Leadership Communications In The Digital Age

Using digital communications for good

The growth of digital communication has been changing the way modern leaders manage their teams for several years. By their far-reaching, visible nature, digital channels such as social media allow for more transparent messaging and provide a platform for more open feedback. You can now manage and influence your team effectively from anywhere in the world.

Moving to a more open style of leadership communication can be positive for psychological safety, fostering a speak-up culture and boosting employee engagement, however it also comes with its challenges.

This year, Gallup research found that 20% of global employees experience loneliness at work, with this figure increasing to 25% amongst remote employees. Effective and efficient communication from leaders has a key role to play in reducing this statistic and increasing a sense of wellbeing amongst employees. Quality two-way communication is important to feeling good about yourself at work, no matter who you are or where you work.   

Virtual tools, apps and software are continuously pushing the boundaries of traditional leadership communication. What you say and how you say it will always be an important consideration. But at the same time, leaders are having to adapt and learn to effectively communicate with in-house, remote and hybrid teams.

In this guide we will cover:

• How digital comms has changed the way leaders communicate

• The impact of social media and virtual tools

• Choosing the right platform for your message

• Strategies for effective communication

• Inclusivity and accessibility of communications

• How sustainable are digital channels?

• Developing your approach to digital communications

The impact of social media on leadership communications

Using social media, instant messaging and chat for team communications means your team can easily get in touch with you, and each other. These accessible, always-on channels allow employees to send messages instantly and receive an immediate response.

Social media has challenged leaders to adapt their leadership style and become more open and collaborative in their approach. Social platforms enabled us to lead remote teams and keep in touch during a global pandemic. Leaders had to find new ways to motivate and engage teams using online and virtual platforms. Let’s face it, before the pandemic very few of us had experienced an online pub quiz!

Measurement and engagement

Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of using social media internally is the immediate feedback it provides. By monitoring post engagement and measuring interest, leaders can quickly assess whether their messages are landing in the way they intended.

The importance of social media policy

Our new, always-on, communications culture has strengthened the need for clear policy and procedures around social media use at work. Employees need to understand how social media is intended to be used within teams and for wider business messaging. They also require clear guidance on what is, and is not, appropriate for them to share about their work life on social media.

Internal policy should also set rules to allow every employee time to switch off. No-one has to be available all the time. Leaders need to set their own boundaries around responding to comments and instant messages and allowing your team to do the same.

The impact of virtual tools on leadership communications

Virtual tools are essential for leaders who manage remote and hybrid teams. Cloud-based collaboration tools and project management software allow every team member to be involved and be clear on current priorities and performance. They can also mean your team is often one step ahead of you!

The use of virtual tools places significant importance on trust in work culture. Leaders with limited face-to-face interaction must trust their team, empower them to take responsibility and get on with their roles. Employees must reciprocate by committing to being present, completing their work, and responding as required.

What do we mean by virtual tools?

Virtual tools include email, video conferencing platforms such as Zoom, Teams and Google Meet, project management software such as Slack, Trello and Asana, and collaborative tools like virtual whiteboards for sharing ideas. Most platforms come with some form of inbuilt messaging and notifications that have to be managed. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the volume of communications, so as a leader you must be clear about use and expectations.

There are clear management challenges when deploying virtual tools:

• Time zones - getting a remote together across multiple time zones.

• Reading body language - virtual spaces are less personal and make it difficult to interpret how a person is feeling.

• Technical difficulties - connecting is harder if a colleague has a poor wifi connection, a lack of technical knowledge, or doesn’t have the right equipment.

• Managing meetings - ensuring every employee has an opportunity to contribute and people do not talk over each other. 

As a people manager you not only have to change your style of leadership to suit the platform, you must find ways to resolve these challenges and coach and support your team from afar.

Choosing the right platform for your message

Clear communication from leaders is essential for embedding strategic messages, sharing your organisation’s vision and values, influencing work priorities, and guiding and motivating your team. With so many channels to choose from, it’s important to select the right platform for your message. Choose the wrong channel and you could come across as insensitive, uncaring, or even aggressive.   

The best place to start when considering how to land your message is who are you talking to? Team, manager and board level communications will likely require you to use different methods of contact. The table below should help you choose the channel that best suits your communication goals and style.

Channel                                  Best for...

Email                                       Formal, detailed messages

Chat                                         Quick, informal updates

Video call                                 Team meetings, interactive and sensitive conversations

Social media                            Building team relationships

Internal newsletter                  People-focused business updates

Infographics                            Simplifying complex statistics and strategic messages

Despite having so many different new comms channels to choose from, there’s still a place for human contact in business. Phone calls and face-to-face meetings allow a manager to read body language and get an understanding of how an employee is really feeling. We are more likely to express our true feelings in a one-to-one situation. A handwritten note or thank you card is also much more powerful way to recognise strong performance than an impersonal ecard. 

The channel should reflect the nature and importance of your message

Take care when selecting the platform to maximise the impact of your message. If you think your team will have questions, choose an in-person or video conversation over instant chat. Sensitive, emotive subjects such as performance reviews, disciplinary hearings or managing conflict are more effective in person, where possible. Likewise, if you need to have a tough conversation, pick up the phone instead of hiding behind an email!

Strategies for effective communication

Every organisation wants to make the most of their investment in digital platforms. Providing effective training is one way to make sure you are using them to their fullest. Creating a consistent rhythm for business communications is another way to maximise impact. With so many digital tools at your disposal, regular, clear and consistent use will help you to get the most out of them.

Here are some pointers to help you become a more effective digital communicator:

1. Communicate to your team. Explain which channel is to be used and for what purpose.

2. Timing. Be consistent with 121s, team meetings and informal catch-ups. It’s easy to let other work take priority over team communications. The most engaged teams benefit from regular communication from their manager.

3. Set boundaries. This is not just about send and response times. Be clear if it is acceptable for someone to report sickness via text message or if the correct process is to call you in person.

4. Ensure tools are not abused. Beware of communication overload. Every employee has the right to a good work-life balance - including you! There are only so many messages we can take in at one time.

5. Listen to feedback. Ask how each team member prefers to be contacted and be open to adapting your communication style to meet the needs of your team.

6. Find ways to keep it personal. Balance online conversations with in person and video catch-ups. Remember to adapt the tone and style of your message to suit the channel and context.

7. Be open to new forms of communication. Do you know your emoticons from your emojis, or the difference between a meme and a gif? All are brilliant informal ways to express emotions and build connections with your team - in an informal context.

8. Know when to be professional. Recognise when you may need to use more formal channels and use polite and respectful language to show professionalism.

Inclusivity and accessibility in communication

It’s not only the challenges of remote workers that leaders need to be aware of. Your team may have a diverse range of needs in terms of both creating and consuming content. While some team members might be fluent in using digital platforms, others might struggle to get used to new technology. Be aware of varying perceptions of, and capabilities in using, digital channels. To build trust and bring everyone on the journey with you, you might need to build a convincing argument for the use of new channels within your team. Share your vision and expectations around use whilst being respectful and supportive of other’s opinions.

Are your communications accessible?

Accessibility is key to communicating effectively. Providing fair access to training is the first step towards this. Developing skills within your team will ensure everyone feels happy and competent using new digital platforms. We all learn at different speeds and take time to leave old habits behind. Allow your team time to get used to new ways of communicating. This might mean you having to send reminders, be patient, or signpost new ways to find information several times for the message to land.

Are your communications inclusive?

To ensure your comms are inclusive, leaders need to listen to every voice and opinion. Listening and acting on feedback will ensure every individual’s needs are met and every team member can thrive and fulfil their potential.

Part of the listening process is to consider individual needs and preferences around the format of information. Do your people require information in large print or Braille? Would they benefit from screen-reader software, coloured paper or screen backgrounds? If you don’t already know, the only way to find out is to ask your team.

How sustainable are your communications?

Environment

From an environmental perspective, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that moving communications online equates to a smaller carbon footprint. After all, digital channels mean a reduction in travel, post, meetings and events. But don’t forget that digital and cloud-based platforms are powered by electricity and electronic devices are also difficult to recycle. In fact, Greenpeace estimates that by 2025 the IT sector could consume 20% of the world’s total electricity.

As a leader, it’s important to reinforce this message with your team and encourage them to be mindful of your organisation’s environmental impact. Switching off could be better for us all in more than one way. What can you do as a team to reduce your carbon footprint and be more eco-friendly?

Social

From a people perspective, taking your communications online can make them more efficient, accessible and help to streamline the messages people receive. Since the pandemic, we’ve become more aware of the benefits of digital communication, but just how sustainable is it for people to work and communicate remotely long-term? Mental health and wellbeing must continue to be a top priority for leaders who manage remote and hybrid teams. Never pass up an opportunity to get people together in person. 

Governance

There are clear risks to using online and cloud-based communication tools, which organisations must seek to mitigate. Investing in strong cybersecurity measures to protect your data and ensure its safe storage is paramount, as is setting out expectations around employee use of social media and digital platforms. 

Developing your approach to digital communications

With new ways to communicate emerging as we write, leaders need to stay agile to avoid being left behind. These days you need to understand what an emoji means as much as how to interpret a strategic message. Investing in your own continuous learning and development is the only way to keep up and stay in control.

Embracing digital channels can strengthen the way you communicate with different audiences. Understanding how and when to use each channel will ensure what you want to say has impact and is not lost in the maze of digital messages.

Question every message before you share it - Who is it for? What do they want to know? Why should they read it? What is the most appropriate channel?

Listen - Ask for feedback on what’s working well and not so well. Is the volume of communication right? Could less frequent comms be more impactful?

Respect team boundaries and maintain your own

Be disciplined - Be clear what your team can expect from you and what you need from them so there is no ambiguity or excuse for not being present, e.g. weekly team meetings will always take place on Teams at 10am every Monday.

Be yourself - Your team will appreciate and trust you most when you are honest and human, not trying to be someone you are not.

Looking to enhance your communication skills?

If you would like to expand your leadership skills and become a more effective communicator, ask us about our programme of learning events, workshops and experiences. Popular themes include how to have more confident conversations, techniques for effective communication and collaboration in virtual environments, and leveraging technology and digital platforms. Contact us here

If you would like to discuss any of the issues covered in this ebook, or require extra HR support, get in touch with our team of professionals today. We’re here to help. Call us on 0161 941 2426 or email p3advice@p3pm.co.uk