Do you find yourself using emojis, GIFs and other electronic symbols in your writing more than you used to? Do you love them or hate them? Have you ever sent an emoji or GIF and it didn’t mean what you thought it meant? (Eggplants mean what?) Like it or not, the way we communicate is undergoing a change. Pros and cons of written communication You are part of an evolution in … [Read more...]
Two Sides to the Work Flexibility Coin
by Kevin Eikenberry Recently LinkedIn was abuzz about a post from Carly Martinetti, the co-founder of PR firm Notably, as she announced the organization would not be instituting a Return to Office policy. There is plenty to cheer about and agree with in this post. And as a remote leader of a largely remote team who has written, coached, trained, and spoken widely on … [Read more...]
The Meeting that Could Have Been an Email
I’ve been researching and writing on virtual meetings for almost twenty years. I’ve heard a lot of complaints, but the one that most amuses is, “I just sat through another meeting that could have been an email.” Sure, it’s funny and looks great on a coffee mug. And we have so many meetings it might be lovely to have alternatives to yet another hour spent staring into a webcam … [Read more...]
Put it in Writing: The New Generation Gap?
For the first time in human history, two-thirds of our daily work communication and a growing amount of our interpersonal and social communication is being done in writing. Texts, e-mails, and collaboration tools are asynchronous and ubiquitous. How you respond to this probably depends on how old you are. Is this good news, since electronic text can cover time, space and … [Read more...]
Just Sending Messages Doesn’t Work
Have you ever wondered why it’s so hard to get a message through to your remote and hybrid team members? “I told them.” “I put it in an email last week.” “I know this meeting could have been an email. But nobody reads the darned emails! Then we have to have the meeting anyway.” It can be frustrating when you spend time delivering a message, only to feel like … [Read more...]