Non-verbal communication in virtual contexts
Reading Comprehension.
Non-verbal communication and its elements such as facial expression,
gestures, posture, eye-contact, dressing code are most often attributed to in-person
meetings. Unfortunately, since the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic forced the
vast majority of the population to move their business activities online,
including video conferencing, staff meetings and webinars, people soon noticed
that meetings conducted so far in-person were easier if not more effective than
the virtual ones. Out of the blue people needed to navigate in the virtual
world driven mostly by intuition or lack of understanding, not to mention
acknowledging the rules governing online communication. Soon it became obvious
that non-verbal communication in the virtual world is as much important as the
message conveyed during the meeting. It influences both perception and
delivery, pushing a meeting to the high levels of professionalism and
competence, helps keeping people more engaged and less distracted by the
surrounding stumuli. The question is though which aspects of non-verbal
communication should be prioritized during a virtual meeting. Take a look at
the listing below to find the most useful tips for effective online meetings.