How to Connect in a Virtual World
Laurie Ruettimann
![Laurie Ruettimann]()
Laurie Ruettimann
Trailblazing Workplace Expert | Bestselling Author & Speaker | Top LinkedIn Learning Leadership & HR Instructor | Pragmatic Career Coach | Still trying to fix work.
The world is changing. Fifty percent of our lives are in the real world, the other half in the virtual world. With the internet connecting the two, it’s harder than ever to imagine one without the other.
While it seems like we’re more connected than ever, in truth, our communication has become less personal. We’re joined today by Dr. Nick Morgan, who discusses the pros and cons of how we connect with people, despite the limitations of virtual communication.
- Dr. Nick recently wrote a book called, "Can You Hear Me? How To Connect With People In A Virtual World." He tells us the story that inspired him to write this book, and how it can change your perception of unconscious communication.
- How is technology making communication worse? Nick reveals one of the biggest problems with online communication: people use the same language pattern they use face-to-face, and due to the lack of emotional subtext, we often misunderstand people's intent. We go on a default "nasty" setting because our brain has filled the gap with negative information to anticipate danger and ‘protect’ ourselves. This is why we're likely to be less trusting online than we are in the real world.
- What makes for effective virtual communication? Nick talks about how our reaction depends on how we’re perceiving the other person - if we default to distrust, our reaction mirrors that. Fortunately, we’re becoming more aware of our behavior online. By extending more empathy and understanding, we are becoming better adults.
- What’s the benefit of communicating in person? When we meet people in person, it is easier to establish a meaningful connection than we can do online - this takes a lot longer virtually. Nick shares how this is especially useful for first meetings.
- Despite the ease of communicating online, we are more alone and our relationships have become much harder to maintain. How do we fix this and be better at labeling the emotional undertones in our virtual conversations? It comes down to one thing at a time - a whole bunch of little fixes that focus on being more understanding and a little bit more connected.
- Nick and Laurie talk about how the power of well-placed humor can strengthen online relationships. They also discuss the importance of understanding where the overlap lies between the real world and the online world.
Dr. Nick Morgan
SHRM-SCP, PMP, SPHR
5 年Thanks for sharing Laurie. ?Human behavior is so complex. ?I agree that whether its virtual or in-person, effective communication starts with trust. ?In the virtual world, establishing who we are and what we stand for, lays the foundation for others to trust. ?Today, it seems that those who can be more relatable and have an online presence have a greater opportunity to build connections at a faster rate than having no virtual existence.
Washington DC's brand representative for premium restaurant and hospitality products. And some darn good USDA prime dry-aged steaks
6 年Good article. Digital is useful and can be very effective, it’s important to know how to create trust with social media. Meeting in person is always the goal , digital tends to live With e-commerce which is purely transactional. I enjoy engagement and dialogue with customers this is how I’m able to learn about them and their business.