“Let’s see which people are here.” The sentence was said briskly, but in a positive tone. I remember thinking about the word “people.” I had come to training, and usually at training sessions we are anonymous, but this time the coach looked to see who was present. In an instant, everything changed, and what initially felt like an odd practice ended up making people approach one another more easily during the session and start talking spontaneously.

It was functional training, done in groups of about five people. In a training like that, you have to be present and focus on what you are doing. For the brain, it is perhaps the best possible kind of cognitive training as well, because if you do not concentrate, it is impossible to do. The coach’s question had a big effect on team spirit and motivation — after all, we were doing the exercise together, even though we were training as individuals. I found myself thinking that the question of simply being present was somehow especially valid in this era. An era in which artificial intelligence has made its breakthrough, while human encounters have at the same time become fewer.

Are we ever truly present, even when we are “there”?

Outside of work, we are much more than what is visible on the surface when we are at work. We may be parents, siblings, spouses, support people, and partners. Your colleague may be taking care of a small child at home after every workday, while another may be having deep conversations with a teenager about curfews. Someone may be struggling with loneliness, and for them the work community may mean an enormous amount. Someone else may be worried about a sick loved one, while another, alongside their own affairs, is also handling their parents’ matters as a caregiver. One of your colleagues may be studying for a new degree, while another has found a calling in volunteer work. We come from very different situations, but in the workplace, we are still one unified team.

And what connects us all is humanity.

Events and matters outside work also affect us while we are at work. For example, challenges in private life may show up as poor sleep or fatigue. Joyful events, on the other hand, may be noticed as happiness and laughter in the office corridors. We humans usually cannot switch off our private lives completely when we are at work either. And on the other hand, why would we need to? They are part of life and at the same time part of who we are. Sometimes, however, it is useful to try to set aside a difficult situation and focus only on the flow of work — that can have a healing effect on the mind. At least we try our best.

Nowadays it is easy for us to ask artificial intelligence about all kinds of things, and AI has become one of our “coworkers.” Artificial intelligence is excellent, for example, at automating routine tasks, analyzing large data sets, and supporting forward-looking planning. AI bases its decisions on data and computing power, whereas humans use context, emotions, and moral judgment. AI also does not become excited about a new idea or feel motivated by encouragement in the way a person does. Nor does it spend time reflecting on emotions or workplace atmosphere problems. Of course, you can ask AI for advice, but humans are able to interpret emotionally affecting issues more deeply, because those things influence human behavior and matter. Perhaps the best insights still arise around a table with other people, even if the process is sometimes slower.

For us humans, building and maintaining a sense of community is worth its weight in gold. Workplace community is largely based on work-related matters running smoothly. Shared coffee breaks, casual conversations about everyday life during the workday, or working together toward a common goal can all help build community at work. Community is also a factor that makes company growth and development possible.

According to average life expectancy, a child born in Finland today will have about 30,000 days in their life.

When you start to think about that number, you also begin to see everyday life in a completely new perspective. The math behind it tells us that we sleep about one-third of that time, roughly 10,000 days, leaving about 20,000 days awake. It is important that we can also do things that bring joy and meaning to life. We also spend a large part of our lives at work, so it is far from insignificant how we treat one another and how we meet each other. This gives a new perspective on how we notice other people throughout our lives and what is actually meaningful, because it combines the deepest essence of humanity.

There is also a deeper wisdom within us humans, and understanding it sometimes requires sitting at the same table. What if all the magic is in us humans after all?

PS. This article was written by a human (not AI).

Wanda Pirinen
Manager, Wellbeing