Rethinking the Language of Work: Insights from Maria Meschi of DORIS Research
CoreNet IKO Virtual Coffee Chat Recap – July 2025
In a time when workplace transformation continues to raise more questions than answers, Maria Meschi reminded us that sometimes the biggest unlock is not in new space or technology, but in the words we choose to describe our work.
Maria, Lead Practice Strategist at DORIS Research, lead our July Coffee Chat to explore what she calls the “language of work”. She explained how words like productivity, collaboration, connection, and culture carry different meanings depending on who says them, where they sit in the organization, and what they are measured by.
Drawing on data from over 100 projects across 63 organizations, Maria guided us through the behavioral and motivational undercurrents behind the terms we often assume we all understand the same way.
Four Modes of Work, One Shared Reality
Maria began with a simple but powerful framework: four modes of engagement that describe how we spend our time at work. These include:
- Personal Work – individual tasks with clear objectives
- Transactional Collaboration – group work with shared business goals
- Relational Time – time spent connecting with others without agenda
- Recovery – moments of rest, reflection, or quiet needed to re-energize
The key insight? All four modes contribute to a dynamic work experience. Yet most organizations continue to define productivity in narrow terms, focused on output, efficiency, or visible activity, while ignoring the unseen value of recovery and relationship building.
Language Splits by Level
Maria’s research showed that how people define workplace terms often depends less on personality and more on their role and function:
- Individual contributors tend to equate productivity with focus, autonomy, and quiet. Interruptions are disruptions.
- Managers see productivity through the lens of team performance and accessibility. They value proximity to coach and support.
- Executives define productivity as collaboration, alignment, and strategic speed. They rely on relational networks to keep business moving.
The challenge? These differing views often talk past each other. While executives may mandate collaboration through office presence, individual contributors may resist, feeling such mandates interrupt their ability to “do the work.”
Culture and Connection Are Built, Not Mandated
Maria emphasized that culture is not what leaders declare, but what people experience. And connection is not just about making friends at work. Connection is about building enough trust to share information, collaborate fluidly, and contribute fully.
In fact, the most consistent indicator of workplace well-being in her data was a sense of belonging by feeling seen, trusted, and accepted as oneself.
She challenged us to ask: Do our office environments foster recovery and relationship as much as they support productivity and collaboration? Do we expect people to work together but fail to measure or reward it?
From Fragmentation to Focus
The conversation turned toward the future. Maria shared concerns about the rise of “meeting overload” and the ubiquitous hybrid meeting link. In our effort to be inclusive, many organizations have created bloated calendars filled with stilted digital interactions.
Her recommendation? Fewer, more intentional meetings. And stronger guidance on when being in-person truly matters.
In her words, “You can’t ratatouille people into behaving how you want”; a poignant reminder that behavior follows structure, not slogans. Organizations must design policies and places that align with the outcomes they seek.
A Final Thought
Maria’s Coffee Chat was a masterclass in nuance. In a world eager for simple answers, she offered clarity without oversimplification. Her core message was both philosophical and practical:
“The words we use to describe work are not fixed. They are fluid, contextual, and deeply human. And if we hope to design better workplaces, we must first listen more carefully to what people really mean.”
Thank you, Maria, for helping us reframe what work means and reminding us that empathy, language, and insight are the true foundations of strategy.