Being a Conscious Communicator Supports Successful Collaboration

Although it has some caveats, a 1967 study by Albert Mehrabian and Susan Ferris published in The Journal of Consulting Psychology revealed that about 90 percent of the message we get in a face-to-face (F2F) interaction is through tone of voices, and visual cues. Only about 10 percent of the information we get from other people is based on the content of what they say.

Today globalization of business, the movement towards geographically distributed and cross cultural teams, and the increasing number of people working from home is a fact of life. The way people interact, produce and collaborate has changed dramatically. The frequency and availability of F2F communication has been dramatically curtailed either by the rising cost of fuel or by travel bans in a variety of multinational organizations. What this means is the 10 percent that was information about content, is now 100 percent of the information a team member may get through interacting with you virtually. With this situation in mind you need to be very conscious about what you say, when you say it and how you say it to your team members.

Below are three best practices (with examples) of conscious communication and how they can best be applied to distributed teams or distance collaboration:

1. Build an Environment of Trust: Although David says, "Trust is not enough" in Rule 3, I believe that trust is one of the most critical elements of effective distance communications. To create an environment of trust often requires the team leader to set an example for this behavior. This may be from offering open and transparent communication with other team members, or just a communication style that supports the free sharing of information between team members. One of the ways to do this and compensate for the lower bandwidth of communication is to increase the bandwidth of what you say. Don't assume everyone understands exactly what you say. Try to embellish on what you are saying and often see each communication as a way to tell a story.

2. Set Expectations: One of the key ways to do this is by making sure clear expectations are set at the beginning of every project. The best way I know how to do this is to post a set of "rules of engagement" for the team that clearly states the proper ways to interact, as well as what is expected from each team member. Some examples of these rules can include:

• Each team member is expected to participate in any online discussions about tasks that they are involved in.

• Each team member is expected to respond to direct communications From other team members within 24 hours.

• Each team member is expected to complete the tasks they have agreed to or let other team members know about the changed situation.

3. Doable Tasks: Nothing can kill a team's morale quicker than burying them with a plethora of impossible tasks. Not everyone on a team is a Hercules (cleaning out the Aegean stables). It is best to begin with small tasks that provide the empowering experience of accomplishment for team members. It is important to acknowledge those triumphs. As noted in Rule 21, it is important to celebrate success to have continued collaboration.

Clear communication is critical to successful collaboration. In Rule 7 Stewart gives some more examples of how your behavior can overcome some of the challenges with virtual teams.

3. Let's Get Real or Let's Not Play: The Demise of Dysfunctional Selling and the Advent of Helping Clients Succeed/Mahan Khalsa, 1999, Franklin Covey Co. Printed by White Water Press

© 2013 Laura Lowell