Redefining intuition in the digital world
The Insight
Successfully running projects relies heavily on strong, clear and consistent communication.
When the world went online during 2020, we were lucky we had the technology ready to go. Digital project management software, video conferences, and group chats are not new. The savvy among us have navigated this technology for years. The introverts among us have preferred this technology for years.
The adaption of this technology isn’t temporary. It’s here to stay. It’s convenient, intelligent and fast.
What the technology lacks is the ability to convey nonverbal communication. Intuition does not translate to zeros and ones.
Modern video can capture our tone of voice, our facial expressions, our body language and our gestures, however authenticity can be lost. While it’s easy to complain and see the transition to the digital world as a hinderance in project performance, there’s always a way forward.
The Impact
Many of the skills we use as project managers had to change in 2020. Previously, we had relied on nonverbal communication to relate, engage, and establish meaningful interactions with others.
In the digital world, the way we interpret information is different. As a result, the information we convey has to be deliberate.
Firstly, you must do your best to remove any barriers on your side. Make sure when you’re on video conference, the screen you’re watching on is the same as the screen you’re speaking into. While direct eye contact is important, it is not as important as your positioning. It’s difficult to look both into the eyes of the speaker and at the camera itself. The speaker is more important.
Position your face and body towards the camera, avoid looking away at other screens or around the room, and try not to shuffle or interrupt too much.
Similarly, you must find ways to interpret the missing information from the other end. The actions you take to make the other person feel heard can help you understand what they might be struggling to convey. The signs you typically look for to understand when someone is disengaged, uncomfortable, or in disagreement will come through differently online.
Without face-to-face interactions, the way we interpret our intuition changes. Fortunately, we are all in the same boat. There is still time to learn and adjust our approach.