3 Preconditions for Effective Communications

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 […]

Effective Communications: Adding Verbal and Non-Verbal Capacity in Virtual Contexts

Working virtually can put the squeeze on our full range of verbal and nonverbal communication skills. This is a given with it comes to nonverbal. When we’re in the same physical space together, the success of our communication effort  is mightily influenced by our nonverbal, visual, actions.  Where is body language, and tone of voice, […]

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 […]