What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘connectivity?’
For many, it means the Internet, switches, routers, and networks—the traditional concept of connectivity. As we work remotely, technological connectivity is essential to helping employees work more effectively and continuing business operations. But in the time of COVID-19, we have discovered that technological connectivity plays another equally important role—enabling human connectivity.
We were made to connect!
COVID-19 has shown us just how important the human element of connectivity is to our well-being. Indeed, since March, we have been inundated with article after article touting the importance of ‘staying connected’ and ‘reaching out.’ In response, many of us have connected with our family and friends through online happy hours or socially distanced backyard visits.
What is the role of human connection in a business setting? Does it even matter? Some argue that the need for human connectivity doesn’t apply in the business world. But for many, the workplace is not just a place of business—it is where they find good friendships and form connections. These important work relationships can help employees develop a sense of social connection and can contribute positively to their happiness and health. The sudden switch to remote work may make these employees feel disconnected, isolated, and alone. it.
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In hindsight, it feels like it was an incredible luxury to gather in a conference room, joke, laugh, catch up, and write on a white board rather than meeting virtually with participants struggling to hear or interrupting one another. With COVID, we are starting to understand the inherent value of being able to see the face and body language of those with whom you are meeting. COVID has made us more appreciative of our human connection.
Indeed, in an analysis of its remote workforce due to the COVID shutdowns, Microsoft found that despite feeling overloaded and burnt out by meeting fatigue, employees increased their one-on-one, work-focused meetings by 18% and work social meetings by 10%—seemingly finding a way to substitute for the in-person lunches and happy hours which are now impossible. Both statistics indicate that employees want to feel a human connection in the work setting. How do we find human connection with our colleagues in the time of COVID when we can no longer joke with them in the break room, catch up over lunch, or enjoy a Friday afternoon happy hour at our favorite watering hole? And how do we even define good human connectivity in business and what are its advantages? What tools can we use to make it possible?
At Logic Speak, the experiences of our clients have shown that the organizations who are most connected—who use technological connectivity tools to enable human connectivity—have been able to most effectively continue their operations during the COVID shutdowns. Connectivity provides ways for employees to engage with their coworkers socially, helping to keep them from feeling isolated and alone. Feeling a sense of connection to co-workers also provides an intrinsic motivation to get work done and do it well. And it enables businesses to operate more efficiently and workers to be more productive. Imagine the difference between trying to plan and execute a product launch using only email versus gathering virtually with a comprehensive tool that allows you to see one another and white board as if you were all in the same room. There is no question that “face-to-face” online collaboration, made possible by connectivity, will provide the superior result.
Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams include several tools that can greatly improve your employees’ ability to engage with one another. The Microsoft Teams platform incorporates instant messaging (in chat rooms and between individuals), audio and video calling, rich online meetings, mobile experiences, extensive web conferencing capabilities, file storage, tool integration, and more.
For example, Microsoft Teams provides secure, reliable, easy-to-access online meetings that make you feel like you are in the same room with your co-workers. You can even join these meetings on the fly from a Microsoft one-on-one or group chat. Online meetings are not limited to those within your organization. You can also include partners and customers, who join simply by clicking on a link from the invite you send them. Included in these online meetings is Microsoft Whiteboard, which allows you to use a whiteboard just as you would in a physical meeting. When your meeting ends, there is no reason to transcribe the whiteboard or take a photo of it—whiteboards can be saved in the cloud, where they can be accessed by any of your team members.
Logic Speak provides many solutions to help solve your human connectivity challenges. Investing in tools to enable human connectivity can benefit your organization both during and beyond the COVID-19 shutdowns. The boundaries of “the office” have been disintegrating for years as employees work from home, reside in different states or countries, or spend a lot of time traveling for business. Our solutions enable your employees to connect no matter where they are. We can help you find the right tools—based on the specific needs of your business—and keep them up and running so your employees and your business are always connected.
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At Logic Speak, our core values shape how we lead, how we work, and how we serve our clients. They’re not words on a wall, they’re filters for decisions and expectations for how we show up every day.
But here’s something we’ve learned the hard way: even good values have a shadow side.
Values, when taken too far or applied without self‑awareness, can create unintended consequences. What starts as a strength can quietly become a blind spot. And if we’re not careful, the very things we pride ourselves on can work against us.
So today, we want to talk honestly about our values, not just the best of them, but the risks of overusing them.
We Care for You
The strength:
Caring for others is foundational to who we are. It means treating people with dignity, empathy, and kindness. It means remembering that coworkers, clients, and partners are humans first, not just roles or tickets or invoices.
The shadow side:
When care goes unchecked, it can turn into avoidance. We may hesitate to give hard feedback because we don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings. We may tolerate behaviors longer than we should because we empathize deeply with circumstances. Over time, clarity suffers, and ironically, so does trust.
Care without courage isn’t actually care.
We Lean In
The strength:
We lean in when there’s a need. We take ownership. We step up when things are unclear or uncomfortable. This value fuels responsibility, initiative, and teamwork.
The shadow side:
Leaning in too much can become overfunctioning. We jump in to fix things that aren’t ours to fix. We take on too much instead of letting others wrestle and grow. Eventually, this can lead to burnout, resentment, or invisible bottlenecks where “that person always handles it.”
Sometimes the most responsible thing to do is not lean in, but step back.
We Love Our Craft
The strength:
We take pride in doing things well. We pay attention to details. We care about quality, process, and doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.
The shadow side:
At its extreme, loving our craft can turn into perfectionism. We may over‑engineer solutions, delay decisions, or become critical when others don’t meet our internal standards. What was meant to produce excellence can unintentionally slow momentum or make collaboration harder.
Excellence should serve the outcome, not replace it.
We Keep Improving
The strength:
Growth matters here. We believe learning never stops and that feedback, when handled well, is a gift. This value keeps us curious, hungry, and moving forward.
The shadow side:
Constant improvement can quietly create the feeling that “where we are is never enough.” Wins may go uncelebrated because we’re already focused on what’s next. People may feel like they’re always being evaluated instead of occasionally being affirmed.
Improvement without appreciation can feel exhausting.
Why This Matters: Blind Spots Are Part of Being Human
None of these shadow sides mean our values are flawed. They mean we’re human.
Every person, every team, and every organization has blind spots. Often, they’re not found in our weaknesses, but in our strengths, overused or unexamined. The danger isn’t having blind spots, it’s assuming we don’t.
That’s why self‑awareness matters so deeply to us. It’s why feedback matters. It’s why we believe asking questions like “How is this landing?” and “What might I be missing?” is a leadership responsibility, not a sign of insecurity.
Living Our Values With Humility
Our goal isn’t to live our values perfectly. It’s to live them thoughtfully.
That means holding our values firmly, but ourselves humbly. It means inviting perspective, welcoming challenge, and remembering that good intentions don’t eliminate unintended impact.
When we name the shadow side, we don’t weaken our culture, we strengthen it.
Because the best teams aren’t made of people without blind spots.
They’re made of people willing to look for them.
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