In the coming months, many of us will be working from home and avoiding large group gatherings, so, face-to-face meetings will be replaced with the on-line variety....
Given the current health warnings, our working patterns are changing. It is a frightening time but it is also an opportunity: meetings, lectures and networking events are being cancelled and there is the possibility that we may have that wonderful luxury of time on our hands: time to think, to develop ideas and, of course, time to improve.
This is as an opportunity: to reflect, to learn new skills and explore other ways of working. So, over the coming weeks, we plan to offer you food for thought and some ideas that you might like to follow up.
Here is our first offering...
Having a presence in online meetings
We all know that nothing beats being there in person and that it is a challenge to communicate effectively using digital media but, while face-to-face meetings are not an option, now is a good moment to think about finessing your on-line communication skills.
Personal presence is a significant factor in your ability to communicate and it is even harder to calibrate when your audience is not in the room with you; it takes a conscious effort to project self-confidence, clarity and inspiration through a screen. There are simple things that can help in terms of the physical setup, including lighting, sound, the backdrop not to mention the effectiveness of the internet connection but perhaps one of the key things is how you perform on other people's screens.
This is where we can help: getting you to think about your unconscious habits - your body language and posture, your voice, your breathing, your listening ability - how you appear at the end of a camera lens. The good news is that as with any skill, it is possible to improve. So, we are offering one-to-one coaching focusing specifically on mind, body and voice to help you learn how to maximise your impact when working remotely.
It goes without saying that the skills learnt will be just as valuable when you get back to having face-to-face meetings in the months to come.
The training is packaged into four one-hour live sessions with a trainer which can be done remotely. Your sessions will be run by James Healy, a facilitator and communications skills coach with over 20 years' experience of helping people develop their communication and negotiating skills. He has worked with a wide variety of global businesses, the not-for-profit and the public sectors. Through Colander he has worked with architects, drawing on his experiences from a wide range of industries, including construction, pharmaceuticals, the motor industry and banking.
To find out more please email Alex: alex@colander.co.uk
