How to communicate in the blurring world of physical and virtual communication
A major challenge for organizations in this blurring world of physical and virtual communication is building a collaborative culture. To overcome that challenge organizations must find a successful mix between virtual and face-to-face communication. The ultimate goal is not just to get people to interact more; it is to get them to interact more fully.
A number of organizations are beginning to realize that top-down communication does not encourage meaningful interaction across silos or within a silo. Organizations that are employing dialogue in place of top-down communication are finding far greater success encouraging and building collaboration, and getting people to interact more fully. I’m referring to dialogue from the bottom to the top and vice versa without management level filters in between.
The entrepreneurial spirit has created successful growth in organizations that have removed the physical barriers between all levels of the organization. Many new breed executives are comfortable working without an office and in the midst of their employees. Still, they haven’t dismissed virtual communication when necessary — like bridging physical distances. A mix of both is really dependent on the type of organization based on the product or service they provide.
Regardless if the communication is face-to-face or virtual, successful interaction is partially dependent on how well you listen. Whether you’re a good talker or a good listener you interact more fully with the ability to do both.
Too often virtual communication is media dependent. For example, unfortunately, in today’s digital age PowerPoint is still a dominant communication tool. Bullet points and text laden images communicate more noise than information. The effective use of infographics, cartoons and art communicate significantly more information than PowerPoint. Mindfulness training coupled with improvisation techniques are steps to build strong face-to-face interaction.
Powerful and effective communication is a teachable art and a skill too often overlooked as a soft skill that doesn’t contribute to the bottom line. In our digital age good communication creates significantly to the bottom line. Contact me.
As a coach, trainer and consultant, Larry Blumsack partners with people and organizations on the move and those already there to accelerate their communication, presentation and speaking skills to be on par with their ambition. Through one-on-one coaching and group training Larry helps leaders and aspiring leaders elevate their presence and communication skills to influence more people, sell more products-services-ideas and inspire others more successfully than they ever imagined.
Larry is the bestselling author of Face-to-Face is The Ultimate Social Media and founder of Zoka Institute and Zoka Training®. Zoka Training® — Mind/Voice/Body/Mindfulness in sync — is the result of Larry’s 45 years as a coach, acting teacher, actor, voice-over artist, theater and TV director/producer, radio & TV commentator and show host, speaker, trainer, serial entrepreneur, and syndicated columnist. Larry was a founding member of the theater department at Northeastern University.
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