How can you coach leaders to improve their communication skills in a remote work environment?

To coach leaders in enhancing their communication skills within a remote work setting, we should emphasize on clear and frequent communication. Encouraging them to set expectations and provide regular updates to their teams fosters transparency and alignment. Additionally, we should emphasize on active listening, ensuring leaders understand their team's needs and concerns. Incorporating various communication channels like video calls, emails, and instant messaging helps adapt to different communication styles and preferences. Also suggest for empathetic communication, considering the unique challenges remote work poses for each team member. Through constructive feedback, leaders can improve their effectiveness in remote communication

Keeping the lines of communication open is a practical way to improve communication and build trust between managers and their remote employees. Clear and consistent communication between manager and remote employees increase the bond between them. By increasing the bond, employees become more engaged with their jobs. Once the employees realise that they can easily reach their boss, they can freely discuss their queries or challenges with their boss or even lodge complaints about something that is not okay, will make them feel they are valued, considered to be part of the company and that their opinion and contributions matter.

I find it helps if they can identify role models from their own life who they think communicate well in these situations. I ask them to analyse what it is they are doing that works and then try replicating those behaviours.

For remote communication one of the biggest gaps I’ve observed is the lack of white boarding use at the executive level when the situation warrants it. I recommend leaders categorize upcoming engagements in order to match them with the best communication medium. - Category and matching examples: Sell an idea, status updates = slides Ideate, collaborate = white-boarding Gain alignment, de-mystify = break out rooms, structured white-boarding When they do this it usually becomes apparent there’s an over reliance on slides and narration.

I tend to use these - Role play in the here and now - Give them assignments and hear their account of it including any emotional triggers - Work with cognitive models but also work with their emotional and relational models and patterns from their past. This is important to unlearn what is not helpful

I often ask my coachees to prepare two short presentations one on a topic they feel at ease talking about and the other on something less familiar and then we try to role play both having different audiences or forums in mind: Present to the C-level Present to peers Present to graduates and interns Etc And then try to analysis what went well and was harder and why. This way you can help your client uncover certain triggers/ insecurities and coach them around those, as well as identify key strengths and effective patterns to focus on

One thing I’ve found helpful after the self-assessments and 360 feedback is to -Observe them in an engagement with their team and provide feedback afterward - Model better communication patterns for them by offering to facilitate a team event with them observing, followed by an immediate debrief on what they saw that they’d find helpful - Have them practice in a low stakes setting to build confidence

Online coaching is a valuable resource for enhancing competencies in the digital environment. How so? At its core, coaching revolves around the relationship between client and coach, effective communication, and working towards specific objectives. It embodies a collaborative, professional partnership – true teamwork! This is precisely what makes online coaching an ideal real-time learning ground for remote collaboration: How do I come across through the screen? How can I express my thoughts clearly? Which tools are best suited for different stages of the process? In online coaching, you practice and enhance your communication skills in scenarios similar to your everyday work experiences – all while focusing on your coaching objectives!