Maybe Even More in a Zoom Meeting
We’ve all heard the drill about improving virtual skills and boosting productivity during a global pandemic. But here’s something you’re already familiar with–and probably been meaning to work on anyway: your soft skills. Turns out relaxation, intention, face-to-face interaction, tolerance and good old fashioned phone calls are what we need right now. The good news? Soft skills don’t require us to learn a new software program or hire a new vendor. We learned this stuff in kindergarten. Here’s a quick review:
Relax more. As a culture, we’re having an unprecedented shared experience where everyone truly understands at least some aspect of everyone else’s suffering. So ease up on yourself. During a Zoom call, your kids might walk by. Your dog might bark. You might not know all the tech details yet. We get it and that’s okay. Nobody expects perfection in a pandemic, so let’s relax.
Schedule with intention. At this time, extroverts may be struggling while introverts may be thriving. Honor both your own experience and others’ as well. Consider the necessity of a meeting. Think about letting people go early to give them back 15 minutes of their day. Can you prioritize the greater good when you make assignments? How can you flex to everyone’s individual assumptions, beliefs and past experiences?
Show your face. Regardless of your role, if you have video capability, use it. It’s your only chance to merge technology with humanity. Let’s not forget how compelling nonverbals can be–smiles, thumbs up, waves, crossed arms, and leaning in make a difference. Can we take this opportunity to be more real? To see people as humans instead of just colleagues? Stop worrying about pets, children, spouses and messy homes. As long as you’re not naked, you’re good.
Upscale your virtual leadership. My colleague Caroline Heseding mentioned this the other day. Yep, it’s a thing. This is less about learning a new skill and more about sitting comfortable in uncertainty and being present for who needs you most–a leadership lesson perhaps all of us could use. How do you put this into practice? Simply by reaching out on an individual basis. Make an effort to talk to team members: Ask about the kids, their stress level and what they might need to be more successful in this new paradigm. It will do wonders for both your relationships and your team success.
Be tolerant. No two people are alike in their reaction to something this big. There will be fear, anxiety, anger, sadness, confusion and so much more. If there was ever a time for flexibility, this is it. Give people permission to bail early. Allow a five-minute grace period in the beginning of every meeting. Accept that everyone learns technology at a different pace. Go ahead and reread that last one again. It’s important.
Every 11 seconds, someone starts a Zoom call on the planet. That’s not a true statistic, but I feel like I’m not too far off. So when your next one begins, just choose one soft skill from above. And then crush it…in a soft way.
