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How do you make sure your communications feel authentic and human in an increasingly automated workplace?
How do you make sure your communications feel authentic and human in an increasingly automated workplace?
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16 answers
Kim Igleheart
Career Counselor | Police Officer
1860
Answers
San Antonio, Texas
Updated
Kim’s Answer
Well, Ray pretty much covered it. I almost never use AI. Every now and then I get curious as to what it would say, and I check it, but quickly realize it's not coming anywhere close to saying what I want to say. Keep it real by keeping it real. AI cannot relate my personal real life experiences.
Kim
Kim
Nikon Pascual, MBA, CLU®, CLF®, CDR
National Director of Field Recruiting
2
Answers
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Nikon’s Answer
Great question! It's really helpful to use AI for quicker responses, but I always try to write like we're having a real conversation. I avoid big words or phrases that don't feel true to me. If I can't imagine saying it out loud, I know I need to be more natural.
Also, not everything needs to be an email or text. Building stronger relationships can be as simple as making a phone call or setting up a Zoom meeting. These live interactions can be much more meaningful than emails. Hope this helps!
Also, not everything needs to be an email or text. Building stronger relationships can be as simple as making a phone call or setting up a Zoom meeting. These live interactions can be much more meaningful than emails. Hope this helps!
Ray von Dohren
Retired sanitary engineer
25
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Ray’s Answer
Gee, you’re stuck on this communications thing, aren’t you?
When I answer these questions, I’m allowed to have a computer fix them up and make them better. Whaaaaat? Then what? We all become vanilla? Once you are able to communicate as you, then you can stay raspberry ripple or in my case, pork and prune with a swirl. You instinctively know your audience, whoever they are, and they know you. You are speaking with them, and they are listening to you. You, Rachel Raspberry Ripple, are listening to them as they talk to you. That’s real communication. You talk. You listen. The workplace may be automated, but you are not. Don’t ever be.
Here’s what the computer suggested under the category "encouraging":
It looks like you're working hard on improving your communication skills. That's great! Remember, even if technology helps us sometimes, it's important to keep your unique voice. Once you can express yourself clearly, you can stay true to who you are. You naturally understand your audience, and they understand you. Real communication is about talking and listening. Even in a tech-driven world, your personal touch is important. Keep being you!
That’s so boring, I dosed off half way through it.
When I answer these questions, I’m allowed to have a computer fix them up and make them better. Whaaaaat? Then what? We all become vanilla? Once you are able to communicate as you, then you can stay raspberry ripple or in my case, pork and prune with a swirl. You instinctively know your audience, whoever they are, and they know you. You are speaking with them, and they are listening to you. You, Rachel Raspberry Ripple, are listening to them as they talk to you. That’s real communication. You talk. You listen. The workplace may be automated, but you are not. Don’t ever be.
Here’s what the computer suggested under the category "encouraging":
It looks like you're working hard on improving your communication skills. That's great! Remember, even if technology helps us sometimes, it's important to keep your unique voice. Once you can express yourself clearly, you can stay true to who you are. You naturally understand your audience, and they understand you. Real communication is about talking and listening. Even in a tech-driven world, your personal touch is important. Keep being you!
That’s so boring, I dosed off half way through it.
Ray, you hit this one out of the park! I get so tired of reading AI generated responses that totally lack any sense of human-ness. Thanks for being you!
Kim Igleheart
PwC Impact
823
Answers
Orlando, Florida
Updated
PwC’s Answer
Authentic communication starts with intentionality and presence. I focus on being clear about my purpose, acknowledging context, and using a natural tone that reflects real priorities rather than polished perfection. Simple practices—like actively listening, responding thoughtfully instead of instantly, and being transparent about constraints or uncertainties—help messages feel human. I also adapt my communication to the situation: sometimes that means efficiency and brevity, and other times it means empathy and space for dialogue. Technology should support communication, not replace human judgment, accountability, and emotional intelligence.
Adding personal touches to communication, asking about a trip or a pet.
Ask questions, listen and respond with warmth, empathy and care. Include relevant anecdotes and examples to bring your message to life.
Be yourself, of course in a professional way. Recall small details someone may have told you in a prior conversation and follow up by asking about one of those details, whether it be personal or professional.
Collaboration across teams and getting feedback from stakeholders, understanding needs and motivations of your audience, scanning the current landscape to have timely messaging and showing empathy.
Adding personal touches to communication, asking about a trip or a pet.
Ask questions, listen and respond with warmth, empathy and care. Include relevant anecdotes and examples to bring your message to life.
Be yourself, of course in a professional way. Recall small details someone may have told you in a prior conversation and follow up by asking about one of those details, whether it be personal or professional.
Collaboration across teams and getting feedback from stakeholders, understanding needs and motivations of your audience, scanning the current landscape to have timely messaging and showing empathy.
PwC Impact
823
Answers
Orlando, Florida
Updated
PwC’s Answer
Come prepared and have a plan. Be yourself and be authentic.
Customize the message to incorporate information related to the other person.
Giving your work and the communication purpose. Really inspiring and telling a story to your audience is a skill that cannot be replicated by automation or artificial intelligence.
Have a strong tone of voice that is consistently threaded from message to message. Speak like a human to the humans you're trying to reach. Try to eliminate jargon and buzzwords and just get to the point, in real people terms.
I keep communication authentic by focusing on people, not just process. I use a clear, conversational tone, explain the ‘why’ behind decisions, and show empathy for the audience’s perspective. I balance data with human context, pairing insights with stories and impact. Even when automation is involved, I make sure my voice and intent come through so the message feels genuine.
I like to create relationships with the people that I work with through teams meetings, pings, and chatting while in the office. I find that this helps my emails come across as genuine and authentic.
Customize the message to incorporate information related to the other person.
Giving your work and the communication purpose. Really inspiring and telling a story to your audience is a skill that cannot be replicated by automation or artificial intelligence.
Have a strong tone of voice that is consistently threaded from message to message. Speak like a human to the humans you're trying to reach. Try to eliminate jargon and buzzwords and just get to the point, in real people terms.
I keep communication authentic by focusing on people, not just process. I use a clear, conversational tone, explain the ‘why’ behind decisions, and show empathy for the audience’s perspective. I balance data with human context, pairing insights with stories and impact. Even when automation is involved, I make sure my voice and intent come through so the message feels genuine.
I like to create relationships with the people that I work with through teams meetings, pings, and chatting while in the office. I find that this helps my emails come across as genuine and authentic.
Fatima Nixon
Program Lead
9
Answers
London, England, United Kingdom
Updated
Fatima’s Answer
Whilst I use AI for tips and suggestions, I rarely use the exact AI response. These days, an automated response will be obvious as often the response does not sound like you as an individual. I'll write the communications and if I feel I need help tweaking it, I will use AI and use the elements that reflect me/my thought process. Typically, I'll write comms that AI may have tweaked the grammar and there might be a few adjectives that I like and will use. As long as the comms sounds like me/resonates with me, ultimately that's what I'll go with albeit with a bit of help with AI.
Phoebe Little
Medical Assistant and college Student
1
Answer
Phoenix, Arizona
Updated
Phoebe’s Answer
Communication and human connection is one of the most important aspects of how our world works, especially from a healthcare worker perspective. To keep communication genuine and meaningful, I always make sure to look and be engaged with the people involved. Also adding in physical communication cues and wording can help the conversation continue. But- as someone who has trouble with eye contact sometimes, I always make sure noticeably be open and respectful to the speaker.
PwC Impact
823
Answers
Orlando, Florida
Updated
PwC’s Answer
- Speaking authentically, using lingo that’s second nature to me and not just buzz words. I also try to find ways to bring relevant examples/context into the discussion from myself or other people in the discussion to make conversations more personal and relevant.
- It is important throughout your career to say what you want and not assume others know what you want.
- Ensure you don’t lose your personality when speaking and use eye contact and only use professional language.
- Establish a real bridge of communication between all of our areas that we can receive a real feedback that helps audit teams improve their work
- Don't forget that the very best thing you have to offer is who you really are and so it forces you to be just completely open and honest in a thoughtful way all the time when you remember that your bestIs a gift to others and therefore you're authentic self is the biggest gift you could ever provide whether that be a to a team whether that be within your family you know what a work setting or otherwise good luck
- It is important throughout your career to say what you want and not assume others know what you want.
- Ensure you don’t lose your personality when speaking and use eye contact and only use professional language.
- Establish a real bridge of communication between all of our areas that we can receive a real feedback that helps audit teams improve their work
- Don't forget that the very best thing you have to offer is who you really are and so it forces you to be just completely open and honest in a thoughtful way all the time when you remember that your bestIs a gift to others and therefore you're authentic self is the biggest gift you could ever provide whether that be a to a team whether that be within your family you know what a work setting or otherwise good luck
PwC Impact
823
Answers
Orlando, Florida
Updated
PwC’s Answer
I make sure communication stays authentic by being intentional about the human parts that automation can’t replace. Even if AI helps draft something, I always pause to add context, tone, and real intent — things like acknowledging emotions, being honest about uncertainty, or sharing the ‘why’ behind a message. I also try to communicate more directly — speaking plainly, listening actively, and responding to people rather than just pushing information out. In an automated world, authenticity comes from showing there’s a real person behind the message — someone who understands, cares, and is present.
I make sure communications feel human by always thinking about my audience, trying to connect on a personal level and maintaining my own style/voice when I communicate.
I make sure to review and refine my messages and deliverables so they sound natural and true to my voice. I often add personal anecdotes to make the message more real and relatable. I also take time to adjust and improve AI-generated content so it feels thoughtful and clear. Even with automation, it’s important to keep that human touch so people feel genuinely connected and understood.
Leverage AI but always use your own judgement as to how the tone and messaging feel. Is it personable? Is it too casual?
Make an effort to keep notes of personal details shared in the course of natural conversation with colleagues and refer to those details in future conversations (e.g. did you enjoy that baseball game you went to last month?).
I make sure communications feel human by always thinking about my audience, trying to connect on a personal level and maintaining my own style/voice when I communicate.
I make sure to review and refine my messages and deliverables so they sound natural and true to my voice. I often add personal anecdotes to make the message more real and relatable. I also take time to adjust and improve AI-generated content so it feels thoughtful and clear. Even with automation, it’s important to keep that human touch so people feel genuinely connected and understood.
Leverage AI but always use your own judgement as to how the tone and messaging feel. Is it personable? Is it too casual?
Make an effort to keep notes of personal details shared in the course of natural conversation with colleagues and refer to those details in future conversations (e.g. did you enjoy that baseball game you went to last month?).
PwC Impact
823
Answers
Orlando, Florida
Updated
PwC’s Answer
Review, keep it succinct, add in interpersonal details/knowledge about the person you're speaking with (ie - did you know they went to Iowa over the weekend - ask them how it went).
Smiling and laughing are part of my personality. I like to show others that I am engaging in conversation, and I believe it helps to build trust. When you enjoy working with someone, productivity will naturally increase. Bringing a good attitude to meetings is crucial to build rapport with your team, and it will translate to a healthier work dynamic.
Tailor to the person or group you're communicating with. Don't just copy/paste what comes from the automation. Pause, review the automated content consider the context, and determine what content is relevant. Consider interpreting the content or contextualizing it for them.
To keep communications authentic, I focus on being clear, empathetic, and genuine. While I actively use automation, it is critical to have it not replace my voice.
Understand the human you're writing for (even it's just for yourself). Write like you (they) talk. Incorporate small personal touches that showcase personality. Most everyone knows when they're reading a formula-made email. Layer in anecdotes, humor and language (as appropriate) to take the concepts AI has distilled for you and make them human.
Using AI is great place to start building ideas for my communications, but in order for them to feel authentic I like to edit them to ensure my "voice" and personality is included so whoever is on the receiving end knows this is a peer to peer interaction, not a peer to machine interaction. It never hurts to add in small details said in passing (for example "how was that sporting event you went to?"). This brings in a innately human experience, something AI could never replace to the conversation.
Smiling and laughing are part of my personality. I like to show others that I am engaging in conversation, and I believe it helps to build trust. When you enjoy working with someone, productivity will naturally increase. Bringing a good attitude to meetings is crucial to build rapport with your team, and it will translate to a healthier work dynamic.
Tailor to the person or group you're communicating with. Don't just copy/paste what comes from the automation. Pause, review the automated content consider the context, and determine what content is relevant. Consider interpreting the content or contextualizing it for them.
To keep communications authentic, I focus on being clear, empathetic, and genuine. While I actively use automation, it is critical to have it not replace my voice.
Understand the human you're writing for (even it's just for yourself). Write like you (they) talk. Incorporate small personal touches that showcase personality. Most everyone knows when they're reading a formula-made email. Layer in anecdotes, humor and language (as appropriate) to take the concepts AI has distilled for you and make them human.
Using AI is great place to start building ideas for my communications, but in order for them to feel authentic I like to edit them to ensure my "voice" and personality is included so whoever is on the receiving end knows this is a peer to peer interaction, not a peer to machine interaction. It never hurts to add in small details said in passing (for example "how was that sporting event you went to?"). This brings in a innately human experience, something AI could never replace to the conversation.
Carmen Figueroa
Magazine
3
Answers
Laurens, South Carolina
Updated
Carmen’s Answer
Good morning — I always write my own texts and edits; I worked hard on my writing. I am a writer by nature; I write books. AI, for me, is a help — it’s for saving time. But my mind is my greatest power and potential. That’s why every day you should read and look at interesting things so you can complement them with AI, not depend on it. And even that it can make images for you is great; the important thing is that you always remain in control. Regards.
Karin P.
Lecturer, Academic Advisor, Career Coach, Mentor
1209
Answers
Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
Updated
Karin’s Answer
Hi there,
I write my own texts. That's it.
Everyone has their own distinctive voice and writing style. AI makes it "easier", but also very boring.
I see it on these boards. The AI generated ones just all sound the same. I don't have patience to read that. AI is helpful as an "assistant", to quickly gather some information and sources on a topic. But I need to (a) find some good sources to make sure it's not a hallucination, and (b) write my own text.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
I write my own texts. That's it.
Everyone has their own distinctive voice and writing style. AI makes it "easier", but also very boring.
I see it on these boards. The AI generated ones just all sound the same. I don't have patience to read that. AI is helpful as an "assistant", to quickly gather some information and sources on a topic. But I need to (a) find some good sources to make sure it's not a hallucination, and (b) write my own text.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
Carolyn Lyons
15
Answers
Updated
Carolyn’s Answer
That's a great question! I suggest not letting AI or technology speak for you. To connect with your audience, try telling a story or talk like you're having a chat. Keep it simple and speak naturally, and it will feel more genuine.
Karina Martinez
Accounting Manager
1
Answer
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Karina’s Answer
While the workplace has become more automated with AI it is still completely possible to feel an authentic human interaction.
Some tips I would suggest are:
- Keep one on one meetings with both your leaders and team members to ensure that neither you nor the team feel like they are separated from what the rest of the team works on day-to-day.
- If hybrid, use your in-office days to create meeting times with others whether that be to discuss a work topic, get some coffee or lunch, or simply catch up on what is going on outside of work.
- Use employee resource groups! They are there for this specific reason - there will always be events or initiatives that you can help with.
Some tips I would suggest are:
- Keep one on one meetings with both your leaders and team members to ensure that neither you nor the team feel like they are separated from what the rest of the team works on day-to-day.
- If hybrid, use your in-office days to create meeting times with others whether that be to discuss a work topic, get some coffee or lunch, or simply catch up on what is going on outside of work.
- Use employee resource groups! They are there for this specific reason - there will always be events or initiatives that you can help with.
Jordan Lanham
Sales Consultant for Insurance
8
Answers
Tampa, Florida
Updated
Jordan’s Answer
Be personable and relatable when communicating. Be understanding and empathetic so that you can see things from others perspectives in order to make educated contributions. Being able to relate to others and put yourself in their shoes goes a long way and can help build trust and relationships which leads to an overall better workplace environment.
Christa Semko
Senior Director, Global Communications at Dell
19
Answers
Round Rock, Texas
Updated
Christa’s Answer
I use AI, but I always add my own touch and judgment to what it produces, especially in writing. AI helps me draft quickly, think creatively, and make my points clear. However, I know it's important to take responsibility for my messages, both written and spoken. So, I always keep my human perspective at the heart of how I use AI.