Navigating the Shift from Relationship-Driven to Transaction-Based Work Culture in a Virtual World
There is one word that drives a lot that I do, people that I deal with, choices that I make, businesses that I run: TRUST.
Trust is something that I value both in personal relationships and in business. It is something that can make or break you and your business. This is something that I have realised over the years thanks to all the rich experiences I have had. Unfortunately, people are understanding this lesser and lesser these days, and neglecting this trust in the virtual world that we live in.
Work as we knew it
Traditionally, people did business with people they like, period. Although, in manufacturing, this is still largely true, it is still important to meet face-to-face in the brick and mortar business and a lot of it has not changed even when the world has gone digital and virtual. However, I clearly see an erosion in other businesses.
In the olden days, when we wanted to buy something, we would go to a shop, have a chat with the shopkeeper, and buy what you needed and some more because the shopkeeper recommended it. The trust you had in him is what helped you decide to buy that extra item. Of course, at times you even compromised and bought something from him that you didn’t need. Even if he fails to satisfy you one time, you give him an extra chance because of the relationship that you have with him over time.
Transactional work
With ‘work from home’ and the ‘non-office’ culture, today we have moved to the transactional work culture. If you need something, you will most likely go online and buy it. There are no chances here, only options and the power of choice. Every decision I make is based on what I see…not loyalty, not relationship and not trust. If I didn’t like what I bought, I will return it and write a review and buy from someone else next time. The world as we knew it is changing.
Services today are also slated to become transactional. The whole concept of meeting in office spaces and making small talk or “shooting the breeze” does not happen anymore. In one of my recent trips to the US for work, had 6 cancellations of meetings out of a total of 13. That is a huge number. This was largely because most people were working from home, and they had to specifically come to the town to meet me for a coffee or lunch. In the past, if they were in the office anyway, meetings were unlikely to be cancelled. Also, we would end up meeting more people than we originally thought. Potentially their teammates, other departments etc.
In the office too, with your own teams, patting someone on the back for a good job done went a long way. Empathetic understanding of one’s situation was possible when you looked them in the eye. A quick coffee or a coffee cooler conversation would easily ally misconceptions and solve issues. It is easy today to misunderstand people when they are working remotely. However, today, all we care about perhaps is if the job got done not the individual who is doing the job.
Closing a sale, you would agree, was much faster when we met a prospective client face to face. It was easier to gauge people then and what took one meeting earlier, today takes 5 virtual calls.
This shows how we are moving into a more transactional work life.
Trust in the virtual world
How many relationships/friends/bonds have happened virtually as opposed to when people worked together in offices? It perhaps still does, but much lesser.
This brings me back to how trust is built when you have more physical meetings and get to interact more. Over a virtual call, people usually dive straight into work and there is very little time to catch up.
The way ahead
Today’s ‘what’s in it for me?’ and ‘I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine’ is making our society transactional beyond repair. Unfortunately, what we lose is the true value for the community, closeness with people and meaningful associations.
In the cut-throat world that we live in, what we offer, be it a service or a product, needs to be so unique that our target consumer will buy it from us, and that’s the only way to go. A transactional association with work where you trade time for money without any other benefits can make one feel empty and seem like a waste of time.
And even when you are being transactional at work, remember to add a bit of you. Turn on the video, ask about someone’s day, pick up the mobile and make that call instead of an email all the time. Make an effort to meet for a coffee or lunch, and trust me, these will go a long way in developing that much needed trust in today’s virtual digital world.
