{"id":4787,"date":"2021-02-22T08:45:41","date_gmt":"2021-02-22T16:45:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/?p=4787"},"modified":"2021-02-22T08:45:41","modified_gmt":"2021-02-22T16:45:41","slug":"building-an-engaged-video-on-virtual-workforce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/building-an-engaged-video-on-virtual-workforce\/","title":{"rendered":"Building an Engaged, Video-On Virtual Workforce"},"content":{"rendered":"

For most, the adjustment to working 100% remote has been a \u2018journey\u2019 to say the least \u2013 each of us having faced unique challenges in adapting to this new way of working. While some enjoy their new arrangements, others are itching to get back into the office. Regardless of where you sit on that spectrum, one thing is for sure: video calls will continue to be an integral part of how we collaborate with our team.<\/strong><\/p>\n

NEW MEDIUM, NEW APPROACH<\/h4>\n

On the surface, the increased use of video in our day-to-day work lives may seem benign, but the effects that a video-heavy work culture can have on your overall corporate culture are worth noting. For a clearer picture of what I mean by this, take stock of how interactive your meetings are \u2013 who is contributing most during team calls, and who doesn\u2019t get a chance to speak up? This lack of two-way communication is unnatural and can leave people feeling overlooked and disengaged with the projects discussed during the call. Now that video is the primary way most of us collaborate, it\u2019s critical that we engage participants so that they leave meetings ready to execute and feeling energized by a positive social interaction with their teammates.<\/p>\n

BUILDING A CULTURE OF TRUST<\/h4>\n

According to a study<\/a><\/span> by ADP, employee engagement should be a priority for organizations because it\u2019s known that when employees don\u2019t feel engaged, the organization suffers. Trust or \u2018psychological safety\u2019 in the workplace plays a significant role in ensuring everyone feels relaxed and confident enough to turn their camera on, speak up, and contribute their perspectives. \u2018Psychological safety\u2019 is a term coined back in 1999 by Harvard Business School professor, Amy Edmondson that refers to the understanding that it is safe to take risks and that a person won\u2019t be punished or shamed for speaking up with questions, concerns, ideas, asking for help, or admitting mistakes. According to ADP, this begins and ends with a team\u2019s leader. When the most engaged teams were put under the microscope, it was found that by far the strongest indication of employee engagement was whether the team members trusted their manager.<\/p>\n

COMBAT SUBCONSCIOUS BIASES<\/h4>\n

So, what to do? Take note \u2013 are there still members of your team who are perpetually on \u2018mute\u2019 or have their camera turned off? Prompt them to engage by asking them how their day is going or what they think about a point raised during the call. Next, it\u2019s important to acknowledge subconscious biases that might be below the surface of this disparity. As Renee Cullinan shared in Harvard Business Review<\/a><\/span>, two segments of the\u00a0workforce that are routinely overlooked are introverts and women \u2013 and this is only exacerbated in a remote-only working scenario. Chances are leaders aren\u2019t consciously silencing these individuals, rather it\u2019s more\u00a0likely that there are several hidden biases at play.\u00a0For instance, Cullinan explains that our unconscious bias is that \u2018smart people think on their feet.\u2019 However, she explains what\u2019s really going on is that extroverts talk to process their thoughts, and introverts take longer to process information and think carefully before speaking. Furthermore, the well-studied unconscious bias that \u2018men have more to contribute\u2019 and \u2018are better suited to leadership positions\u2019 are deeply ingrained and will take conscious work to unlearn. There have been\u00a0multiple studies<\/span>\u00a0<\/a>that have concluded that women are interrupted far more than men during meetings<\/a><\/span>, and their ideas are taken less seriously<\/a><\/span>. These unconscious biases undermine the quality of dialogues and put a significant dent in your team\u2019s collaborative potential. To overcome these, consider the following ground rules.<\/p>\n

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR TEAM\u2019S ENGAGEMENT<\/h4>\n

Leaders should reflect on current patterns and make an effort to adjust communication flows with some ground rules for team calls so that everyone feels engaged.<\/p>\n

Cultivate a Video-On Culture<\/strong><\/p>\n

Strongly encourage all meeting participants to turn their camera on. Naturally, a face-to-face video interaction will be more engaging for all parties. Additionally, a video-on culture will discourage multitasking and result in a greater sense of respect and increase the quality of the interpersonal interaction. If there are external factors influencing why someone can\u2019t have their camera on, be understanding and make an effort to engage them regardless.<\/p>\n

Comradery is your Secret-Weapon to an Engaged Workforce <\/strong><\/p>\n

Now that we\u2019re all working from home, much of our team communication is purely task-related, leaving little to no time for small talk and niceties. Creating space for comradery is an important ingredient in employee engagement. According to Sterling<\/a><\/span>,\u00a0a thriving corporate culture results in \u201chigher employee engagement, better retention, and more productive employees.\u201d While a poor corporate culture leads to increased attrition rates, expensive hiring costs, and the longer roles are filled by new hires.<\/p>\n

Now that in-person team building is not an option, allocate the first five minutes of the call to catching up about personal interests or hobbies or taking turns to share quick updates. These small yet impactful interactions go a long way in creating a feeling of belonging and \u201cbreaking the ice\u201d before diving into business.<\/p>\n

Take a Moment to Pause<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the reasons some parties don\u2019t engage is that they are not left an opening to share their thoughts without interrupting. A good rule of thumb for engaging \u2018the quiet ones\u2019 and<\/em> combatting unconscious biases is to involve all parties by soliciting feedback, asking them for their opinions, and periodically pausing for input.<\/p>\n

Circulate a Meeting Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n

For larger meetings, it\u2019s not realistic nor completely necessary to hear from everyone on the line. However, some people might have ideas or clarifying questions that they either didn\u2019t get a chance to ask during the call or didn\u2019t have the nerve to speak up in front of so many people. Not to mention introverted types might still be processing information long after the call is over. For instances such as these, consider proactively soliciting engagement by circulating a meeting summary with something along the lines of, \u201cIf anyone has insights on any of the topics discussed please let me know, I\u2019d love to hear from you.\u201d<\/p>\n

REMOTE CULTURE BUILT FOR THE LONG HAUL<\/h4>\n

Building a remote culture of trust and engagement will require more effort than it did in the office. Leaders that are serious about creating or maintaining a vibrant and collaborative working environment will need to spearhead the unworking of bad habits within their organization and pay extra attention to communication patterns during virtual meetings. With a little extra work and some great Poly technology<\/span><\/a> to keep your workforce connected, organizations can unlock the full potential of their team\u2019s collective thinking and create a thriving virtual culture where everyone feels welcomed and valuable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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