Virtual Presence for the Remote Worker

The world of work has changed.  Many businesses are not taking chances and in advance of government lockdowns have told their workforces to boot up their laptops and work from home for some time.  For some businesses, the option to “work from home”, or “remote work” which is the more appropriate term, is common but with a huge percentage of organisations now embracing remote working it’s a great opportunity to develop our Virtual Presence skills (Executive Presence for the online world).

Remote Working brings in a new layer of communication challenges and opportunities to workplace interactions and relationships.  Communicating from behind a webcam or phone doesn’t have to feel like a barrier to effective communication.  In fact, it can provide new opportunities for anyone in an organisation to demonstrate leadership and influence with colleagues and peers.

What is Executive Presence?

Executive Presence is the gravitas that an individual brings to an engagement.  This is often achieved through a number of factors such as confidence, assertiveness and decisiveness however there is more to it than that.  The Bates Model breaks Executive Presence down in to three dimensions; Character, Substance and Style.

Character includes traits such as integrity, prioritisation and courage.  Substance includes confidence, knowledge and experience, and leadership.  Style covers interpersonal behaviours and image.  Style is what has the largest impact on ‘first impressions’.

How do we transfer this to the remote working world?

Through a mix of refining the practical side of communicating online with the refining of our ‘Soft Skills’ (or Essential Skills as I prefer to call them), we can dramatically improve our Executive Presence and influence.

1.     Set the Scene

You may be working just a few meters from your bed and kitchen but it’s vital to treat your workspace no different than the office.  Set the scene right from the start.  If you home permits, find a room or suitable space that you can dedicate as a workspace and treat it as such.  Ensure the ergonomics of the space is suitable too.  That includes adequate lighting especially if video calls are an occurrence.  Invest in a headset or suitable microphone.  Nothing frustrates an audience more than poor audio and/or visuals during a meeting or call.  By creating a space that feels appropriate for work, we are priming our mind to treat it as such.

2.     Practice Active Listening

Listening is at the top of the Communication Essentials Pyramid.  Yet it’s one of the most difficult skills to master.  Active listening requires us to truly be attentive and present when engaged with someone who is speaking. It would be easy to assume that being on a conference call, phone call or video call would make it easier to pay attention. However even in an environment like that we are distracted by laptops, our thoughts and even just the fact we are in our home environment.  It’s just as important to be disciplined when we work remotely as when we work in the office.  For example, you’re on a call but don’t need the laptop? Shut the lid down or switch off the monitor.  The need to remove distractions and be truly present is key.

When on a call or video conference, listen with intent. Don’t make assumptions or judgements, allow the other person to speak and when required express empathy.  This may mean there could be some silences as you process what is being said but this is a natural by-product of active listening and not something to be concerned with.

3.     Drop the auxiliary words

With the lack of a visual on phone calls and the limited visual on a video call, we compensate by reading more into what is said and the nonverbal sounds behind it. The need to utilise Conscious Communication is critical to ensure our intention in communication is perceived and understood correctly by the receivers.  Some examples of how we can do this is avoiding auxiliary words such as “should”, “would” or “could” which can cause miscommunications or lack of clarity with your messaging.  Similarly avoid prefacing sentences with phrases such as “I think” which can also give a perception of weaker decisiveness.  If you believe in what you are saying, then communicate your intention clearly.  

4.     Give meaningful feedback

Everyone likes to receive feedback but we all like to receive feedback in different ways.  With face to face interactions not an option, be mindful that the need to give feedback in a meaningful way to show appreciation for work done and successes delivered doesn’t change.  Avoid using valueless expressions like ‘Great work’ etc and instead focus on getting specific in recognising your peers and teams.

5.     Be Authentic When Presenting

Having to present or lead a meeting virtually doesn’t take away for the need to be authentic when presenting.  Again, with the visual restricted or limited, the need to ensure clarity of voice, passion in dialogue and assertiveness in communication is paramount.  Take time to carry out an audience analysis to understand their needs and find a way to engage beyond the words.  Inject some emotion into your presentation and engage with storytelling techniques to captivate your audience.  An audience can tell the different between someone who is just sharing information and someone who genuinely is trying to impart knowledge and wisdom.

Remember remote working doesn’t mean we have limiting barriers with communicating with others, instead we need to be mindful of how it can provide opportunities to work smarter and communicate our message with a different approach.

For more information on the Online Training solutions I provide in the areas of Virtual Presence, Executive Presence and Authentic Presenting, please get in touch!