Losing Out As A Second Class Citizen

In my experience and in teaching a course on Virtual Presence (30 in total over a few years, between 200 and 250 participants), it has become abundantly clear that virtual communication (phone and video-based) is becomingly increasingly the norm. At the same time, people indicate that doing business over the phone or via a webcam is, in general, more difficult, especially when crossing cultural and language borders, as happens so often in today’s matrixed and multi-national teams.

We know from various studies that what we say (i.e. the words) is less important than how we say it (i.e. our vocal variety) and what we communicate, often subconsciously, with our body language and facial expressions.

Despite this shift in business practices and what we know about communication, few organisations have focused on the impact of these factors in virtual communication, and yet there is, I believe, a strategic and commercial advantage to making this a priority.

While significant progress has been made in providing the latest and greatest technologies for virtual communication, most technology is under-utilised. In addition, few people know how to increase their presence in a virtual medium. There are, I believe, a number of factors that have created a lack of focus and an alignment of training in this form of communication:

• Most webinars are poorly executed with little thought for the host or facilitator’s camera or vocal presence, or how to structure the session to require engagement of the audience - this has created an expectation that we can put ourselves on mute and multi-task, half-listening and half-watching the endless PowerPoint slides that cross our screens - this has set a low bar for our expectations of virtual communication - few people demand better of it
• We behave in virtual communications in a way we would never knowingly do in a face-to-face meeting: face-to-face with a client or when meeting with our team, while others are talking to us, few of us would reply to Emails or check our messages, WhatsApp or FaceBook - let alone, feed the dog, make our lunch or answer the door
• Before an in-person meeting, we would normally check the room, order the coffee, make sure the technology works, tidy the space, prepare a detailed agenda, possibly printing it out and putting a copy at each person’s place, and close the door - this level of preparation or forethought is seldom done in virtual meetings, because they are so easy to arrange - what makes them easy to set up also reduces our attention to detail and preparation
• We excuse ourselves from using webcams when tele-commuting, because we aren’t dressed properly, don’t have make-up, are working in an untidy corner of the basement of our house, or for any other string of excuses - and yet those who telecommute are on company time and being paid for the same work and outcomes - facilitators of calls allow this behaviour to happen, therefore reducing the positive impact of having people use video as well as audio - and of course it’s much more difficult to multi-task when on camera!
• In general, virtual communication is treated like a “second-class citizen”, something less than ideal and therefore from which we expect a lesser outcome

Even recognising that multi-tasking is commonplace today, especially with younger people, there is little evidence that multi-tasking improves productivity or quality. And in terms of building trusted relationships, delivering bad news and managing difficult conversations, there is no substitute for complete presence during an interaction, virtual or face-to-face.

There is no perfect substitute in the virtual world for a physical handshake, direct eye-contact and the ability for our brains to observe and interpret subtle shifts in facial and physical expression. But we can come remarkably close if we are thoughtful and intentional in raising the bar on virtual communication and if we leverage professionally the tools and techniques available to us.

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If organisations are willing to put a stake in the ground and make a strategic commitment to becoming best in class in virtual communication, there are enormous benefits to be reaped in the quality of client interactions, engaged and productive employees, innovation and effective global and matrixed teams.

​Virtual communication is not and does not need to be a second-class citizen