Conversation moves in cycles.

Its basis is – and always will be – analogue. Work, pub, conference corridors. Messy, awkward, and human. Trust is found in the pauses as much as in the words.

Then we went online. We used forums, email, and the best early Twitter. Later, LinkedIn, Slack, and WhatsApp as channels spread.

More reach, but arguably less texture.

Pauses disappear, context gets lost, and conversations started but rarely go deep.

The pandemic forced another cycle: video. Boxes on screens. Mute buttons, digital hands, drained energy. We learned how much we depend on awareness and body language which video flattens.

Now the label is hybrid, but it’s really just code-switching. Choosing not just what to say, but where to say it.

• Some crave face-to-face.
• Others stick to text.
• Podcasts feel intimate.
• Voice notes are replacing calls.
• Private groups being used instead of platforms we no longer trust.

The next cycle is already forming and it seems there are two directions. The first is ambient conversation where the always on presence without performance is accepted. The second is hyper-intentional conversation with deliberate and focused broadcast and reflection.

It feels like LLM tools are able to fill both spaces and that matters.

For workplace learning where and how we talk is also where and how we learn.

Which cycles shape your conversations right now?

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#LearningStrategy #SocialLearning #WorkplaceConversation