Is Your Digital Body Language Interfering with Your Message?

WHY SHOULD LEADERS FOCUS ON THEIR DIGITAL BODY LANGUAGE?

As I discussed in a recent Industry Perspective, the connective tissue in our organizations has been stretched thin and is leading to increased turnover.  Surveys are showing that the lack of communication is an oft stated cause by a majority of employee respondents.  Increasing the volume of it is not the solution.  Leaders must be more intentional and clearer in all interactions. This results in effective communication and improved connectedness.  With the pace of business and change, effective interactions have already been strained and stretched.  Add the exponential increase in digital communication this past year and those weak links have cracked, and, in many cases have become fissures.  Leaders need to pay more attention to their digital body language so they do not inadvertently create confusion.

A well-known study by Albert Mehrabian concluded that 7% of our understanding comes from words, 38% from vocal aspects (tone, inflection, etc.) and 55% from nonverbal cues. And, according to Erica Dhawan, author of “Digital Body Language”, 70% of team communication today takes place digitally. No wonder communication is cited as a critical issue in the workplace. The math alone says communication effectiveness is at risk. Add the acceleration to virtual and hybrid work environments and we have a perfect storm resulting in an increased negative impact on employee connectedness.

WHAT DOES DIGITAL BODY LANGUAGE CONFUSION LOOK LIKE?

Below are a few simple and common examples of increased confusion created in digital communication.  

• When a team member requests assistance and the digital response is the word “sure”

  • Sure     – no punctuation may imply half-hearted agreement

  • Sure.    – a period may imply some irritation in their agreement

  • Sure!    – an exclamation point may imply they are excited to help

• Another example has to do with the channel of communication chosen.  If the employee texts a question and the leader immediately calls instead of using text to respond, this can cause concern and worry and be seen as an escalation.

• The Read Receipt flags that the message has been read but no response comes across from the leader.  The sender wonders if it because they are busy, don’t care, are mad, have better things to do, or….?

You may have participated in some of these situations! Likely, these examples triggered other such confusing or stressful digital interactions. The time spent in the resulting confusion and stressing over the meaning of someone’s digital body language is unproductive.  It also creates tension and distance in relationships.  Over time it erodes the connectedness of team members.

DIGITAL COMMUNICATION IS OVERWHELMING TEAMS

When communication is in person, the nonverbal and vocal cues help the parties interpret the message and signal if there is a need to further clarify or ask a question in real-time.  It allows the parties to move closer and leave the interaction feeling heard, understood and better connected.  How are teams managing all of these aspects in the digital world?  Not well!  According to an article in Bloomberg Law  over 50% of workers are overwhelmed and feel pressure to use multiple digital platforms.   Lack of communication is a key reason cited by workers that are considering jumping to a different firm.  As we transition into hybrid and changing work environments, this stress from confusing digital body language will continue and likely increase if leaders do not recognize, accept and manage it proactively.

APPLY THE LESSONS FROM KINDERGARTEN

Organizations can choose to harness digital technology to increase the connectedness of team members and create clarity around productive digital communication.  Otherwise, it can quickly default to being used as a mask, adding layers of confusion or at worse – used as a weapon (think group chats that turn into a gossip pit).

Remember the book, “All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten”?  We were taught when to raise our hand, when to say please or excuse me, when to look a person in the eye and to always say thank you.  This took the guessing out of everyday interactions and grounded us in a common set of ‘rules.’  That grounding increased psychological safety and that is critical to retention and team performance. Also, many leaders took courses in Body Language to ensure theirs aligned with their intended message.  It is time to go back to kindergarten!

It is time to pause and take the time to reset and update our communication etiquette and ground rules in the digital environment. There is no reason team members should be guessing what is required or desired.  The following areas should be considered as you work through updated guidelines with your team members.

• Channels - what channels (email, phone, text, chat, video-on calls…) are used for what type of communication purpose, audience size, urgency need

• Response Times – what is the expected turn around time in each channel

• Add back nonverbal cues – accepted use of emojis, punctuation, video-call reactions

• Ensure inclusion - what is needed to respect the needs of different work styles, genders, cultures, in-room vs. virtual attendees

HARNESS YOUR DIGITAL BODY LANGUAGE

The market, competition and customers are complex and not in your control.  How you create a connected and effective work environment is in your control.   A great resource to assist in your understanding of digital body language and tips on how to be more effective with it, is the book referenced above, “Digital Body Language,” by Erica Dhawan.  It is a fun read too!

Leaders that adapt and can redefine effective communication across complex, digital and dynamic environments (in-office, digital, and both) will create more psychological safety, more connectedness and higher performing teams.   Make the time to intentionally revisit how digital communications can be used more effectively in your organization and elevate your outcomes.

Connect with MBM ELEVATE to explore this and other ideas to increase the connectiveness of your team members.

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Mary Beth Molloy

Certified Executive Coach and Business Consultant, she delivers uncanny focus on the intersection of your business vision and goals and the leaders you’ve entrusted to achieve them.

She knows what it takes to accelerate and elevate business results through leadership development and performance. It’s her powerful blend of these experiences together with her practicality, purpose, and positivity that drive our value.

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