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How to make people like you – virtually
Communication in the virtual world
Bonding with colleagues in the real world is easy. It the virtual world, the tools we have available are video conferences, group messages, and email - all cold forms of communication.
Despite the challenges associated with online tool, there are simple rules we can use the make colleagues and clients like us.
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Key Ideas
Remote work and the lack of context around communication
Virtual communication often lacks the nonverbal clues we notice with in-person conversations.
To compensate, we often make assumptions or jump to conclusions that can cause harm to our work...
Virtual communication: how to avoid misunderstandings
Instead of acting on your assumptions, go to the facts. Understanding the individual styles of employees can also give interactions more context and help avoid misunderstandings.
- Prioristizers are logical, analytical, and data-oriented people who focus on goals and outcomes. They don't like to engage in chitchat.
- Planners thrive with structure, planning, and talking about the details. They often communicate in bullet points and numbers.
- Arrangers are supportive, relationship-driven team members who work best when they form connections.
- Visualizers are big-picture thinkers who want minimal details. They will often email at the last minute, and apologize for short deadlines.
Virtual work: adjust your communication and expectations
To avoid unnecessary conflict, it is essential to understand the nuances of colleagues and how they work.
Accept that others may not work and communicate the same way you do. If you see someone looking to the side during a video conference, instead of thinking they are not paying attention, understand that they may really be taking notes. Another person may want to spend time on a connection before they engage with the content.
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Key Ideas
Weak Words Used Often
Every word you use while working expresses something about your personal brand, your confidence, state of mind, authority and knowledge. The verbs that we put in sentences are key to our ima...
'Think'
We use "I think: often while at work, but it's a dysfunctional addition to a start of a sentence, that while ok to use occasionally in trivial situations, is to be avoided in meetings or one-on-ones.
Try replacing it with "I'm confident".
'Need'
When we use "I need" at the start of a sentence it sounds like pleading rather than empowered. It makes us sound needy.
Swap "I need" with "Please" to sound polite and confident.
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Key Ideas
Subjective Hiring Decisions
Job interviews are still mostly subjective and rarely focus on merit, work quality, or important job skills. There are always biases, preferences and on-the-spot decisions that are not entirely pro...
Traditional Job Interviews
.. often have borderline illegal questions, which may be discriminatory and make the employee feel entrapped. Questions like ‘What are your weaknesses’ are blatantly trying to expose the candidate, and making the person act submissive towards the prospective employer.
The Camera Background
It is not a good idea to let the interviewer judge you based on the contents of your background. ‘The Drake Method’ works best here, positioning your laptop to make use of a blank wall as your background.
It is also advisable to not showcase your children to the prospective employer.