Читать книгу Suddenly Virtual - Karin M. Reed - Страница 24

We do not communicate through words and vocal production alone. We communicate with our whole bodies – our facial expressions, our posture, and the way we position ourselves relative to our conversation partners. We won't enter into the controversial fray of how much our body language is responsible for communicating the message, but suffice it to say that various studies have suggested nonverbal communication could account for anywhere from 55% to over 90% of how we communicate a message. Without a doubt, body language provides important clues into the meaning of the message we are conveying, and a lack of those visual clues creates a rather large void in our understanding of intent and impact.

Imagine you are conducting a virtual meeting with video off. You state what you consider to be a key point and appropriately wait for a response from your audience. What you hear is silence. What does that mean? Does that silence indicate that they are in total agreement with what you just said, or does it mean that they are confused, in total disagreement, or simply not listening to you at all? Without video, you have no way of knowing unless you specifically poll the room by asking each person to weigh in verbally. You may want to do this anyway, but wouldn't it be easier to begin that process by actually reading those nonverbal cues revealed in the video boxes on screen? If someone is nodding along, you know where that person stands. If someone is looking perplexed with a furrowed brow, then it might be wise to lean into that visual cue and ask him or her to speak up.

By the same token, if you are seen on screen delivering a message, your body language will enhance your ability to communicate authentically and your audience can more easily read your intent. We all know how tone is so difficult to read in an email or text. A spoken message at least allows you to read tonality, but the richest modality of delivery where your audience can hear and see you communicate leaves less room for misunderstanding.