This morning on our team meeting, where everyone is remote, we were talking about communication in the new workplace (that is, from your house). We keep talking about how Snowfly can enhance communication, but something was hanging me up. You see, email can enhance communication, as can Slack and Microsoft Teams and Zoom.
While Snowfly can enhance corporate communication, we don’t want to be compared with those other tools because what we do is really quite different. Snowfly doesn’t replace any of those, nor are we used the same way those communication tools are used. Here’s an analogy we came up with this morning to explain the communication difference with those tools and the communication difference with Snowfly:
Imagine a married couple with a few kids and a full schedule. Between work and school, play dates and driving the kids here and to, they barely see each other, and haven’t had a decent meaningful conversation for… too long. The conversation has been logistical and operational. It’s not bad… it is all necessary. But the calendar and the car and who goes where by when, and what’s after that, has monopolized the conversation. Necessary communication, but not necessarily fun, and if this goes on too long the relationship can be hurt.
And then there is the other kind of communication. Perhaps it is small talk, or pillow talk. Perhaps it’s on a date, driving or at a restaurant, where you talk about other things. Maybe it taps into the “words of affirmation” concept from the 5 Love Languages. This communication doesn’t help little Johnny get to his class, or little Jenny get to her lesson, but it is important to build a real relationship for the parents.
Two completely different types of communication, both necessary for the family dynamics to work. And that is why I say that we don’t, and won’t, and can’t, and shouldn’t, compete with email or Slack or Teams. Those are great tools to help with the first example, of the critical logistical and operational communication.
And Snowfly is perfectly adapted to the second example, with the substantive, relationship-building, culture-enhancing communication. How do we do that? Specifically, with peer recognition and manager recognition.
When your colleague shares one of your accomplishments, which is part of the peer recognition system, everyone on your team or company can see that. They see your accomplishment, and they see you are recognized for the accomplishment. It’s flattering. It’s an intrinsic reward. And it’s something that, if management cultivates, can become a part of your culture.
When a manager or supervisor shares one of their teammate’s accomplishments in Snowfly, it’s like peer recognition but amplified. To get complimented for a project by your boss behind closed doors is great. To have your boss share that same accomplishment with the whole company, or your department, can feel amazing. Again, this is an intrinsic reward. In other words, recognizing you, and giving you that cool experience, didn’t cost your boss or the company anything.
What does it do to a company or team culture when the boss does this, regularly? It does wonders. It opens the door for more peer recognition. It helps each person know they, and their work, are valued.
This is what Snowfly does. Recognition is how we do it. Combine that with other powerful features in the Snowfly suite and you have a tool to add that special communication to your teams.
Right now, going beyond logistical and operational is critical, as everyone is wondering what the next few weeks will look like.
Let’s jump on a call or demo and talk about how Snowfly can help you work through these weird times. Weird times or not, we are the perfect tool to help strengthen your culture.
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