By Amy Elliott
With the rise in remote working, many team members aren’t participating in meetings sitting around a conference room table. Instead, they are connecting remotely to communicate. The effectiveness of this communication can greatly affect morale and either boost or undermine the entire team’s efficiency when it comes to working productively as a group.
Some communication methods have proved more effective than others when it comes to internal collaboration. According to a recent study, 87 percent of remote users feel more connected to their team and process when using video conferencing. Furthermore, the same research revealed that 65 percent of communication is nonverbal, meaning that important parts of people’s messages and conversations are transmitted through gestures, facial expressions and body language.
Unfortunately, those are exactly the types of communications that team members miss out on when using non-visual platforms, such as phone calls and texting. Omitting these critical nonverbal cues can create awkward situations and misunderstandings. They also can diminish the camaraderie that comes along with eye contact and visual connection, which can hinder team bonding and close working relationships that further the group’s success.
Conversations around complex or sensitive topics such as scheduling, decision making, assigning work, project management, responsibilities or reaching consensus, depend heavily on nonverbal cues to ensure that all parties feel included, understood, and heard. When those criteria are met, team members feel better about the people they work with, their role on the team and their job satisfaction. That leads to higher morale, which can translate to a whole host of benefits, including better work-life balance, higher productivity, and a more effective and efficient team overall.
When it comes to team communication, web conferencing offers real advantages. Just take a look at some of the benefits this method of collaboration has to offer in terms of teamwork and morale.
Closes gap between onsite and remote colleagues
Video conferencing provides visual contact between off-site and on-site team members, and therefore diminishes any geographical disconnect between colleagues. Everyone can put a face to the name during a web conferencing session, and their gestures and facial expressions can be seen and interpreted. With web conferencing, all team members can feel like equal participants.
Makes for more impactful meetings
We’ve all been on conference calls where people have to constantly identify themselves or everyone talks over everyone else, making the meeting go over time and leads to a slew of misunderstandings and miscommunications. Web conferencing enables everyone to connect with team members visually as they talk and listen. This leads to much more natural communication and fewer missteps.
Facilitates increased team morale
Team members may feel discouraged or even devalued when they leave a conference call feeling confused, misunderstood and as though they were neglected during the conversation. Web conferencing ensures that team members connect on the all-important nonverbal level, turning their meetings and conversations into ways to bond and strengthen their relationships with each other, as well as ways to convey information. This keeps morale high and communication flowing smoothly.
To find out how KeeFORCE can enhance your total I.T. experience including web conferencing utilizing 3CX technology, give us a call today at (270) 366-0553.
