Don’t Let Technology Steal Your Communication Thunder
To thrive in a virtual workplace, your communication skills may need an upgrade.
These days a fast internet connection is half the battle when it comes to career development. The other half of the battle is ensuring the technology we use to facilitate remote work, actually works!
When all the stars align and our tech is working fine, the focus shifts to how well we use it. That’s why it’s critical that career mobile professionals continually polish their virtual soft skills. Further, organizational leaders should demonstrate and promote the preferred soft skills and behaviors to ensure our new, tech-centric workplace cultures continue to thrive.
Don’t just communicate often, communicate well
Whether you’re part of a global team or you’re leading one, how you communicate with your peers and direct reports can facilitate your success or lead to your failure. According to LinkedIn, the number one in-demand soft skill is communication. So, you may have invested in a professional, at-home virtual office, and you may have curated your Zoom wardrobe to the most fabulous capsule collection of comfortable but professional clothing, but if you can’t communicate — you won’t be successful.
Consider, communication takes many forms. Think of the last Zoom meeting you had. Was there an agenda, or was it more free-wheeling? Did people take turns speaking, or was it more like one significant interruption after another? Finally, did you accomplish anything? You’d think having practiced for months, we’d be pretty good at the whole Zoom thing by now, but most of us could use a few pointers on how to communicate virtually. It would make us more productive and help to alleviate Zoom fatigue.
Also, in the spirit of engagement and active communication, please keep your video on during virtual meetings. It may be hard to look attentive the entire time — and you may have a good reason for not turning on your camera, active children, pets, less than optimal home office optics, etc. — but putting up a black square or your glamor shot could send an unintentionally disrespectful message. Such as, “you’re not worth making the effort to dress up and to turn my camera on.” Remember, 80 percent of our communication is unspoken. We communicate through facial expressions and body language. So, it’s important relationship currency to be visible virtually.
But don’t communicate too much
Once you figure out how to portray the best Zoom version of you, communication shifts from quality to quantity. One of the biggest complaints about virtual meetings is the sheer number of them we have to attend. Leaders should rethink weeklies, check-ins, status meetings, etc. How many are actually necessary?
Employees need dedicated time to get their work done. Encourage communication, but do yourself and your team a favor: Meet in large groups only when needed. Take advantage of platforms like Slack to facilitate real-time communication with specific people and enable effective, real-time collaboration.
When you do meet, be sure to create an agenda. You’ll stay on task, and it’s more likely that everyone will have the opportunity to speak, since you can address specific projects or areas of the business. At Twitter, the HR team is so serious about using meeting time efficiently they use the acronym, ELMO, for; “Enough! Let’s move on” — which can be written in chat when a meeting goes off-topic.
Remember, sometimes talk is cheap
Further, understand that effective virtual communication isn’t just talking. There are several other important factors to consider:
Are you listening? It’s funny. Most people consider themselves to be good listeners, but are we really? The first element of being a good listener is to be present. Put away distractions like your phone. Look at the other person. Listen attentively — without interrupting. Interruptions are a huge virtual challenge, but do your best to avoid them. Speaking over someone is rude and often unproductive.
Don’t be afraid of a brief pause, as it’s not always welcome to help someone finish their sentences. It’s impolite, and it can signal that you think the other person is either too slow or not smart enough to finish their thought.
Also, don’t interrupt with your own stories. You may think you’re being empathetic and engaged by interjecting your account, but it can send a negative message. You’re essentially stealing the show, as if your story is more important to share than the speaker’s.
Validate that you hear, understand and are interested in the other person by asking clarifying questions. With practice, you can become a good listener. In the next conversation you have, be present, silent, and listen. Leaders would be amazed at how much more information they learn by staying quiet. Other people have good thoughts and ideas — if we give them the chance to express them.
Are you respectful and culturally aware? Leading — or participating in — a global team requires that you become culturally aware of your team members’ various customs, rituals, and general characteristics to ensure the team functions well. Be mindful of time zones and rotate meeting times to keep it fair, and be aware of important dates. For example, don’t plan a virtual lunch meeting during Ramadan if some team members are Muslim. A little sensitivity will go a long way to support the kind of thoughtful, productive and inclusive culture we should all strive for.
How can you best leverage new technology? Zoom fatigue is real, but there are many other creative tech platforms available to promote communication, engagement and help teams stay productive.
Technology is evolving to include mixed-reality platforms. For instance, Sneek allows you to “be together” in the office by showing your colleagues pictures in tiles on a screen. Photos are taken at intervals, and you can see if a colleague looks like he or she is available for a chat. Then click on their picture to talk, à la virtual water cooler.
Sococo’s virtual workplace has an office diagram that includes conference rooms and desks, and each team member has an avatar. Who needs good hair when you have a cartoon representation of your best self?
Of course, everything isn’t solely about technology when it comes to communication; it’s how we use it. The virtual workplace has an exciting future, but no matter what innovations we have, we still have to communicate with each other. Focus your attention there, and your leadership capabilities and organizational culture will flourish.