Purposeful Remote Communication Is Responsible
Are you providing purposeful remote communication or are you really just adding to the clutter? Communication can be tricky and easily misunderstood. Now is your opportunity to get it right.
Would you communicate differently in the workplace with ten, thirty, or five hundred colleagues than you would on a social media thread?
Most people realize that using all caps in written text implies yelling. Many people are also familiar with LOL and a smiley face. Is this different from live, face-to-face interactions?
Of course it is.
Now more than ever people are working remotely, working from home, and the way they traditionally communicate has been disrupted.
In a traditional office meeting, a workplace huddle, or strategy session people gather together to communicate. Sometimes there is an agenda, sometimes they are free-wheeling.
Traditional environments don’t really have a time delay, there isn’t any video problems or degradation. People can sense you want to speak by a change in body position, a raised hand, or a clearing of your throat.
Most people remain polite. One person speaks at a time. The conversation happens at an appropriate pace. Not too slow, and not too fast. Questions and two-way communication are usually offered even though it isn’t always embraced.
Purposeful Remote Communication
Remote communication is different. Whether it is written, provided over the telephone, or happening via a video-based chat. It is different because the physical environment is different. People expect similar etiquette, yet sometimes there are additional challenges.
Consider this, every time you add, remove, or change the methods and means of communicating the risk of miscommunication increases.
Written is different from verbal. When we receive the contract, we ask for an explanation.
In writing lasts longer too.
A video recording may provide additional clues and even come with a transcript.
Work related communication should be intentional. It should be purposeful and carefully constructed. Reading, writing, listening, and professional etiquette also matter.
All communication is not the same. Working remotely makes the challenges different, the perceptions more subjective, and the outcomes more nebulous.
Errors and misunderstandings have high costs.
Everyone has a responsibility for effective communication. Communicate concisely, on purpose and with purpose. Make it a two-way street.
-DEG
Interested to learn more about working and communicating remotely? Join in upcoming working remote webinars.
Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.
