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Thank You,

Dustin Dale

We all have probably been here before with my dear friend sharing words of funny thoughts.

Is virtual that bad? Might be. It also might not be! The difference? The leader of the meeting.

Working remotely is now engrained into our workplace environments, yet many companies need help understanding the difference between leading from an in-person perspective and a remote perspective.

In this edition, I will share key strategies for embracing a better experience if your team or company works remotely.

I want to share briefly that "anything" we do in life only works when we apply our best effort and attitude.

#1 Your energy matters!

Most people prefer to avoid boring presentations or speakers, and often, people become disengaged quickly. Virtual meetings are no different!

Now, I am not suggesting you jump on the call and begin to scream or get super loud, but I am suggesting that the leader of that meeting "check" their energy before going live. It starts with your introduction.

When I coach with a senior leader who leads virtual meetings- I observe first, take notes, and then create a new strategy for improvement.

I'd like to share with you the first note I often observe.

• Your stern face when everyone comes on is not inviting.

Some people are early for zooms, some are right on time, and some are late, including the person leading the meeting. How you appear in the first 10 seconds of that call can make an impact.

One of the worst behaviors noticed from virtual calls is the person leading the meeting whose face looks and reads, "This meeting is a burden," the reality is that it is probably not the truth, but what is perceived is the reality of those on the call.

Check your energy. As the leader, you will transfer what you bring to the call. So, bring positive energy and an upbeat tone and speech pattern.

#2 Please avoid the "alrighty team" and "Okay folks, let's get this show going." ....

This one might be tough to avoid because it's so ingrained into our vocabulary.

Challenge- please drop all the jargon you've heard in the comments when it comes time to "rally the troops" to start the meeting. I'll pick my favorite one, and that person will receive something special!

Our words make all the difference; nothing brings the energy down more than corporate jargon!

"Let's start this adventure team," "Let's rally our troops," "Can everyone see my screen," etc.

We have heard them all, and we don't miss a beat, skipping over and registering them when we listen.

So, the big question. How do we start the meeting then?

One way to help get the meeting going is to set the expectations in the invite and make them funny—don't be afraid.

Here is an example I gave to a senior director who wanted to improve how they started their meetings.

In the invite, we crafted this message.

"Hey team, next Tuesday we will have our weekly meeting at 8 am. To avoid the painful process of you all having to hear me go through my "flight check" to start the meeting of "Can you hear me?" "Can you see me?" "Who are we waiting on?" and so forth ha-ha. I'll start the meeting at 8 am, and if you run into issues- please send a group message or private message to me."

Guess what happened? Their team loved this, and some team members responded with caps, "YES!" and "This was hilarious."

Now, what was the point of me having this director do this? It brought a different energy before the meeting even started! This type of meeting was where this leader could have fun with the invite and do something new. Doing something new can be the most minor change that creates the most significant impact!

I think your communication matters long before you jump on the call.

#3 One to one check-ins.

Only some meetings will be group meetings; especially with remote teams, one-to-one check-ins are critical.

A leader or leader of the call must possess the ability to engage in a one-to-one with energy and a perspective of enthusiasm/curiosity.

Most one-to-one meetings begin with, "Hey, how has your day been so far?" The response is usually, "It's going good," and the response to that is, "Awesome, I'm glad it's going good."

Again, think about energy and different questions to begin with that break away from the typical day-to-day grind.

Try these instead:

Hey... if you had a choice- endless money or endless time? Why?

Hey... if you could do anything and couldn't fail- what would that be?

Hey... What's the most incredible idea you've ever thought about? Was it an invention or something new?

Hey... Reece Cups or Kit-Kats?

Hey... Would you rather be the fastest runner on earth or the strongest? Or what about another superpower?

Whatever question you choose, the point is to realize that just asking a question can immediately engage the creative segments of our neurochemistry and that neuro change can shift our focus and engagement into a peak state or more engaged state.

This shift can help someone's energy during a virtual conversation. As the leader, you will also build a better relationship with your remote team because you learn about their thought patterns/processes and who they are as people.

Don't be afraid to do something different!

There you have it for today's edition. Again, the right time and place will make these three tips effective, and you will know when it's the right time and the right place to implement these strategies.

Make sure that the same energy and focus are put into virtual meetings as in-person ones!

Are you interested in taking your leadership development to the next level?

• Work directly with Dustin Dale through his elite leadership coaching program. Here is your direct invite to begin with a free intro call: Beyond the Horizon Consulting (bth.consulting)
• Interested in enrolling your leaders into a group coaching program? Then take advantage of Dustin's elite leadership group coaching program by locking your free intro call here: Beyond the Horizon Consulting (bth.consulting)

Also, don't miss out on grabbing your copies of Dustin's bestselling leadership series of books and the brand-new workbook!

Book Links:

Learn to Lead by Serving; The Workbook! https://a.co/d/h2ahnFG

Learn to Lead by Serving: https://a.co/d/dsgJQFj

Learn to Lead by Serving 2: https://a.co/d/isIeTRR