{"id":658,"date":"2020-05-26T15:38:33","date_gmt":"2020-05-26T05:38:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.herrmann.com.au\/blog\/?p=658"},"modified":"2022-12-02T09:46:44","modified_gmt":"2022-12-01T22:46:44","slug":"4-steps-effective-virtual-communications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/blog\/2020\/05\/4-steps-effective-virtual-communications\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Steps to More Effective Virtual Communications"},"content":{"rendered":"\n[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.22″ global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.10.3″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

In some form or fashion, working virtually has quickly become the reality for most of us today. And whether you\u2019re working with colleagues, customers, vendors or others, there are more tools and apps than ever to help you collaborate across any distance, whether it’s across the country or even across the globe.<\/p>\n

But no matter how many tools and devices you have, effective collaboration still comes down to how effectively the parties communicate with each other. Particularly when you don\u2019t always have the advantage of visual cues, tone of voice, or cultural nuances, the chances for miscommunication are high.<\/p>\n

Here are 4 steps for making sure your communications get across in the way you intended, no matter what technology you use (these can even be useful for when you\u2019re communicating in person):<\/p>\n

1. <\/b>Give them the context<\/b><\/h2>\n

You develop your virtual communications with a specific frame of reference in mind, but your audience doesn\u2019t necessarily have the same mindset going in. This is one of the reasons why email, Slack messages, and other brief written communications can be so prone to misunderstanding. The context isn\u2019t there, so the receiver feels like it\u2019s coming out of the blue or misinterprets your intention.<\/p>\n

Preempt the problem by letting them know upfront what\u2019s going on, why you\u2019re communicating and what the big picture is. This is important to clarify both for yourself (before you communicate) and for your listener.<\/p>\n

And when you’re on the receiving end of the message, be sure to give the sender the benefit of the doubt or ask for clarification if you think you might be getting the wrong idea on something. At Herrmann, we always say “assume positive intent.” It helps to keep communication on a remote team much less toxic.<\/p>\n

2. Give them the agenda<\/b><\/h2>\n

Everyone\u2019s juggling multiple priorities. We all have very full plates. Especially when you\u2019re working with distributed team members who may not have much daily interaction, rambling messages or confusing requests can feel frustrating, intrusive and disrespectful of people\u2019s time.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t just wing it. Give people a high-level agenda or plan that sets expectations about what you\u2019re trying to accomplish in a way that\u2019s appropriate for the format or communication vehicle. You’ll find this is an appreciated touch whether someone has a high preference for B-quadrant thinking or not.<\/p>\n

3. Give them the <\/b>what<\/b><\/em><\/h2>\n

Of course, the facts and data\u2014the what (A-quadrant)\u2014are important, but oftentimes, the tendency is to jump right into the content. If you haven\u2019t set up the context and expectations, people may misinterpret what you\u2019re saying, have trouble following your train of thought or simply tune out.<\/p>\n

Dive into the content after doing those first two steps, and people will understand the data within the framing you desire. This will help you deliver it in a much more effective way while giving your listener the critical information they need.<\/p>\n

4.<\/b> Give them a way to engage<\/b><\/h2>\n

Stories and interaction are what allow people to quickly make connections with what you\u2019re talking about\u2014and that means what you\u2019re communicating is more likely to stick with them.<\/p>\n

We do this naturally in our heads, trying to make connections to what it is we\u2019re hearing, so if you can facilitate that process through relevant stories, you\u2019ll find you\u2019ll get much better impact and people will really understand what you mean. Do this throughout your communications, and whenever possible, make it a two-way interaction so people feel involved and that their participation matters.<\/p>\n

Because these steps hit all of the quadrants of the Whole Brain\u00ae Model<\/a>, no matter how diverse the thinking preferences of your audience, you\u2019ll be able to \u201cspeak the language\u201d of their thinking to make sure your communication gets across\u2014whether it\u2019s across the phone, across email, across Skype or across the room\u2014in the way you intended.<\/p>\n

Try them out in your next virtual meeting or in the next team communications you send out to see how it works!<\/p>\n

Find more tips on going remote and setting up a successful virtual work environment in our new e-book: <\/b>CLICK HERE<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

\"A

This article was originally published on our US site. It has been updated and republished here to ensure our readers don\u2019t miss out on valuable information.<\/em><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In some form or fashion, working virtually has quickly become the reality for most of us today. And whether you\u2019re working with colleagues, customers, vendors or others, there are more tools and apps than ever to help you collaborate across any distance, whether it’s across the country or even across the globe. But no matter […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":654,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"In some form or fashion, working virtually has quickly become the reality for most of us today. And whether you\u2019re working with colleagues, customers, vendors or others, there are more tools and apps than ever to help you collaborate across any distance, whether it's across the country or even across the globe.<\/span>\n\nBut no matter how many tools and devices you have, effective collaboration still comes down to how effectively the parties communicate with each other. Particularly when you don\u2019t always have the advantage of visual cues, tone of voice, or cultural nuances, the chances for miscommunication are high.<\/span>\n\nHere are 4 steps for making sure your communications get across in the way you intended, no matter what technology you use (these can even be useful for when you\u2019re communicating in person):<\/span>\n

1. <\/b>Give them the context<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\nYou develop your virtual communications with a specific frame of reference in mind, but your audience doesn\u2019t necessarily have the same mindset going in. This is one of the reasons why email, Slack messages, and other brief written communications can be so prone to misunderstanding. The context isn\u2019t there, so the receiver feels like it\u2019s coming out of the blue or misinterprets your intention.<\/span>\n\nPreempt the problem by letting them know upfront what\u2019s going on, why you\u2019re communicating and what the big picture is. This is important to clarify both for yourself (before you communicate) and for your listener.<\/span>\n\nAnd when you're on the receiving end of the message, be sure to give the sender the benefit of the doubt or ask for clarification if you think you might be getting the wrong idea on something. At Herrmann, we always say \"assume positive intent.\" It helps to keep communication on a remote team much less toxic.<\/span>\n

2. Give them the agenda<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\nEveryone\u2019s juggling multiple priorities. We all have very full plates. Especially when you\u2019re working with distributed team members who may not have much daily interaction, rambling messages or confusing requests can feel frustrating, intrusive and disrespectful of people\u2019s time.<\/span>\n\nDon\u2019t just wing it. Give people a high-level agenda or plan that sets expectations about what you\u2019re trying to accomplish in a way that\u2019s appropriate for the format or communication vehicle. You'll find this is an appreciated touch whether someone has a high preference for B-quadrant thinking or not.<\/span>\n

3. Give them the <\/b>what<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\nOf course, the facts and data\u2014the what (A-quadrant)\u2014are important, but oftentimes, the tendency is to jump right into the content. If you haven\u2019t set up the context and expectations, people may misinterpret what you\u2019re saying, have trouble following your train of thought or simply tune out.<\/span>\n\nDive into the content after doing those first two steps, and people will understand the data within the framing you desire. This will help you deliver it in a much more effective way while giving your listener the critical information they need.<\/span>\n

4.<\/b> Give them a way to engage<\/b><\/h2>\nStories and interaction are what allow people to quickly make connections with what you\u2019re talking about\u2014and that means what you\u2019re communicating is more likely to stick with them.<\/span>\n\nWe do this naturally in our heads, trying to make connections to what it is we\u2019re hearing, so if you can facilitate that process through relevant stories, you\u2019ll find you\u2019ll get much better impact and people will really understand what you mean. Do this throughout your communications, and whenever possible, make it a two-way interaction so people feel involved and that their participation matters.<\/span>\n\nBecause these steps hit all of the quadrants of the <\/span>Whole Brain\u00ae Model<\/span><\/a>, no matter how diverse the thinking preferences of your audience, you\u2019ll be able to \u201cspeak the language\u201d of their thinking to make sure your communication gets across\u2014whether it\u2019s across the phone, across email, across Skype or across the room\u2014in the way you intended.<\/span>\n\nTry them out in your next virtual meeting or in the next team communications you send out to see how it works!<\/span>\n\nFind more tips on going remote and setting up a successful virtual work environment in our new e-book: <\/b>CLICK HERE<\/b><\/a>\n\n\"A<\/a>\n\nThis article was originally published on our US site. It has been updated and republished here to ensure our readers don\u2019t miss out on valuable information.<\/span><\/i>","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,19],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/658"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=658"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/658\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=658"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=658"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=658"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}