The quantum primacy of communication

I recall back in the 1990s when writers and practitioners like Meg Wheatley brilliantly introduced principles from quantum physics in the understanding of complex systems.

One of the most profound realizations I began to incorporate into my work was that everything is information. This includes events, objects, living beings, interactions, dynamics, time, space, discoveries, trends, systems and relationships across all dimensions known and unknown.

This positions communication as the prime cause behind everything that happens in and by teams and organizations. When things go well, it's because of the information we had at the time, through communication. Communication includes sharing, listening, observing, inquiring, doing.

Communication is not one thing that happens at work. It's everything.

Forget email and meetings

When it comes to fluency in team alignment, two ways to prevent alignment are emails and meetings. They are the source of all manner of delays and disconnects when compared to team boards like Trello and team texting like Slack. 

After years of using and observing all these methods, I would argue that team alignment is only possible with the free, easy to use tools like Trello and Slack. No team had communication skill deficiencies. There are only three dimensions in communicatiom: listening, asking and telling. Everyone knows how to do these. Communication thrives when we get the tools right.