Ever reached out, across the virtual divide, and found your communications efforts less than stellar? (Yep.) Somehow, the conversation seems to have barely begun, before the scene deteriorates and communications fall apart. Puzzled as to why things unfolded that way? Maybe, the conditions weren’t in-place to begin with, for effective communications to happen.
image source: drawingoutideas.com
Effective virtual and I Real Life communications are similar. In either scenario, if we have some common ground between us, we increase the likelihood for successful communications; i.e., shared understanding, and getting on the same page. Finding common ground is a mantra for mediators, and problem-solvers of all sorts.
There are three preconditions, “areas of commonness’, that serve as a framework for effective communications; language, culture and environment. In this 3.5 minute screencast, I look at each of those preconditions:
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On the cultural front, I owe a debt of knowledge to Lionel Laroche and Erin Meyer, whose recent works have expanded my understanding of cross-cultural communications.
There is no single cookbook for effective communications, In Real Life or virtual. At times, I wish there were. No way. It’s delusional, given how often the landscape changes. Some things don’t change over time, though – core values for effective communications. We can build on those. Right?
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