Stacey Hanke is author of the book "Influence Redefined… Be the Leader You Were Meant to Be, Monday to Monday®."
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A little over a year ago, Covid-19 moved many professionals from the workplace into the confines of their homes. Since then, we have waited and wondered if our new virtual reality was, in fact, our new normal.
In the beginning, we had much to learn, and patience was key. Everyone recognized that most of our virtual workspaces were inadequately prepared to handle the demands of our jobs, and yet, with messy home offices, loud kids and barking dogs, we endured.
After a few months passed, we realized our virtual world was here to stay. Even when Covid-19 becomes a distant memory, online communication will forever be a part of our new work culture. We created inviting professional workspaces and removed ourselves from the noise and clutter. We overcame technological challenges and learned to embrace multiple online meeting platforms.
Within a few months, we realized our new challenge was not just working from home but learning to communicate in a way that cuts through overwhelming virtual noise. While loud kids and barking dogs became a thing of the past, Zoom fatigue and relentless hours behind the screen challenged our ability to make a real impact on listeners.
In the past, professionals counted on hallway interactions and coffee chats to break up the monotony of meetings and phone calls. Now, we sit behind a screen for hours without giving our minds time to properly transition between online interactions. As a result, we miss out on in-person exchanges that once provided context to our messaging. In our new virtual world, three things are necessary to have an influential impact on listeners.
1. Record Yourself
Online meetings make it easy to record yourself. By watching the playback, you can put yourself in your listeners’ eyes and ears. You will quickly identify what works, what you need to enhance and where you are inadvertently creating distractions. I admit this step is not easy, but it is critical to gaining greater self-awareness. It requires you to be open-minded and vulnerable.
It is natural for us to base our online delivery skills on how we feel when communicating rather than on how we actually look and sound. When we feel like good communicators, we think we are good. But often what we feel is not what our listeners hear and see. Watching ourselves through our listeners’ eyes and ears helps us understand their experience firsthand.
Every 30 days, record yourself on short online interactions, daily meetings and high-stakes presentations. Watch the playback and determine if you deliver the same value in each interaction, providing consistency to all with whom you interact.
30-Day Challenge:
Record yourself once a week and watch the full playback. Write down what you see and hear. Are you clear and concise? Do you use unnecessary filler words such as “like,” “uh” and “umm”? Are you making concentrated eye contact, or do you appear distracted onscreen? Pay attention to how you are on camera to fully understand how your listeners perceive you. Having influence takes work, but having influence online takes an ongoing commitment to personal improvement.
2. Focus On Personal Development
One way that professionals can earn influence is to communicate clearly, concisely and consistently. To accomplish this, focus on developing your personal listening skills. Learning to become an intentional listener is easier said than done. It requires you to tune out distractions and tune into what others say — both verbally and nonverbally.
Intentional listening in an online environment means paying closer attention to tone and facial expressions to understand the entire message. Eye connection is also as crucial as ever. Since we lack the full context of in-person interactions, we must pay more attention to what we see on the screen.
30-Day Challenge:
Tell others on your team that you are committed to improving your online presence and communication skills. Write down one to two goals you wish to prioritize in your development. For example, do you need to improve eye contact? Perhaps you interrupt others when they speak instead of allowing them the opportunity to finish their thoughts before you provide input. Whatever you identify in your recordings as a listening weakness, write it down and commit to changing that behavior over the next 30 days.
3. Get Constructive Feedback
We are often unaware of our habits that create a distraction to our listeners. Even after watching recorded playbacks, we fail to see behaviors that take away from our message. This is when constructive feedback is critical to increased communication skills.
Approach someone you trust to be upfront. Find a friend, family member or peer who will provide the honest feedback you need to become a more influential communicator. Explain to them that you wish to improve your skills and need their input to get better.
30-Day Challenge:
Find three people you trust to provide honest feedback on communication skills that need improvement. Write down their ideas and commit to following up within 30 days to discuss how you have addressed their feedback. Remain committed to these accountability partners and be serious about what they have to say.
By committing 30 days to these three steps, you can be on your way to having a significant influence in your new virtual workplace. Show others your desire to improve your communication skills by recording yourself, committing to personal development and seeking honest feedback. In the end, you'll have greater influence with those you interact with in your new virtual environment.
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