How Virtual Intelligence can nurture a digital workplace culture
Working remotely can have a huge impact on an organisation’s culture – so it’s vital to develop the skills and behaviours to keep colleagues connected in a digital environment. It’s all about boosting our VQ.
A cup of tea almost ruined everything.
We’d built up some great engagement in our client’s virtual workshop. It buzzed with positivity and shared optimism. And it all fell apart within seconds as Stefan in Basingstoke sat back, smiled, and took a sip from his ‘World’s Best Account Manager’ mug.
That’s because the mug had belonged to Donna in Inverness. It was a birthday gift from her colleagues in the Basingstoke office, just before the first pandemic lockdown in April 2020. And it was nowhere to be found when she’d packed up her things, ready to work from home for the foreseeable future.
Since then, Donna had moved up north and continued working remotely. Stefan, meanwhile, was one of many new joiners in the company and worked in the office – making good use of Donna’s missing mug.
‘Hey, look, it’s just a mug,’ Stefan protested, as an upset Donna challenged him.
But it was more than just a mug.
It was a symbol of how disconnected Donna now felt from her colleagues and the office. It represented a loss, not just of her gift, but of her status in the workplace community – Stefan hadn’t even known who the world’s best account manager was.
It was clear that in the shift to hybrid working, our client had lost a big chunk of its culture. And holding a ‘paint your own mug’ workshop over Zoom was not going to be enough to heal the rift.
The role of VQ in internal comms
Our client had high emotional intelligence – also known as emotional quotient, or EQ. But they had lost sight of the disconnection that remote working can bring, and the skills and behaviours people need to work together effectively through digital channels.
They needed to boost their VQ – or Virtual Intelligence.
Before remote working began, the company had a strong workplace culture, with excellent teamwork and a sense of community. Employees still did their work. Met their targets. Generated profit. So the impact of the remote environment on the business’s culture just slipped under the radar.
This meant we had a new challenge.
How could internal communications encourage VQ among colleagues? How could it drive the right kind of behaviours to nurture connection through the remote workplace – while supercharging productivity, collaboration and creativity too?
The VQ model for workplace culture
We put to work a model created and based on Virtual Intelligence.
It’s practical and action based, so the ideas can be applied in the way that works best for a particular organisation and its people.
And it’s very user-friendly! No jargon, no complexity – just straightforward talking, listening, and learning.
At the heart of the model sit three themes. These are the foundations of VQ, which must be in place for any organisation that wants its employees to smash it out of the park in a virtual working world:
- Know your stuff
- Adopt the actions
- Trust is everything
Let’s take a look at each of these themes in turn, focusing on how we can bring them to life through internal comms.
With each theme we’ll include a sample set of conversation starters – statements that will help you measure your VQ. They’ll draw out potential barriers to connection and collaboration.
And as poll questions or surveys, they’ll provide a baseline you can use to track the effectiveness of your efforts.
Theme 1: Know your stuff
At the heart of any hybrid-first organisation is a great digital ecosystem. One that has all the tools to replicate in-person interactions.
Stepping into a new digital ecosystem is like moving to a new city. Only there are no house numbers or street names to help you find your way. Most organisations have a raft of digital tools, platforms and channels that support people to do their jobs effectively.
But unless employees know the tools are there, what they’re there for, and how to use them, all these virtual goodies are pretty pointless – not to mention a waste of subscription fees.
So here’s how you can find out whether the apps are earning their keep: ask colleagues to rate statements such as the following:
- We’re kept well informed and updated about all the digital tools and channels available to us.
- We have access to all the training we need to use our digital tools and platforms effectively.
- It’s clear which channel or tool to use for a specific communication, action or task.
How can internal comms ensure you know your stuff?
Internal communicators are perfectly placed to inform, educate and signpost, when it comes to the virtual workplace.
When we welcome a new starter into an office space, the first thing we typically do is give them a tour of the building. Show them what’s where, who’s who, and how things are done. From the system of personal fridge space, to who makes the best brew and where the stationery cupboard is.
(Stefan in Basingstoke at least knew where the best-loved mugs had been hidden since Donna left the office.)
What tools do we use?
In a digital environment, the equivalent to this is a helicopter view of all the tools, platforms and channels you have available, with a guide to what to use, why and when. Digital ecosystems evolve quickly, so this needs to be something dynamic and easily updateable. Otherwise it’ll be out of date before you hit ‘send’.
Why do we use them?
Be clear about the benefits of each, and how they fit together. Give examples that illustrate why a particular platform or tool adds value over another.
For instance, showing your colleagues which channel is used, for what purpose and why, makes navigating them so much easier for everyone. Perhaps emails are for company-wide announcements, the intranet for business updates, and Workplace or Viva Engage for people-related posts.
Promote active knowledge
Encourage consistent use of the less-common tools, such as Loom or Mural for collaboration. This means people can grow familiar with them and crack on, rather than trying to fathom out how to use them each time.
Our brains are designed to store and encode memories by strengthening the synapses – or connections – between networks of neurons. When neurons frequently communicate, their connections strengthen, forming a neural circuit that represents the memory. So running through the digital tools during induction won’t be enough if they’re not in daily use.
To keep those synapses linked up, keep reminding people what’s available, set up sessions that use them, and make them part of working life.
Keep learning and talking
It’s also worth signposting where colleagues can find training to hone their skills in using digital toolkits. Create forums for sharing tips and tricks – and keep an open discussion around what’s potentially missing from the digital ecosystem.
Theme 2: Adopt the actions
We all have different ways of working. Different preferences, needs and habits.
It’s important to accommodate a variety of methods for ‘getting stuff done’ – but trying to include every individual option, across all our working relationships, can be confusing and chaotic.
It’s much simpler and smoother to have ways of working that are clear enough for everyone to stick to – and which make just enough allowances for difference choices.
For example, you might decide that internal meetings happen only between the hours of 10am and 4pm. Or we use email only for client communications or business-wide announcements. This consistency creates more harmony – and fewer headaches.
To gauge how well that’s going, ask colleagues to rate statements such as these:
- We have clear and consistent ways of working for our virtual workspace.
- We honour our agreed ways of working when interacting virtually.
- We are aware of other people’s time and needs in the digital environment.
How can internal comms ensure you adopt the actions?
As internal communicators, we’re in the privileged position of being able to influence behaviours. We can lead the discussion around expectations, and show how values guide virtual working etiquette.
Establishing healthy habits helps everyone. The way we behave in the virtual environment has a direct effect on those around us – often more so than when we’re together in the office.
It might sound contradictory – after all, someone sitting right next to you can be far more distracting than someone you can’t see or hear. But that’s the point – if you can’t see or hear someone, you’ve no idea if they’re busy, available, or working on that deliverable you absolutely must have before the day’s out.
There are two significant things we can do to bring ‘adopt the actions’ to life via internal communication: Make the invisible, visible and be courteous.
Make the invisible, visible
In the virtual working world, colleagues don’t know if you’re sitting at your desk, grabbing a brew, briefly answering the door, or away for three hours. So keep your status and diary bang up to speed with what your plans are.
For example, a colleague’s status declaring ‘gone for lunch, back in 45 minutes’ isn’t much use if you need some quick input on an urgent project. Making it ‘back at 1.30pm’ tells you whether to wait or ask someone else.
Put a face to the name
Next up – avatars. Your representative in the digital ecosystem. Make sure it works for you and your colleagues. A 20-year-old portrait isn’t going to help a colleague you’ve only met once in a fleeting virtual meeting know whether they’re messaging the right person. Likewise, you work hard to build your brand internally. Will a photo of you living it up in Ibiza send off the right vibe? If it will, then go for it, because your avatar should be an authentic and useful signpost.
More than just a voice
And finally, when you’re on a call, make sure people know to put their cameras on. This isn’t about checking up on others. It’s about building trust and connections that fuel collaboration and trust. No one enjoys talking to a blank screen, wondering what’s going on at the other end – and it’s even harder to read body language when that language is cloaked in darkness.
When everyone’s visible, accountable and present in this way it shows respect for each other. And keeps the wheels of productivity running much more effectively.
Be courteous
Here’s the second aspect to this part of the model.
We found common courtesy became one of the most important virtues in our remote working environment when we made the switch during lockdown.
We learnt the value of being consciously aware of others’ needs. Such as preferences around meeting times to accommodate other life commitments – avoiding school run times for parents with young children being a great example.
Turn up to meetings on time or let people know in advance if you’ll be late. Schedule gaps between meetings so people can take a comfort break.
And minimise background disruptions where possible. Some find a clattering café background great for white noise – but it can be distracting for others.
Respect the flex
Another big one for us is around respecting downtime. Like a lot of organisations, we embrace flexible working. Which means we have our early birds and our night owls. Someone trying to relax on an evening does not want a barrage of questions from a colleague who’s just hit their peak work zone.
Again, simple communication is key to nailing the etiquette.
Talk about what matters
What does courtesy look like in your organisation? Ask your people. Encourage them to be open with each other. And make sure it’s all communicated effectively.
It’ll help everyone enjoy a more respectful and harmonious virtual environment that really brings out their best.
Theme 3: Trust is everything
Bonding with teammates is the not-so-secret formula to great collaboration, and it’s all based on trust.
There are two types of trust that matter. One is relational trust, built through respectful interactions that make people feel valued. And the other is competence-based trust, or the belief that someone has the ability to do a task and do it well.
Trust is one of the areas hit hardest by remote working. Traditionally, we build trust by spending time together, and not necessarily around work-related tasks. We form social bonds through verbal and non-verbal communication, conveying understanding, empathy and shared concern.
This is trickier to achieve through a screen as we lose the depth of interaction and the cues that come from in-person exchanges.
Take that surprise on-screen appearance of your long-lost cherished mug in the hands of some guy you’ve never met. In a physical setting, you’ll know your colleague, you might have seen him innocently pick up the mug from the office kitchen – and you’ll have the benefit of nonverbal cues to help you understand that Stefan means no harm in using it.
So, to get a feel for how trust is established, ask colleagues to rate these statements:
- We invest time in getting to know each other personally.
- I feel connected to my colleagues and part of the team.
- I trust my colleagues to do what they say they’re going to do and do it well.
How can internal comms help you nurture relational trust?
Building relational trust is much harder in the virtual environment – for starters, there’s less opportunity to shoot the breeze about non-work-related topics.
Most meetings are arranged with a specific work outcome in mind. And often, online calls are between just a couple of people, making it more difficult to enjoy ad-hoc chats with multiple people bouncing off each other at the same time.
That’s why it’s critical to nurture an environment that encourages social interaction. That means giving people permission to get together virtually for the simple, yet super-important, act of building relationships.
Internal communications can show the way with this culture. Use a conversational tone and avoid cold, corporate language. Inject people stories that go beyond the workplace. Explicitly encourage and create moments for people to get together and bond.
Remember to include ways for everyone to interact and respond to communications. It can be as simple as quick polls in team meetings, inviting thoughts and opinions to emails or posts, or creating virtual activities that stimulate interaction and discussion.
That ability to participate can make a huge difference to remote workers who feel disconnected.
Think also about creating opportunities for people to come together in a virtual setting for more relaxed purposes – perhaps cooking together or sharing favourite books.
In our agency we’ve formed a community of people around physical activity.
We share and celebrate the moments we take time away from our laptops to walk the dog, climb a bouldering wall, make a mad dash for the school run, or do a spot of gardening. Through this we’ve had a glimpse into each other’s lives behind the work curtain.
And it’s strengthened our sense of personal connection immensely.
And how can internal comms help with competence-based trust?
Working remotely involves a lot of ‘doing the do’ away from each other.
You gather to agree what everyone’s going off to do, but then you put your faith in the fact it will get done… and done well. Your own contribution included.
Building this trust comes with positive experience. And individuals can take steps towards creating this sense of trust by always doing what they say they’re going to do. Making sure it’s done on time, and to a high standard. By being responsive with communications – if there’s not enough time to respond properly, an acknowledgement that the message has been received takes the weight of worry off the mind of the sender.
But internal communicators can help enhance this across the organisation, too. By shining a spotlight on the achievements of teams and individuals. And celebrating people’s contributions.
Listen carefully to what people are saying and demonstrate that you’ve heard and understood it by acting on it or playing it back.
Find ways to stimulate the exchange of expertise, ideas and knowledge between people in different teams and locations. You could use Viva Engage or Workplace as a channel to support this.
And show what it means to take pride in your work and have high standards by setting the example in communications.
Measurement time
How do your internal comms efforts measure up in terms of developing your Virtual Intelligence?
This is where the conversation prompts come back into play. For each theme, they give you feedback to shape the way you build VQ among your colleagues – areas to focus on, issues to tackle, ideas to pursue.
And once you’ve spent a month, three months, or six months doing that – ask colleagues to rate the same statements again.
Is there a difference? What’s improved – and what needs adjusting?
It’s a great way to track not only the success of your work in building VQ, but also how people feel about the results. Because that’s what it’s all about.
The VQ Culture Model in full
Clearing the path to a great virtual workplace
As internal communicators we’re in an incredibly privileged position to be able to enhance Virtual Intelligence, as it all comes down to great communication.
The result? Powerful outcomes that benefit everyone in the organisation.
- We remove the kind of barriers that typically hamper productivity, creativity and collaboration.
- We contribute to creating the ideal conditions that make up a pro-hybrid environment. One that considers the needs of remote workers as much as those who work together in person.
- And by investing in VQ and proving our ability to work successfully together in a virtual world, we can help unleash and celebrate the possibilities of hybrid working.
Through effective internal communication, we can support everyone to be up to speed with the tools they need, so we really know our stuff.
We can role-model consistent and clear ways of working, and adopt the actions that symbolise a healthy culture.
And we can nurture an environment where everyone feels connected and able to rely on each other – because trust is everything.
And if someone shows up on a call with a colleague’s lost property, the connection we’ve all developed means it won’t be a problem.
Enjoy your brew, Stefan.
Insights and Resources
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