on each other.

Starting off with these questions,“will reduce the number of meetings on your calendar” and “increase the path to efficiency in those meetings,” Arntz said.

To dive even deeper, ask people why, how and what questions to learn more about their feelings. For example, “why is this situation frustrating you?” or “how does this feeling impact your work right now?” Asking these types of questions will allow the conversation to flow into greater discussions on feelings, thoughts and intentions.

Following this tool, Arntz provides four ways to engage in conversations fully: download, which is confirming that people are heard; facts, listening with an open mind and asking questions to gather information; empathy, connecting with experiences and emotions; and creation, which is the act of creating something new together.

“When you practice this generative listening with intent to learn from the unknown, to connect with the broader, bigger thing, then you can really build on each other’s insights and create new insights,” Arntz said.

Although these questions and conversations can provide deeper connections between managers and employees, an existing feeling of distrust can also hold people back from being honest and vulnerable. Especially when companies are aiming for efficiency and profitability, actions can seem more transactional.

“If my manager were to ask me, ‘what are you feeling?’ I might have a hard time really trusting that person actually cares and sometimes it’s because I don’t trust that the organization cares,” said Artnz. “So the manager and organization start to become conflated and they inherit each other’s weaknesses and strengths.”

In these cases, it can be helpful to see vulnerability from the manager first. Prior to opening up the conversation on what employees may be feeling, start off by sharing your own thoughts and emotions, creating an environment that welcomes and encourages others to share.

These skills can be utilized when holding conversations with people, but with the increased use of AI, it’s important to remember that communicating with robots is much different. “Artificial intelligence does not equal conversational intelligence,” said Arntz.

Conversations with AI focus on logic, accuracy and efficiency, lacking the emotion and authenticity that takes place in human interactions. But this is not to say that technology is not useful in bettering conversations.

“It’s not robots or humans. It’s robots and humans together. I see a world in which we can stop tripping on each other as much as we are today,” said Arntz. “As we get assistance from these robots…we can have much more impactful and meaningful and creative relationships and that’s a world that I'm really excited about helping to shape and create.”

Arntz encourages people to use the conversational tools he discussed in addition to interactions with both robots and humans. Blending the two can help expand their insight on how to engage, create partnerships, and take action with others.

Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, Campfire, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. 

Jennifer Yoshikoshi is a local news and education reporter based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

RELATED STORIES

Winning Strategies for Delivering an Inclusive Employee-Engagement Experience

The integration of new technology has transformed HR, enabling people leaders to shift their focus from traditional desk tasks to using this technology to build more inclusive and genuinely engaging workplaces.Sloan Kendall, head of global partnerships at Blink, and Caroline Mikhail, director of advisory services at LineZero, spoke in a thought leadership spotlight about winning strategies for delivering an inclusive employee-engagement experience at From Day One’s November virtual conference.The Five Engagement StrategiesThe first key strategy is leveraging technology to create an inclusive experience. Newer technology should meet employees where they are, provide easy authentication, and be highly personalized.For example, Blink helped a transportation company improve communication with their non-tech-oriented frontline workers using a mobile app with manager-led activation, says Mikhail. This successfully executed and personalized solution accommodated employees who have access to mobile phones instead of computers.Caroline Mikhail, director of advisory services at LineZero, spoke during the thought leadership spotlight (company photoThe second strategy is utilizing the strengths of a multigenerational workforce, as the social skills and technological knowledge of each generation differ from one another. Reverse mentorship programs facilitate younger generation employees sharing modern tech knowledge with older generation employees. Further, they learn valuable social skills from older employees.A workforce with diverse and inclusive skill sets enables leaders to use modern social tools, like short-form videos, to share information and provide feedback effectively. This approach ensures that socially and culturally relevant communication channels are accessible and beneficial for all employees.A third key strategy is to develop authentic connections in the workplace. When combined with technology, it cultivates more authentic employee engagement.Shadowing programs are ways for company executives and leaders to meet employees within different departments and learn about their daily responsibilities. Posting videos of the experience, featuring different employee experiences each time, encourages participation and enhances employees’ connection to one another.Other mentorship and development programs further facilitate direct communication between leaders and employees. Mikhail shared how an executive created a skill-sharing channel to recommend books and create discussion among employees. Such programs and initiatives, enhanced by new social mediums using technology, provide enriching and unique engagement where employees feel authentically seen, understood, and appreciated by their leaders and peers.The fourth strategy is to embrace champions as workplace ambassadors. Champions further help employees adapt to new technology and communication channels by answering questions and explaining the advantages to employees and the organization.The fifth key strategy is data-driven iteration. While traditional data remains essential for informed decision-making and improving financial outcomes, leveraging technology to filter and display diverse employee data on dashboards enables leaders to better strategize around engagement and development.They can obtain data on individual employees and teams and access summarized data revealing specific trends, helping people leaders create relevant solutions and development and mentorship opportunities. More inclusive datasets also inform leaders on the ways new tools are used so they can shift to more intuitive approaches that reap the most benefits.Inclusivity MattersInclusive solutions sustain hybrid workplaces. Frontline workers aren’t working at desks on computers and may not see their supervisors, managers, or people leaders on a day-to-day basis.Making technological innovation accessible to all employees drives better business outcomes by addressing the unique needs of both teams and individuals.Inclusive engagement fosters stronger peer connections through improved internal communication, boosts productivity by delivering role-specific solutions, and increases employee visibility through diverse social engagement channels.Kendall highlighted the partnership between Blink, a mobile-first employee experience and communication platform, and LineZero, a consultancy specializing in employee experience and change management. Together, they aim to help organizations strengthen connection, culture, and communication in the digital age.“Together we’re really setting up to deliver an experience that enables organizations to empower their employees to better communicate, to engage, and to access relevant systems and tools all in one centralized application,” said Kendall.Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, LineZero, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Stephanie Reed is a freelance news, marketing, and content writer. Much of her work features small business owners throughout diverse industries. She is passionate about promoting small, ethical, and eco-conscious businesses.

Stephanie Reed | December 18, 2024

The Connection Cure: Reviving Inclusion and Restoring Belonging in a Divided World

In 2024, 52% of workers say that increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is a good thing—a 4% decrease from 2023. Meanwhile, 21% of workers say DEI is a bad thing, a 5% increase from last year. Workers’ perceptions of DEI and its significance have shifted.What has contributed to workers starting to see division rather than belonging with DEI? Teresa Hopke, CEO of Talking Talent shared her insights during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Brooklyn conference.Hopke discussed several important factors contributing to a shift in the perception of inclusion. The biggest factor is not prioritizing more inclusive connections, she says. Organizations must redefine what inclusion is and bridge the gaps in workplace connections to restore confidence in DEI. Because DEI, Hopke emphasizes, will always improve rather than harm business outcomes.Inclusion and Belonging StrategiesHow can business leaders redefine and optimize DEI to become more inclusive? How can DEI strategies restore belonging in the workplace and continue to help marginalized employees authentically achieve professional success? Hopke shared three strategies for fostering inclusion and belonging within the workplace. First, creating connection circles, a structured group or gathering designed to bring together people from various levels, positions, and cultural backgrounds within an organization, helps unite workers.Next, the Human Library methodology offers a unique, voluntary approach where individuals “check out” an employee to learn about a topic or experience they are unfamiliar with. The employee, possessing specialized knowledge, shares insights and teaches them about that subject.Hopke led a thought leadership spotlight about "The Connection Cure: Reviving Inclusion and Restoring Belonging in a Divided World"Finally, reverse leadership programs involve a reverse mentorship approach, where leaders gain insights from employees at different professional levels about the experience of belonging to an outgroup within the organization.These are authentic solutions promoting connection and understanding among different groups, says Hopke.Becoming More Connected, Not DividedRestoring connection within the workplace is at the heart of Talking Talent, coaching leaders at organizations on how to create and strengthen their DEI initiatives.The company offers several solutions, from safe communication practices to “helping systematically oppressed and underrepresented groups into senior leadership roles.” Its coaching solutions have led to positive business outcomes: 75% of their clients have won awards and occupied top league tables for DEI.However, outside of Talking Talent, one drawback of DEI that organizations have observed is employees feeling categorized and labeled. The compartmentalization can make workers feel ashamed and ostracized. For example, Hopke discussed how society normally perceives white men as the group historically embodying the status quo, yet this doesn’t account for white men who didn’t attend prestigious colleges, are neurodivergent, or aren’t heterosexual.This may explain the growing disconnection that white men feel from DEI efforts. A study from the Pew Research Center shows that 47% of white workers believe DEI practices hurt white men.Furthermore, Hopke emphasizes that DEI practices can tokenize marginalized groups and their experiences, also contributing to decreasing positivity toward DEI. “We also have to make sure that we’re not using connection and thinking of it as a fluffy term. It actually can create change in your organization,” she said. This is because connection is a biological need and addressing this need creates better business outcomes.“I am going to guess that there isn’t one business problem you have in your strategy that can’t be solved with more connection, whether it’s client-facing, whether it's market-facing, whether it’s internal—connection is the cure,” she said.So, how can organizations make the work around belonging prioritize connection rather than division? Hopke says to focus on what unites people rather than divides them and engages them in cross-cultural dialogue. People stay at organizations when they feel authentic belonging and connection.“We have to make this about everyone,” she said. “We can’t use shame, we can’t use labels, and we can’t put people into categories. We need to create cultures where everyone uses empathy, understanding, and curiosity to connect with each other.”Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Talking Talent, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight.Stephanie Reed is a freelance news, marketing, and content writer. Much of her work features small business owners throughout diverse industries. She is passionate about promoting small, ethical, and eco-conscious businesses

Stephanie Reed | December 17, 2024

Compensation-Planning: Best Practices and Trends

When you think about compensation planning for your organization, what comes to mind? If it’s not approached strategically, it can harm your business. HR managers often face the challenge of balancing company budgets with the need to offer competitive pay scales. Research from Visier, a platform that helps businesses and employees by combining people and business data to provide insights, found that a failure to identify and quickly address wage compression issues in teams can lead to faster resignations.Business News Daily defines compensation planning as encompassing all the compensatory elements of a company’s strategy, including employee wages, partner discounts, and raise schedules. These compensation decisions impact more than just finances; they shape an employee’s attitude toward the company, influence their work effort, and determine how long they stay with the organization.“When pay is adjusted quickly the length of tenure is significantly longer,” said Sean Luitjens, general manager, total rewards at Visier. Luitjens spoke during a From Day One webinar about “Compensation-Planning: Best Practices and Trends,” moderated by journalist Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza.Visier research revealed that new employees who received a raise within their first month stayed with their company for an average of 31.5 months. In contrast, employees who received a raise within six months quit 1.8 times sooner than those with annual raises, and those who had no raise at all quit 2.3 times sooner. That’s why more compensation planning cycles are crucial for your overall company success.Sean Luitjens, general manager, total rewards at Visier, led the webinarUtilizing data analytics to identify key issues for your company enables informed decisions around pay. This process shouldn’t be rushed just to check a box. The advantage of having a tech and data strategy is clear: “When you start to break it down between the details, eligibility, budget, bonus LTI, and then try to take all that and create a pay philosophy, it’s exceedingly complex,” said Luitjens.Organizations can leverage data analysis by tapping into various sources, such as performance reviews and sales targets. Building more data points and reference benchmarks allows for continuous improvement. The key is aligning this data with your business goals to inform pay decisions. Factors such as an employee’s role, performance, and tenure in the position should also be considered.Managers must also gain the knowledge of compensation planning. If they cannot understand it, how can they execute and communicate it to their team? When you give them an anchor point, explain why you are giving them that number, says Luitjens. “Put yourself in a B2C marketing position and put on your UX hat, and start to work yourself back on how they would work through the process, rather than sending an Excel spreadsheet,” he said.Luitjens ended with a summary of three compensation planning best practices, again emphasizing the importance of the manager experience in the process:Define your destination and the road there.Place manager experience at the center of delivering pay philosophy. Create a cynical and ever improving data strategy.“When it comes to compensation planning specifically, really place the manager’s experience at the center of delivering the pay philosophy.”Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Visier, for sponsoring this webinar.Mary Jones is a freelance writer out of Ohio. Her work is featured in several publications including The Dallas Express, NDash, and The Daily Advocate.

Mary Jones | December 17, 2024