This post was informed by the discussion at the #CoproMondays members’ event held online on 10th January 2022. Our #CoproMonday sessions are fluid discussions with members, prompted by a series of questions or thoughts, where participants contribute their experience and knowledge, and learn from one another. Recordings are available if you’re a member or champion and you would like to catch up on the session content (email [email protected]).
Emma has summarised some salient discussion points in a series of posts. Our thanks to all those who participated.
We have spent the past two years working and co-producing online. While this shift has brought with it many benefits, there is also a sense of loss in terms of the ways in which we interact with one another. We’ve lost the incidental conversations on the edges of events or meetings, the kind that aren’t scheduled or even necessarily focused directly on productivity. Now that we have broadly adapted to the practical side of working online, we turn our thoughts to the human implications of being remotely and digitally connected - and how we can mitigate the downsides. This is part 3 of 4.
Working beyond words
In terms of the practical tools we use to communicate online, we can look beyond the written word. Documents may work for some, but for many they can be dry and inaccessible. Drawing and illustration can assist in processing thoughts, replace taking notes, and be used in combination with technology to collaborate and co-produce in real time. Alternative approaches can be more iterative and result in conversations that wouldn’t have been inspired by a typical meeting agenda or survey.
We use photos, voice notes and videos to communicate via Instagram, Snapchat, Whatsapp, Facebook and TikTok. Instead of making people use communication methods they may be unfamiliar with, we may be able to connect better through a usual channel, and express our feelings and thoughts through mediums other than the written word.
Next post: Curating a new normal