Effective Communications: Align virtual channel with feedback requirements

If you’ve ever fired off an email, and mistakenly thought your communication work was done, raise your hand.  Mine’s up; both of them! Feedback loops are about working with the effect of your actions, on the other person. Feedback loops get even more complicated, in the virtual arena. Here’s a two-minute screencast I created; explaining […]

Effective communications: High-context in a low-context virtual world

Keeping communications high-context in the virtual world can be a frustrating exercise.  Virtual interactions tend to favour low-context, direct and impersonal, forms of communication.  If you’re from a high-context culture, beware. Here’s a two-minute screencast I created to look at the high/low context conundrum, and what you can do about it: (Update: This screencast is […]

10 Business Reasons to Meet and Collaborate Virtually Instead of In-Person

It used to be that meeting virtually was frowned on, when meeting in-person was an option. These days, the preferred choice is often flipped.   Let’s meet and collaborate virtually, first.  Virtual collaboration is increasingly the way to make a difference. As a virtual meeting facilitator, here’s ten scenarios I’ve found well served with a […]

Communications and Making “Common” – In Real Life and Virtual

Most of us advocate for better communications between people.   What exactly does it mean though, ‘communications’? Apparently its roots are Latin in origin, and mean to make “common”.   If we think of communications as making common, getting on the same page, then its part and parcel of effective collaboration.   And that making […]

High-context communications in a low-context virtual world

Singapore mediator Ian Macduff wrote a helpful article, last week, about the differences between low- and high-context cultures, and its’ impact in online mediation. His piece highlighted the challenges of understanding the meaning behind the message, when the message can mean so much more, or less, depending on the culture of the person sending/receiving the […]