As soon as it comes to communication today, everything is supposed to be handled through yet another new app system.
A new flow.
A new account.
A new password.
A new way to “optimize” something that was, at its core, already simple.
And somewhere along the way, we lost the most fundamental thing of all: talking to each other.
Communication Reduced to Logistics
Much of today’s communication is no longer communication in its true sense. It is administration. Information distribution. Documentation.
We have built systems that are excellent at storing, tracking, and archiving—but poor at understanding.
A message in an app has no tone of voice.
An email has no body language.
A chat has no context.
What used to be solved in a five-minute conversation now requires:
– a ticket
– a workflow
– a thread
– a confirmation
– a follow-up
And still, the misunderstanding often remains.
When Answers Exist—but Understanding Does Not
We live in a time where answers are everywhere. Everything can be googled. Everything can be asked of an AI. Everything can be written down.
But understanding does not come from answers. It comes from encounters.
When people sit in the same room, something happens that no system can replace. Eyes meet. Tone shifts. Someone leans forward. Someone else pulls back. Pauses appear that say more than words ever could.
It is in these micro-moments that real communication takes place.
Not in perfect formulations—but in living response.
Apps Cannot Read the Room
A digital system cannot sense when:
– someone is actually unsure
– someone does not dare to ask their question
– someone says yes but means no
– someone needs more time
Humans do this all the time. Instinctively.
When we talk to each other, we continuously adjust. We simplify. Clarify. Change examples. Rewind.
In writing, everything is static. What is sent is sent. Misunderstandings live on until they explode—often much later.
The Great Misunderstanding of Efficiency
Digital communication is often marketed as efficient. Fast. Scalable. Traceable.
But efficient in relation to what?
If the goal is to transmit information—yes.
If the goal is to create shared understanding, trust, and direction—often no.
Many organizations do not suffer from a lack of information. They suffer from a lack of relationships.
People know what to do, but not why.
They know how, but not together with whom.
And that is where conversation comes in.
When We Stopped Gathering
Today, there is something almost radical about suggesting:
“Can we sit down and talk about this?”
It is perceived as time-consuming. Old-fashioned. Inefficient.
But in reality, it is often the most time-saving thing there is.
How much time is wasted on:
– misinterpretations
– endless email threads
– passive aggression
– dissatisfaction that is never voiced
– decisions no one truly stands behind
A timely conversation can save months of friction.
Seeing and Sensing Each Other
Humans do not communicate with words alone.
We communicate with posture. Breathing. Tempo. Presence.
When we sit together, a shared tempo emerges. A rhythm.
It is not always comfortable. Sometimes it is tense. Sometimes awkward.
But it is real.
Digital systems filter all of this out. They make communication “clean.”
And that is precisely why it becomes poor.
Answering Questions—For Real
In a room, you can ask a question and immediately see whether the answer lands.
You notice if someone does not understand—even if they say they do.
You can pause. Draw something. Explain again.
In an app, silence is often the only signal. And silence can mean anything—or nothing at all.
That is why so many decisions today look clear on paper but fail in execution.
Because the questions were never asked where they could be truly answered.
Technology as a Replacement—Not Support
The problem is not technology.
The problem is when technology becomes a replacement for human contact rather than a support for it.
We use apps to avoid making calls.
We write instead of meeting.
We document instead of anchoring.
And slowly, we get used to a form of communication where no one really feels seen—yet everyone is connected.
The Courage to Be Present
It takes courage to meet.
To say: “I don’t understand.”
To ask the stupid question.
To show uncertainty.
To listen without preparing your reply.
Digital communication shields us from much of this.
But it also shields us from what creates real connection.
Communication as Relationship—Not Function
At its core, communication is not a tool.
It is a relationship.
When we reduce it to flows, systems, and apps, we lose its essence.
Because humans are not processes. They are living, contradictory, sensitive beings.
And they function best when they are allowed to meet as exactly that.
Maybe the Solution Is Simpler Than We Think
Maybe we do not need yet another system.
Maybe we do not need yet another platform.
Maybe we do not need yet another app.
Maybe we just need to:
– gather people in the same room
– turn off the screens
– talk
– listen
– answer
– sense
It is not nostalgic.
It is human.
And sometimes, the most modern thing we can do is return to what has always worked.
By Chris...