Comments on: Can you select a CEO by telephone? http://facilitate.com/blog/index.php/2009/09/can-you-select-a-ceo-by-telephone/ Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:05:58 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Julia Young http://facilitate.com/blog/index.php/2009/09/can-you-select-a-ceo-by-telephone/comment-page-1/#comment-1357 Julia Young Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:52:53 +0000 http://facilitate.com/blog/?p=785#comment-1357 Dan - Thanks for your comment and questions. I think that the lack of eye contact and body language is an interesting one. We have certainly come to rely on visual cues as facilitators and meeting participants – and perhaps we rely on this to the exclusion of other ways of listening. One of the things that I found interesting about the comments from the GSCCC interview committee was how closely they were listening to what each candidate was saying. By taking away the visual component their listening skills seemed to be heightened. Comments from the committee were concerned with the tone, energy and specific details of what each interviewee said. So my sense is that while we might initially miss the visual cues we are used to there are many other equally effective ways in which we can tune in. I would actually go one step further and say that visual technology can sometimes get in the way. Unless done well video cams and slide presentations and online chat tools distract from the conversation - both talking and listening - rather than add to it. Done well a good video presentation just like a front-of-room presentation can help keep our attention as we listen to a speaker. However, if I am only seeing them sitting at their desk, staring at their screen with a bad angle of the top of their head, I would rather turn the camera off! Regarding techniques to overcome the loss of visual cues I would say the first thing is to be aware that they are missing. Just by asking the question you have raised the awareness that we need to listen in a different way - that gets us half way there. Another key for me is doing away with unnecessary visuals, especially technology ones. Our computer screens tend to be very distracting as they contain email and chat and our last project and... Distributing a handout ahead of time by email and asking people to have a copy at hand can be simple and less distracting. It also, by the way, allows people to take notes as they listen. Another technique that I use is to move away from my desk to a comfy chair and simply listen to the call. Sometimes I even close my eyes. This way I am closely attuned to the tone of people's voices and the content of what they are saying. I also generally keep my phone OFF mute so that I can jump in with a question or comment in the normal course of the conversation. This also prevents the temptation to hide behind the mute button and start multi-tasking. Finally I try to pay close attention to my own level of attention to the meeting. If I am distracted there is usually a reason. I smile at catching myself out and refocus. If the meeting is not going well then I may choose to intervene. Taking responsibility for my own level of participation is important whether I am a participant or the facilitator. Would love to hear some of your ideas too... – Julia Young, Facilitate.com Dan – Thanks for your comment and questions. I think that the lack of eye contact and body language is an interesting one. We have certainly come to rely on visual cues as facilitators and meeting participants – and perhaps we rely on this to the exclusion of other ways of listening. One of the things that I found interesting about the comments from the GSCCC interview committee was how closely they were listening to what each candidate was saying. By taking away the visual component their listening skills seemed to be heightened. Comments from the committee were concerned with the tone, energy and specific details of what each interviewee said.

So my sense is that while we might initially miss the visual cues we are used to there are many other equally effective ways in which we can tune in. I would actually go one step further and say that visual technology can sometimes get in the way. Unless done well video cams and slide presentations and online chat tools distract from the conversation – both talking and listening – rather than add to it. Done well a good video presentation just like a front-of-room presentation can help keep our attention as we listen to a speaker. However, if I am only seeing them sitting at their desk, staring at their screen with a bad angle of the top of their head, I would rather turn the camera off!

Regarding techniques to overcome the loss of visual cues I would say the first thing is to be aware that they are missing. Just by asking the question you have raised the awareness that we need to listen in a different way – that gets us half way there.

Another key for me is doing away with unnecessary visuals, especially technology ones. Our computer screens tend to be very distracting as they contain email and chat and our last project and… Distributing a handout ahead of time by email and asking people to have a copy at hand can be simple and less distracting. It also, by the way, allows people to take notes as they listen.

Another technique that I use is to move away from my desk to a comfy chair and simply listen to the call. Sometimes I even close my eyes. This way I am closely attuned to the tone of people’s voices and the content of what they are saying. I also generally keep my phone OFF mute so that I can jump in with a question or comment in the normal course of the conversation. This also prevents the temptation to hide behind the mute button and start multi-tasking.

Finally I try to pay close attention to my own level of attention to the meeting. If I am distracted there is usually a reason. I smile at catching myself out and refocus. If the meeting is not going well then I may choose to intervene. Taking responsibility for my own level of participation is important whether I am a participant or the facilitator.

Would love to hear some of your ideas too… – Julia Young, Facilitate.com

]]> By: Dan Kowalski http://facilitate.com/blog/index.php/2009/09/can-you-select-a-ceo-by-telephone/comment-page-1/#comment-1323 Dan Kowalski Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:36:35 +0000 http://facilitate.com/blog/?p=785#comment-1323 Interesting approach that you took. The one aspect that I find challenging when working via technology (web/telephone)is the lack of eye contact and body language. (Yes, I know that webcams can help although I find that it works best one on one versus multiple cameras.) So, two questions: What is your sense of the impact of missing eye contact and body language? What techniques do you use to accomodate/overcome this? Thanks, Dan Interesting approach that you took. The one aspect that I find challenging when working via technology (web/telephone)is the lack of eye contact and body language. (Yes, I know that webcams can help although I find that it works best one on one versus multiple cameras.) So, two questions: What is your sense of the impact of missing eye contact and body language? What techniques do you use to accomodate/overcome this?

Thanks,

Dan

]]>