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Mastering workplace communication in this new world of work takes practice. Most of us work with and lead teams that are both remote and on-site, and sometimes even in different countries and time zones. Thanks to technology, we have a plethora of media with which to communicate, both in writing (e-mails, texts, social media) and orally (phone, video conference, video streaming, good old-fashioned in-person meetings). Using the right channel for the right interactions with the appropriate “body” or non-verbal language is key to successful team dynamics and productivity.

We’ve been taught that the majority of any message is conveyed through non-verbal elements (facial expressions, posture, gestures, etc.). You can tell if someone is lying through shiftiness or lack of eye contact, you can tell if an audience appreciates your presentation by their smiles, furrowed brows or yawns.

In this new world of work, how can we decode each other’s messages when we spend less time face to face? Are we in jeopardy of missing the important nuances? Think about the last time you were on a conference call – did your body language come through on the other end of the line? Have you ever written an e-mail that was misinterpreted and, if so, was there a better way to use “non-verbal” communication to prevent this?

Transitioning to a world of work where much of our work force is now working at least partially remotely, it is important that we acknowledge the modernization of “body” or non-verbal language and learn how to practice it and decode it most effectively, so that we don’t constantly operate with partial information.

Written communication

When the colon followed by a closing parenthesis became the universal symbol of a happy face, we were taught by our leaders that it was not professional to use this “emoticon” in workplace communications. Now, emojis and #hashtags are often used to convey tone of voice in e-mails, texts and memos. Absent these useful characters, tone can be completely misinterpreted, which can compromise work product and relationships.

Timing can also serve as non-verbal communication. E-mails and texts that are sent late at night or on weekends can lead to misinterpretation by employees, suggesting “this is urgent” or “my time is not respected.”

Since written channels are easiest to abuse, because they mostly don’t require the other party to “consent,” it is important to proceed with caution and pay close attention to non-verbal elements of these communications. Particularly in the world of texting, where messages are more rapid-fire, emojis and appropriate use of punctuation (!!! indicates urgency; ??? indicates “why haven’t you responded?”) and use of CAPS (which indicates yelling) can prevent misunderstandings.

Phone calls

It can be challenging to decode messages on phone calls, because of the lack of helpful cues that tell us whether people are aligned, confused, finished speaking, etc. A couple of tips for more effective body language on phone calls:

  • Pretend that you are in person: Walk around the room, use hand gestures, articulate clearly. Imagine you are a voice-over actor – it’s amazing how in animated films, we can feel the actors’ body language even though they are not physically on the screen.
  • Let pauses happen: Dead air, especially when you can’t see people’s expressions, can be awkward. In many cases, participants are simply processing and reflecting – so allow for a couple of moments of silence before prompting to check for understanding or alignment.

Face-to-face communication

We exchange information every day using the channels above because in many cases, it is more efficient and productive. But it is important to recognize when in-person interaction is necessary to capture the full essence of the conversation through real in-person body language. For example, difficult, sensitive and personal conversations (performance reviews, termination discussions, etc.) as well as meetings that serve to motivate (onboarding, project kickoff, global town hall meetings, etc.) benefit from in-person presence.

When you do have face-to-face interactions, don’t get tripped up by conventional wisdom when it comes to non-verbal language. According to Mark Bowden and Tracey Thomson, authors of Truth and Lies: What People are Really Thinking, using the simple SCAN method (suspend judgment; take in context; ask what else; form new judgment) allows us to get the most accurate information out of our face-to-face interactions.

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