Virtual meetings are filled with challenges. It’s difficult to maintain continuity, connection, and coherence. We are prone to speak too little or too much, repeating things unnecessarily. Our attention wanders, and we tune out. Most of all, we’re losing nonverbal data that can make our conversations more effective.
Conducting virtual calls for different muscles and skills, some of which you can learn from those who rely on visual communication every day — particularly, those who are Deaf or hard of hearing. Here are some tips to follow, regardless of your aural ability. First, pace yourself; slow down to allow time for everyone to process information. Cultivate cooperation by taking turns to speak. Broaden your camera angle to include your head to your belly button, so attendees can see hand gestures and signs. Use non-verbal language, like a thumbs up, to increase engagement. Use the chat for clarity. And finally, choose clothing that is easy on the eyes, comfortable, and won’t distract from your message.
After months of working remotely from home, many of us have found that the daily routine of virtual meetings saps our energy. It is difficult to maintain continuity, connection, and coherence. We are prone to speak too little or too much, repeating things unnecessarily. Our attention wanders, and we tune out. Not moving from one conference room to the next as we transition between meetings enervates us and bores us with its lack of variety.
But we’re losing more than just interest. Not interacting with colleagues physically lops off nonverbal data. Narrowing our field of vision to the small rectangles of our screens makes us lose perspective. All of these extract a costly toll. By missing vital signals and operating in a smaller space, we spend more time communicating, yet comprehend less.
While none of us is new to the relentless cadence of consecutive meetings, conducting them virtually calls for different muscles and skills. Video meetings don’t have to be devoid of delight and vitality. We can create some of our best meetings by harnessing lessons from communities that rely on visual communication every day — particularly, those who are Deaf or hard of hearing.
It takes two to communicate: the speaker and the listener. There are many ways to express ourselves; there are also many ways to listen. Through necessity, the Deaf community has invented a wider portfolio of communication strategies and devices than the hearing world accesses day-to-day. When we tap into this trove of tools, we can reduce the time it takes to communicate and then to correct miscommunications.
As an executive coach who has worked with several deaf executives (Sabina) and the president of Gallaudet University (Bobbi, who is also Deaf), we have learned to communicate seamlessly with each other. The techniques we’ve developed can also be deployed to communicate more effectively in virtual settings including meetings conducted via video — with anyone, regardless of aural ability.
Pace, Don’t Race
During video meetings, follow the eyes of the participants. In our meetings, Sabina pauses when Bobbi looks down to take notes. When Bobbi’s eyes move from the conversation, it pauses the flow of information, giving her time to make the notations that help retain information from one meeting to the next. Watching eyes and understanding when and where attention is being divided helps us manage the pace of meetings. Visual information augments the aural experience, allowing us to gauge comprehension levels and respond to possible distractions. Slowing the pace allows time for everyone to process verbal information and for messages to land before moving on to the next speaker or topic. Pace is easier to manage if meetings are smaller and shorter.
Cultivate Cooperation Instead of Competition
Computer audio cuts out when people attempt to speak simultaneously. The first time Sabina met with a group of Deaf people in person, they were sitting on Bobbi’s deck. Suddenly one of the attendees started stomping her feet. Startling at first, it soon became apparent that this was a signal to capture others’ attention. In the virtual world, you can create a similar approach for when attendees want the floor. A designated facilitator and an agreement to raise hands — either on video or through your videoconferencing app — when someone wants to contribute is one way to do this. The facilitator can periodically announce a speaking order. By establishing a protocol and controlling for one conversation at a time, more people can participate, and everyone can be more fully and equitably engaged.
Expand to Command Attention
Sabina’s goal during each meeting with Bobbi was to learn a new sign. Bobbi would sign something simple like “yes” and Sabina would mimic her. But when Sabina mimicked the sign for “you’re welcome,” Bobbi pointed out that Sabina’s video was set for a hearing person, and the lower part of the sign — below the sternum — was not visible. Body language telegraphs a large percentage of our message. Much of that is lost when we only choose to reveal our head and neck on video. Imagine what we’d look like meeting in person with most of our torsos below the level of the conference room table. Perhaps that would be an effective strategy for poker but not for a meeting. Adjust the camera angle, laptop elevation, and chair placement to be visible from the top of the head to the belly button. Making body language visible makes more of our message comprehensible to our audience. Bonus: Meetings move faster when our hands are on camera, forcing us to be more fully present rather than distracted by our devices.
Use Non-verbal Language to Increase Engagement
It’s fatiguing for Deaf people to alternate between English-based and ASL-based conversations throughout the day. Similarly, many people are finding back-to-back video requires a feat of endurance. Intentional management of conversations helps ease participation, maximize engagement, and minimize fatigue for everyone. Use signs strategically during calls. The more people involved, the better it is to include agreed-upon visual signals. As mentioned, raise hands before speaking. For off-sites Sabina facilitates, participants agree to raise one thumb for “yes,” and two thumbs for, “I agree,” or “plus one,” or “I love your idea.” It’s smiles all around when an idea results in a virtual roomful of dual thumbs ups. Embellishing words with signs enriches the message, increases understanding, saves time, and boosts energy. Instead of feeling enervated, these signs reduce strain and provide support.
Use the Chat for Clarity
Most of us (and this is not limited to Deaf or hard-of-hearing people) either don’t realize we’ve missed something in a conversation or won’t admit to it. The chat box can be a tool to supplement information when we realize this may be happening in a meeting. When using additional information, complicated spellings, acronyms, or non-quotidian words, add them to the chat window. This aids everyone’s comprehension, preventing unnecessary misunderstandings or repetition.
Dress for Success
Interpreters for the Deaf avoid patterns and wear colors that contrast with their skin tone. This helps their clients see signs more clearly. Similarly, on video, busy patterns are jarring to the eye and compete with our hand signals. Intentionally selecting clothing that is comfortable and easy on the eyes, together with careful attention to the visual background behind us creates a professional presence that can also lift spirits.
Navigating a new normal via unpredictable paths and unfamiliar methods, we can learn from those to whom some of these strategies are tried and tested: the Deaf and hard of hearing. By incorporating visual cues and controlling the pace of meetings, we make communication a collaborative process while also signaling empathy for our colleagues. Sharing the responsibility for effective communication divides the task and multiplies the outcome.