Top 10 Tips For Communicating Virtually

ONE: DON’T FORGET WIIFM: “What’s in it for Me”:

What about “When looking to engage people, don’t forget WIIFM”. Make sure you know what your audience is really interested in, what motivates them and what they will gain both professionally and personally from listening to you. What is important for you may be very different from what is important to them.

Anna White, Oakridge Senior Consultant

TWO: KNOW, FEEL, DO:

When you are planning an important communication think in terms of what you do want the audience to know, feel and do – as a result, it will shape your message and help you to think about what is really the most important message.

Anna White, Oakridge Senior Consultant

THREE: IF YOU DID HAVE A QUESTION WHAT WOULD IT BE?:

We often are reluctant to ask questions so a good tip when questions don’t come or run out too quickly try to tease out their concerns. Say “Well if you did have a question what would it be?” Leave some silence then I bet some questions come along. In your communications, it is important you hear their needs as well as delivering yours. Don’t forget Steven Coveys’ wise words – “seek first to understand to then be understood.”

FOUR: REMEMBER, WHAT WORKS FOR SOME DOESN’T WORK FOR ALL:

An old adage ‘communicate, communicate, communicate’. But it’s worth thinking ‘share the message, now share it again but differently, now get others to share it.’ Some people want a big picture, some want detail, some want logical linear thinking, some need to know what it means for them, their friends (colleagues) and broader society. So a great communicator engages all these mindsets and you’re unlikely to land your message with a clever PowerPoint deck or ‘state of the nation’. So get out and use multiple means to ‘communicate, communicate, communicate’. Remember – it’s not about what you have said, it’s about what different people have heard.

Jerry Scott, Oakridge Senior Consultant

FIVE: KEEP THE MESSAGE CONSISTENT FOR ALL AND MAKE IT AS TWO-WAY AS POSSIBLE:

Key messages being given must be consistent across all groups and individuals that are communicated to and delivered in a timely fashion with a similar level of information provided to each group. Communication needs to be two-way as much as possible and there needs to be an opportunity for people to ask questions along with an agreed way of responding to these.

Robbie Lightfoot, Oakridge Senior Consultant

It’s better to be roughly right and not precisely wrong. Any communication is better than no communication. So go for it … and treat it like an experiment. Every time you get together, at the end of the communication, ask your group about the process. What went well? What would be even better if? Pick one thing from the latter, and weave that into the next round of communication. You’ll very quickly become communicator aficionados – with a way of being and doing that you can replicate back at work.

Fraser Penny, Oakridge Senior Consultant

Working virtually increased the risk of misunderstanding, so my tip is to use the SIGNPOSTING technique to signal our intent and give a bit of context at the start of an email or call, especially on when there’s a risk if there’s any misunderstanding or even potential conflict e.g. ‘I was reflecting after our last project meeting and I wanted to share a personal concern plus a suggestion for how we might move forward – you okay if I sense check my thinking on this?’

David Henderson, Oakridge Senior Consultant

EIGHT: CONNECT AT THE ‘BE’ LEVEL:

Whilst it’s important to focus on plans and priorities, make some time for virtual coffee/tea too, use some precious time to connect as a team, chat about how you are feeling, what’s going on for you all, share some top tips exercise, well-being, entertaining and educating yourself and the kids! Continuing to build deep connection and trust will maintain and increase cohesion to deliver high performance in challenging times.

NINE: BRIEF BACK:

When you have developed a plan or an action with a team or an individual, it’s even more vital when working virtually, you ask the other person to summarise their understanding of the What, Why, When, How, Where and Who of the plan. Listen in for subtle misinterpretations and also the “energy/motivation” as they relay their interpretation. Have a great conversation to drive absolute clarity.

Steve Munro, Oakridge Senior Consultant

At the start of your virtual meeting, ask everyone to do a 30-second “CHECK-IN”. Model this yourself if the group is reluctant to start. Keep it short and sharp. This helps the group know how each person is showing up to the meeting and how they can help them to be engaged and contribute. As a leader of the meeting, this is an ideal opportunity to role model vulnerability-based trust. It will be the best 5 mins you spend to get a great meeting outcome.

If you have found these tips useful please find below some example training and development programmes to progress your professional development:

Cognitive Overload Coaching

Influencing Effectively

Effective Time Management