I’ve been getting a number of questions lately about how you show up as an executive virtually.  It’s a challenge – a huge amount of successful leadership is predicated on being able to be there in person.  From ‘Management by Walking Around” to speeches, Town Halls, and even one-on-ones, most of leadership assumes that you’re going to be able to be there face-to-face in order to connect more powerfully with your employees.

I’ve begun an online coaching program for executives who want to strategize about online leadership, so you can sign up now for more in-depth discussion, but here are several pointers for connecting with your team when you can’t be there in person.  Given that I recently heard of a survey that showed that 70 % of your employees will either refuse to return to work or be reluctant to return to work before there’s a vaccine, probably some form of virtual leadership will be around for the next year at any rate.

1. You Need to Amp Up Your Emotional Game. Basically all the virtual forms of communication lessen the emotions that come through to the receiving end.  So, to show that you care about the people on the call, you need to make your emotions clear and stronger than usual.  If you’re a good poker player, and used to keeping your emotions to yourself, it’s past due time to learn to share.  This is true even on Zoom calls, for a host of technical reasons.  To learn more about what’s going on, read my book Can You Hear Me?

2. You need to Cut Your Employees Some Slack. Your employees are deep in the midst of a sea of troubles.  Many of them are home schooling.  They’re spending more time with their nuclear family than they perhaps have in a long time.  They may have lost someone close to them because of the virus. They’re uncertain, uneasy, and off-kilter – just like you.  So don’t expect them to pay close attention to everything you say.  Don’t expect them to be Johnny- or Jane-on-the-spot for every single whim you express.  They are down at the safety level on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and that makes it hard to think about anything higher up on the pyramid.

3. You Need to Make Your Intent Clear. Zoom and audio calls both bring with them little, barely noticeable, transmission delays.  Those delays can add up to a second or two of dead air after someone stops talking.  We humans tend to unconsciously assume that dead air means lack of enthusiasm at best, open hostility at worst.  In this unintentionally negative atmosphere, it’s easy for all the players to assume the worst.  So it’s up to you to be particularly clear about your intent on each call.  When you listen, provide clear feedback.  And when you make requests, make them super-clear.  This is not a time, and the virtual is not a channel, for elegant ambiguity.

4. You Need to Provide Time for Both Work and Human Connection. I worked a year ago with an executive who had an extraordinary ability to connect with all levels of his organization, from the CEO (he was second in the hierarchy) to the cleaning staff.  I walked the halls with him for a day, and he didn’t pass anyone that he didn’t know.  And it was more than just chit-chat, it was real, in-depth knowledge about children, aging relatives, family situations.  I found myself thinking recently how natural and easy he made that look in a face-to-face environment, and how difficult (read: impossible) that would be to accomplish virtually.  A virtual day simply doesn’t bring those kind of casual encounters.  But even for the more scheduled nature of a virtual day, do set aside time for catching up on the human side of the equation.  And don’t try to do it at the start of a Zoom call, say, because those usually begin with stress and awkwardness while people figure out how to make the tech work.  Wait until the middle or end of the call, then say, “Now let’s set aside some time to check in with everyone.  I want to know how you are all faring during this difficult time.”  And so on.

5. You Need to Address the Larger Purpose of Your Enterprise. Without the face-to-face connection, your employees are naturally wondering, “why should I bother to show up to work everyday? I’ve got kids to school, a house to clean, and what difference does my job make anyway?”  This is the time to make the “why” of your organization clear to everyone you reach.  What makes us get out of bed and stagger the 12 meters or less to our virtual offices is a larger sense of purpose.  If you can’t articulate the company’s mission in a concise, compelling, and lucid way, don’t expect the Zoom calls to be productive machines.

This phase of the pandemic is a tough time for all of us – just like the other phases have been and will be.  Leaders need to get real about the challenges and get moving to keep their organizations heading in a positive direction.

Take our survey!  We’ve just posted a new survey about videoconferencing.  Let’s get some insight into how we’re all doing — please help by taking the survey here.  Thanks!