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OPTIMIZING VIRTUAL COMMUNICATION

Alan Anderson • Apr 18, 2024

CONTROL OR AGENCY

We all know that there is much that we cannot control, yet we don’t necessarily live like we believe this reality. And while this may sound like some old school notion or that I have never heard of “The 4-Hour Workweek”, “Designing Your Life”, or “The Achievement Habit” (all of which I have read and learned much from). I am talking about something even bigger.

For instance…


  • You did not choose to be born (not to mention when or where nor who’s family system you’re apart of)
  • You do not control the innate strengths and blind spots you have
  • You do not control what people think, feel, or say, for that matter
  • You do not control how people look at the world (whether through a fixed or growth mindset)
  • You do not control the weather
  • You do not control time


And while I could go on and on, by the very fact that you were born, regardless of when or where or to whom, or who you are, you have a great deal of agency.

a·gen·cy /ˈājənsē/  noun: 1. a person or thing through which power is exerted or an end is achieved 2. action or intervention, especially such as to produce a particular effect

Agency to have a good attitude. Agency to practice personal accountability. Agency to play the hand you’re dealt, versus complaining about the cards in your hand.


You may not control everything, but you can live intentionally and impact the majority of your experiences.


EFFICACY

Since you don’t have control of everything, you certainly must still understand that you have a great deal of power to lead, and or to learn to lead well! Essentially, there are three stages to leading yourself and others well. They are very simple and effective.

In everything that you do, plan to:


  • ORGANIZE
  • PRIORITIZE
  • EXECUTE


I will write more on these stages in the near future and why they are tried and true (as in actually battle-tested), but for today’s purposes, I want to take a figurative "hard-right" to share this leadership framework specifically overlaying or integrating it into our "new normal" of virtual leadership and communication. This is now specifically aimed at those of you leading or facilitating virtual meetings.


OPTIMIZING VIRTUAL MEETINGS

We have partnered with Shelby Burford of Marketplace Storytelling to make this as practically applicable for you and your team as possible. Below is a downloadable One-Pager that encapsulates these steps. (Please feel free to pass along to your team, friends, or colleagues.)

You will be well served to note each of the step-by-step sub-points to the 9 steps for optimizing virtual meetings. However, I’ll share the areas that you have agency over right now:


  1. Creating eye contact actually means looking directly into the camera when speaking
  2. Lighting is key (Remember, it was “lights, camera, action”)
  3. Your camera should be eye-level
  4. Clarify ALL details ahead of time
  5. Establish the best structure for your meeting
  6. Prepare to follow through on your plan
  7. Roll out, in other words, GO
  8. We’re all human and must keep that top of mind so we can adapt and give grace
  9. Follow up, a virtual meeting should not be the last word



DOWNLOADABLE ONE PAGER


At Shandel Group, our aim is simple. We want to help you gain the clarity needed to increase the likelihood that you can go out and win. Winning looks different for all of us, so however you intend to add value and serve others excellently, we want to support you in that process.


There will be more resources like this to come, just remember, lean into your agency.


And, if you or someone on your team needs a quick reminder as to the results of not intentionally planning your virtual meetings, check this 45-second clip out (of which the last 5 seconds are priceless).


YOU’LL BE HIGHLY DISCIPLINED TO:


ORGANIZE.


PRIORITIZE.


AND EXECUTE.


Pulling for you,



Alan Andersen

TAKE THE TIME TO INVEST IN YOURSELF BY INVESTING IN OTHERS

By Shandel Sutherland • 21 Apr, 2024
3-MINUTE READ As a leader, what are you missing that would help you achieve “the next level'? Chances are it is a person. Even more likely it is a person who is in the next room or down the hall from you at this very moment! Yet, we sit stressed and maxed out as they sit underutilized and bored. They desire meaning, mentoring and challenge, while we desire initiative and productivity. Still, both parties sit in their comfortable and familiar rut. This is a very poor utilization of assets and leaves huge profits on the table. THE ART OF INVESTING Think of your time as you would your money. A wise person thinks in a long-term manner about their money and how to spend and/or invest it for the greatest ROI (return on investment.) Consider the focus, time, and energy you devote to making, saving, and investing money for a specifically defined purpose. Now, that is exactly how you need to approach the time you invest in the people in your sphere of influence; and it is an art. A skill that must be learned and then uniquely applied according to each individual who can share in accomplishing the goal. STEPS ON INVESTING IN OTHERS 1. You must have clarity about what you are trying to accomplish. What outcomes you want to focus on and why does it matter? Is the vision compelling enough to get others involved and want to share in the ownership? 2. Focus on the few things only you and you alone can do. What are the unique strengths that you bring to the vision that no one else possesses on the team? What are the other things or tasks you are currently doing (and yes, we know you can do them well) but others could do just as good if not better? Make a list and identify the ones that steal the most time. 3. Find people that have the strengths and abilities to do the tasks you have identified. Before you approach them, work through all the fears you have about delegating, letting go, and giving up control. You may need your coach for this portion. 4. Connect with the person you would like to delegate your tasks to and make sure you have plenty of time to talk it out and get buy-in. Share your vision and your goal of investing in the person's professional and personal growth by passing on these specific tasks. Press for push back, find all the holes together, make sure you have healthy conflict to vet out all their fears and share your concerns as well. 5. Train the person on how you currently do the task. A: Show/tell them how to do it. B: Do it with them. C: Observe them as they do it for you. D: Coach them as they do it without you. E: Trust them as they do it alone. F: Check in often and create space for continuous improvement. You have just invested in one of your people and they are feeling empowered and trusted. Equally as important, you have just opened up a huge amount of time to operate in your strength and talent which you alone do best. It is now time to do it again and again until you are only operating in your strengths! What do you think about investing in yourself by investing in others? Your Coach,  Shandel Sutherland

HOW'S YOUR TEAMWORK?

By Shandel Sutherland • 21 Apr, 2024
3-MINUTE READ Teamwork is a method that aligns employee mindsets in a cooperative and usually selfless manner towards a specific business purpose. Today there is no business or organization that doesn’t talk about the need for and value of teamwork in the workplace. Some things cannot be accomplished by people working individually. Larger, more ambitious goals usually require that people work together with others. Because of this, teamwork is a desired goal of many businesses and organizations today. People who have well developed teamwork skills easily form relationships with mutual respect among diverse types of people. They understand the strengths and weaknesses of others and place a high priority on the success of their department and/or organization. People with strong skills in teamwork support team decisions and share responsibility with team members for successes and failures. How do you develop your own skills in Teamwork? • Show respect for all other people and display sincere interest in them as individuals. • Work on improving or enhancing your communication skills. • Give positive feedback as often as possible. • If you have a difficult relationship with someone, work to improve it through self-awareness and respect for differences. • Be enthusiastic about your ideas but don’t be overbearing or domineering when you express them. Try not to interrupt other people and listen to their ideas carefully before you disagree. • Discuss your ideas with your teammates until you agree. • Be willing to step back from a disagreement and cooperate. • Teach yourself not to be defensive. Think of negative feedback as opportunities for improvement, not personal affronts. • Be tolerant of others. Recognize that others’ viewpoints are as important to them as yours are to you! Self-observation Ask someone you trust to help you identify times when you come across as overbearing, domineering or intolerant of others. Keep a log of your behavior over the next month or so. Then, try to answer the following questions as you look at your notes: • Are there patterns to your actions? What are they? • Do you interrupt often in meetings or conversations? Do you interrupt certain people more often than others? • Are you particularly sensitive or domineering on certain topics or with certain people? • How does your behavior make those people feel and/or react? If you discover you would like to build your teamwork skills or the skills of your team, we would be glad to be part of the process. Your Coach,  Shandel
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