One of the most important things for us humans is meaningful relationships. And these are formed through real, honest, genuine communication.
When you look back at the end of your life, what you are happy about and what you should have done differently, What you look back on with joy is the value of your relationships. And what you may regret is that you did not cultivate your close relationships even more. Be even more present, even more genuine, and communicate more and better.
Research supports this: Strong social relationships increase the likelihood of survival by 50%, regardless of age, sex, or health status. Also, people with close friendships are less likely to be depressed and more likely to experience overall life satisfaction.
Unfortunately, desires for money and power often become obstacles to both values and real communication.
The Value of Being Present

I listen to a lot of “mindset coach” named Brendon Burchard. He coaches several successful people 1-2-1. He says that what most people want is to “feel the day”. I want to be present at the moment and follow something genuine when meeting other people.
Even in the workplace, we are more concerned with real communication and feeling that you matter than you might think. I recently listened to an audiobook about someone who had scaled their marketing agency.
He said they had an epiphany when they realized that the number one reason clients left or stayed was not quality. What is more important than quality?
Do you know the number one reason why employees leave? Salary is number two. What is more important than salary?
The answer is “perceived indifference”. Feeling that you don’t matter, that you are a number in a line. That’s how deep it is in people to feel significant.
According to a study, 86% of workers and managers said that poor teamwork and communication are the main reasons for work problems. Perceived indifference is also a big factor in employee turnover, with many employees leaving their jobs because they feel undervalued.
Social media and AI

Smartphones and social media have already taken over much of the focus in our private lives. We look at screens instead of seeing each other.
Socialization at speed releases dopamine into the brain but also creates an addiction. A survey found that 59% of customers expect a chatbot to respond within five seconds, demonstrating our growing impatience and reliance on technology. Moreover, 82% of consumers prefer using a customer service bot instead of waiting for a human response.
AI is now becoming more common. I have Copilot, which can answer my emails. I also use ChatGPT, which allows me to write blogs. Some tools allow you to upload a video of yourself and a script and then create an AI-generated video with it.
Isn’t that smart? You can mass-produce a video. I’ve tried. I uploaded a video of myself and a Norwegian text, and then I chose that I wanted a video in Norwegian. And I got it. Admittedly, not in Norwegian! I got it in Danish. So, if you’ve ever dreamed of watching a video with a mimic-less version of Maia speaking Danish, here you have it. Because that’s the flip side. The video becomes generic. So your facial expressions and charm disappear. At the same time, you become incredibly professional and can speak any language.
How to use AI?

I can only speak for myself, so what follows is not a definitive answer but only my guidelines. My rule of thumb is that AI can easily replace my logical abilities and pure craftsmanship but not my heart and personality.
If I am going to create a completely impersonal text, for example, if a customer asks me how to give others access to Google Analytics. I can certainly use AI to create a recipe. If I write a LinkedIn post, a blog, an email, etc., i.e., a text intended to communicate with someone, I do not use AI. However, I can use AI for proofreading. And also about SEO optimization. Or ask AI to give feedback on what I could possibly write more about or how I can structure it better.
I do not believe in using AI tools to create videos. Much of human communication is nonverbal, which is precisely what makes video so personal. However, I fully believe in using AI tools to help with editing, captioning, etc. While all the processing of the video can be AI-based, the recording must be of me looking into the camera and saying something I believe in, using my tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language.
I use Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT for abbreviations and translations to help me understand. I only use them to reply to emails if I have to say very simple things like “I agree.” Then, I can click on a suggestion from Copilot that says, “That sounds great.” But if I have to say something, I write it myself.
Opportunities and dangers
AI is exciting. It offers new opportunities—just like social media did, both in private and for me as a marketer. But it should have come with the same message as my vitamin box: “Daily dose should not be exceeded. Should not be a substitute for a healthy diet; I mean healthy communication.”
Because that’s what’s genuine again. What builds bridges from heart to heart. What makes us actually talk to each other and form genuine bonds? What makes there a human being who cares about the words that come?
We humans want meaningful relationships. That’s why I think that with AI, personalization becomes even more important. Be aware of what you let AI handle and what you don’t. AI can replace some of your logical thinking and manual and impersonal tasks, but don’t let it take over your voice.
Personal communication in practice
This year, I sent a personal Christmas greeting to my customers. I don’t know them well enough to formulate a specific email. I could probably “melt down” a generic Christmas greeting in five minutes, but I chose to spend a few hours writing it personally. Then, I had the design team create an accompanying image/design.
That made me think a little. Who is this customer and this person? What can I highlight in this email? Many of the customers I work with have accomplished great things this year, have worked with their hearts and accomplished a lot. Many of them also inspire me. But I don’t go around saying it all the time because the meetings I have with them have a different agenda. But a Christmas newsletter is a great opportunity to take a bird’s eye view and say something about how I see them.
And you know what? I got several genuine reactions and responses back. Responses that inspired:
I don’t think we could have had as much fun without you and Digitalfeet. It’s been a great match, and we love your slightly “crazy” ideas — or that you continue to spin our slightly crazy ideas. I think quality and a little madness go together well, and it’s important not to take yourself too seriously. I love it!!
Thank you so much for the incredibly nice message. I can’t wait to see the coffee cups — the design is really inspiring. It’s about inspiration, growth and building something that lasts. We are really passionate about what we do, and it’s fantastically motivating to get feedback like this.
What a fantastic Christmas greeting, and really fun with your own design, I think you hit the nail on the head on who we are there 😄 Thanks for the wise words and good cooperation, we look forward to the continuation in 2025.
Oh, such a beautiful Christmas greeting, Maia. I feel like my heart was really warmed by reading it. Thank you so much for having you in my life, and thank you so much for all your good work for the itSMF conference.
Getting responses like this is incredibly inspiring! It motivates me to keep working, which makes me more efficient, productive, and happy. Thus, creating a generic greeting compensates for the time I would have saved.
Sustainable Communication

People need meaningful relationships.
AI raises a whole host of ethical dilemmas. For example, a query in ChatGPT uses 1 deciliter of clean water, while 26 percent of the world’s population lacks water. AI definitely raises a sustainability discussion. However, ChatGPT also raises an ethical discussion related to sustainable communication. We cannot let AI take over communication between people. It is the one that builds bridges between us and creates real experiences. It is the most important thing we have.
In times of change and turbulence, it is even more important that we see each other “in the island” when we talk.
Does your team have a plan to achieve sustainable communication by 2025? Please share your thoughts and questions.