When interpreting digital body language, giving people the benefit of the doubt is key If tone’s the problem, assume the intentions were good, and respond with facts. If the medium’s not working, switch it up sometimes, a phone call is worth a thousand emails. If you’re confused by a message, ask follow-up questions. When misinterpretations do happen, it’s often because of a dropped word or out-of-place punctuation mark. Length, complexity, and familiarityįor longer emails, provide clarity with bold or underlined headings, and share context upfront.Ĭommunicating carefully is about ensuring everyone’s on the same page. To stay in control of digital conversations, be conscious of the channel you’re using. Alternately, starting emails with Hey, or adding a smiley face to a one-liner, is a sign you’re fairly informal. If you want a swift, no-nonsense response, add a formal title in your email signature. Greetings and signatures also indicate tone. And always remember, when communicating with your boss or colleagues, err on the side of neutrality. Think about how what you’re saying may come across, especially based on your rank. In addition to being impeccable with your own words, it’s essential to read the room – that is, tailor your tone to your audience. To do this, you must become discerning with things like word choice, punctuation, nuance, and humor. Communicate Carefully The second law of digital body language, Communicate Carefully, involves making a continuous effort to minimize the risk of misunderstanding and misinterpretation by being as clear as possible in your words and digital body language.Ĭommunicating Carefully involves choosing the right words, tone, and channel It goes without saying, but make sure you spell her name right It shows you put in the time to consider the topics and care about the work the other person did. The first principle of valuing visibly is to show you’re paying attention – “reading carefully is the new listening.” To do this, always reference details in your communications. Valuing Visibly means honing new skills to proactively show you value others’ contributions and understand their needs. It focuses on the fact that unstated appreciation needs to become stated in today’s world. Value Visibly is about being attentive and aware of others, while also communicating that “I understand you” and “I appreciate you.” The first law of digital body language acknowledges this disconnect. Problem is, the silent language isn’t exactly visible from behind a screen The four laws of digital body language: Value Visibly, Communicate Carefully, Collaborate Confidently, and Trust Totally. Hall had a name for the nonverbal cues – things like eye contact, smiles, pauses, yawns, tone, volume, posture, and proximity – which make up nearly three-quarters of face-to-face communication. ![]() Our bewilderment boils down to the fact that we’re cue-less – in the most literal sense. According to the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the tone of our emails is misinterpreted 50 percent of the time! 306 billion emails are exchanged each day the average person sends 30 and receives 96. And a lot of these messages are taken the wrong way. Take email. We send each other an unbelievable amount of messages every day. If you want to communicate effectively in the virtual age, you need to tune into your digital body language ![]() But, there are actually dozens of digital cues at our disposal. In today’s world, where so many of our daily interactions happen from behind a screen, it sometimes seems like we’ve lost our ability to effectively communicate with each other.Īnd it’s true: without traditional body language to convey – or clue us in to – tone and meaning, what, when, and how to say things is often confusing. Late email replies, ambiguous texts, awkward video calls. I hope you find it helpful and if you are looking for a new book to read, this is a good option! Become a great digital communicator. So taking advantage of my summer vacations and quietly on the beach, I read the book little by little, and I find it interesting. It is a book that explores how to build trust and connection no matter the distance. In this environment we are moving in, I really wanted to read the book Digital Body Language by Erica Dhawan. ![]() Or if they come back, it will be in a hybrid model, for brainstorming sessions or 1 or 2 days a week or a month. Many workers, especially knowledge workers, will never return to the office again. What is clear is that the way we work has changed forever.
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