I want you to say this phrase aloud for me. “No worries. It’s fine.”
How did you say it? Was it authentic and cheerful? How do you imagine I meant for it to be heard? Am I angry? Am I smiling? It’s tough to know, right?
Let’s add more context. We’re remote coworkers, in different time zones, working on our first project together. We’ve messaged back and forth all day going over needed changes. It’s the end of the day for you, so you send a message saying you can’t make the edits until tomorrow as you need to log off and pick up your kid. I respond with, “No worries. It’s fine.”
Even with the extra context, can you be sure of what I mean by that? Is it dismissive or passive aggressive? Is there anger? Maybe I’m trying to establish a connection by showing empathy and expressing that of course family comes first. Maybe I’m frustrated that you’re not getting me information right away. Maybe you feel a sense of responsibility because we’ve conditioned ourselves to treat getting a message with an intense sense of urgency.
So why do we leave so much of our work communication to text when it’s hard to decipher, creates a constant sense of urgency, and doesn’t allow us to fully express ourselves? There is a more effective way. We’re going to discuss some of the key advantages to using video messaging rather than text, especially when engaging with a remote team.
Tone
If you think the example at the start wouldn’t be a problem for you, you’d be able to identify the tone, studies indicate that’s not the case. According to a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, participants accurately identified the tone of a text-based message approximately 56% of the time. (American Psychological Association) We’d do almost as well by flipping a coin.
We won’t ever be completely certain of the tone of a text-based message. With video messaging, the ambiguity is gone. We can hear the sender’s tone of voice. We can see their smile or scowl. The way they chuckle, take on a serious tone, narrow their eyes, shake their head, and every other verbal and non-verbal cue is on full display. This additional context increases our chances of understanding and being understood.
Flexibility
So many of our teams are spread out across multiple time zones and countries. Video calls are great, but it can be a challenge to find a spot on everyone’s crowded calendars to have everyone participate live. Video messaging leaps that hurdle by providing the flexibility to engage with communication when it is best for you. Record a quick video walk-through of a project and send it out to your team. They can comment on the video at specific time stamps so it’s always clear what their comment is regarding. Maybe when you sent the message at 10am, it was the end of the workday for other members of your team. They can watch when it’s best for them and provide feedback with a fresh set of eyes. Start, stop, and rewatch as needed to make sure the key points are understood. Pause and jot down notes without fear of missing something. Team members can record their own responses so there’s no confusion in their feedback.
Personal connection
As our teams have become more spread out, working across countries and time zones, creating a sense of comradery and cohesion requires different techniques. Video messaging plays a crucial role in establishing a personal connection with your team. In a 2021 study aimed at determining whether calling or texting was better for building and maintaining connection, the lead author of the study summed up the findings by saying “…people form significantly stronger bonds when they’re talking on the phone than when communicating over email.” (Amit Kumar, Greater Good Magazine). If the only way your team is communicating is via messages and emails, you’re missing out on deeper and more meaningful connection and understanding. Video messaging gives us the key piece of hearing another person’s voice and adds the benefit of seeing their face, allowing for non-verbal cues and deeper expressions to be shared.
We all communicate through the lens of our own unique experiences and points of view. We strive to be as clear as possible, but there is always going to be a disconnect, however small, between what we say and what people hear. Video messaging helps us increase the chances of being understood and allows us to make and maintain a stronger connection with the people on the other end.
Citations:
Greater Good Magazine https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/should_you_call_or_text_science_weighs_in
American Psychological Association https://www.apa.org/monitor/feb06/egos
