A friend told me a story over coffee this morning that I have to share. Not because it was groundbreaking or dramatic, but because it was just… perfectly human.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Apparently, their boss has a beef with his phone.
We’re talking full-on arguments. Raised voice. Swearing. The occasional frustrated toss onto the desk, or against a couch, depending on how sentient the phone seems that day.
The best part? The phone gives it right back.
It never gets his texts right. Misunderstands commands. Dials the wrong people. Sometimes it listens to someone else entirely if they’re speaking nearby, like it’s actively choosing to ignore him.
I laughed, of course. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized this wasn’t really about the phone.
We all know someone like this, don’t we?
Someone who’s convinced the problem is always with the tool. The tech. The teammate. The system. The algorithm. The whatever-is-supposed-to-make-things-easier-that-day.
And when that thing doesn’t comply? It’s clearly broken. Or biased. Or out to get them. Definitely not a reflection of how they’re showing up.
But sometimes… it is.
Tone matters. Energy matters. And just like a dog can tell when you’re faking calm, tech can pick up on chaos too.
I mean, what if the phone is picking up someone else’s voice on purpose? Because that voice is clearer, calmer, and actually respectful?
What if the phone just knows?
Now, I’m not saying your iPhone has emotional intelligence (though it might be neck-and-neck with Bob from IT). But I am saying that the way we engage; with tools, with people, with processes, shapes what we get back.
And nowhere is that more true than in the workplace.
If your team isn’t responding, or systems keep “failing,” or meetings feel like an uphill battle… maybe it’s not just the structure. Maybe it’s the signal you’re sending.
This is where a little self-check goes a long way. And while I’m not one to shove a framework in your face (am I?), I’ll gently offer this… when things aren’t landing the way you expect, ask yourself:
Am I using the right Skill to communicate?
Am I leaning on my Network for perspective or just blaming the usual suspects?
Are my Activities matching the outcomes I say I want?
Do I have the Knowledge to know when to adapt?
That’s SNAK, yes, but really it’s also just common sense dressed in a handy little acronym.
Because sometimes the problem is the phone [or the other person], but sometimes it’s how we’re communicating. And maybe if we just change our tone, we’d find it’s been trying to listen all along.
