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It’s Monday, and every Monday I take part in a virtual team teleconference. Part of me appreciates this regular contact but another part of me really doesn’t like these meetings as much as our face-to-face ones. Why? Roughly speaking, it’s because they are so different.
This is obvious, but it is so frustrating. If we can’t see who is speaking, who wants to speak, or people’s reactions, the emotional side of the meeting has pretty much gone.
I never know when it is my turn to speak, and it feels as though no-one else does either. This means they don’t say much.
When it is finally my turn to say something, I feel as though I am on the stand. There is silence, I can’t see or feel any encouragement or interest, I have no idea if anyone is actually listening to me, and if they are listening, are they judging me? Am I wasting their time?
When I compare our face-to-face meetings with our virtual team teleconferences I feel as though I have a straight-jacket on in the teleconferences. In the face-to-face meetings, everything is more fluid, and we chat and joke around more – essentially there is a warm, encouraging environment.
As we train companies in how to make their teams work effectively in virtual teams, we set an example in our own teleconferences and follow all the rules in this checklist.
Such a thorough list doesn’t usually apply to a face-to-face meeting, but is logically necessary to ensure successful results in the virtual environment. I’m on board with the logic part, but can anything be done to reduce the straight-jacket effect? I’ve highlighted “encouraging participation” above, because if participation is encouraged effectively the straight-jacket might loosen and eventually fall off.
If we listen actively we focus fully on the speaker, we build rapport, acknowledge the speaker’s concerns, show understanding, relax the environment and transform it from the “on the stand” scenario into a warm, supportive and encouraging one. The main way of doing this is through language.
Here are some phrases we try to use in our virtual team teleconferences:
For most of us, a virtual team teleconference is never going to be the same as a face-to-face meeting, but if we are aware of how others are feeling, focusing on the language we use will help to create a more supportive and productive environment. Do you have any tips or phrases that have worked for you? Let us know in the comment area below. Click here to improve your virtual team teleconferences with Target Training.
