Are you and your team practicing communication agility?
The future is Hybrid, or so we keep hearing. Yes, the way we work has been forever changed as we move more towards a hybrid workforce and congratulations, most organisations are keeping up with the technology to do so however, the way we are communicating in this hybrid world could be damaging the opportunities this new way of working offers us.
Many are failing in their communication agility.
Technology seems to be taking centre stage instead of strategically choosing the best and most effective communication method to build trust, connection and relationships.
Just because we can doesn’t mean we have to. Zoom might save time travelling to the office but when a difficult conversation needs to be had, perhaps the travel to work and the face-to-face meeting will prove a more effective way to communicate our message. And yes, we have the technology to allow virtual attendees at conferences but does this mean it will work every time or will it dilute the value of attending a conference in the first place. We don’t just go for the muffins and trendy attaché bags; research suggests what we enjoy about conferences the most is the opportunity to meet our industry colleagues face-to-face and to build industry relationships. And maybe the telephone still has a role to play in business. When was the last time you picked up the phone instead of sending an email. And speaking of those emails? How full is your inbox every day with unnecessary chatter.
Now I am not suggesting for one minute that technology is not offering us unique opportunities too but how we use the technology to communicate with our teams, our clients and our stakeholders needs to be thought through much more carefully or we could find ourselves in a more disconnected world where business relationships suffer and businesses fail to thrive.
And then there is the lack of skill on how to communicate effectively on many of these platforms. Presenting, meeting facilitation skills, high level communication and communication agility are critical skills needed in the future workplace face to face or virtually.
7 tips to consider when practicing communication agility:
1. The future is already here – ensure you are trained in the skills needed to implement communication agility; no one was born with these skills
2. Technology is your tool- technology is not how you communicate your message effectively
3. Virtual communication could lead to cultural misinterpretation – ensure you have strategies in place to connect across cultures and clarify understanding
4. Don’t just fall into the trap of the standard Zoom meeting – use creative methodologies to increase engagement and connection
5. Hybrid can open up opportunities – don’t mess them up because you’re not ready
6. Don’t just be agile, be authentic – if you embrace the virtual world, ensure your virtual audience still get’s a feel for your personal and organisational brand and who you are
7. And don’t forget just because you can doesn’t mean you have to
