Change Masters Incorporated - The Blog
World class coaching delivered around the world™
A very short time ago, most medicine was practiced 95% face to face – now 90% of primary care clinics are using telemedicine.
That’s the same experience we’ve had – it’s why Change Masters has pivoted to a fully remote coaching experience. It’s working so well and helps us to bring clients to a new level of remote executive presence!
Being fluid is what has kept us in business for 33 years!
Executive presence tip – Carol Keers
A survey by Twin City Business Magazine confirmed what our clients have been sharing about working at home and returning to the office. The nature of the work highly impacts the effectiveness of working from home. Some feel they are more productive at home and they save the commute time. Others feel hampered from doing their work when they are not in the office or work setting.
Most leaders do not see ever returning to what was status quo office environments a few months ago. The investment in collaborative open offices changes the options available for return. Fortunately, many people prefer working at home at least some of the time. Open spaces allow the distribution of those who are in the office.
A mix of office and remote work can also ease the adjustment to the pandemic. Allowing social distancing with fewer people in the office makes adjustment more realistic. Closing kitchens and limiting elevator access is a bigger challenge for most.
Creativity is at it’s best when there are large challenges. We will look back at this time and say, “Remember when most of used to worked in offices all the time and …”
Humans make so many assessments based on facial recognition. Knowing if someone is happy or angry goes back to self-preservation at some level. In regular communication, we each give off many micro-communications that impact meaning and trust.
If you look at our book, “Seeing Yourself as Others Do – Authentic Executive Presence …,” it is built on those subtle messages that give meaning.
At the most basic level, we all can better understand what someone is saying by reading their lips. Those who are hard-of-hearing rely on seeing the mouth even more.
All of a sudden, this vital form of ongoing communication is covered up by a protective mask. Many stores have put up protective plexiglass windows to allow the cashiers to function with a lower danger of contamination. Sterilization is everywhere. Families are visiting loved ones in senior living locations by talking through a window. We are all adapting.
Effective communication becomes even more critical to make up for these missing cues. Giving context to the content is more important.
“Zoom” went from oblivion to a household word for “Videoconferencing.” School children are conferencing with teachers, friends are meeting remotely over a beverage of choice, and working from home is the norm for many, many people. My principal strategic technologist reported that school teachers have done a fantastic job of learning how to use the same technology that they avoided before.
I have been an advocate for the power of remote video for over a decade. In a matter of months, it has become a standard tool for most business people. I’m sad it took a pandemic to for adoption. I do believe it will be one of the benefits gained from adversity.
The coaching we do at Change Masters requires seeing facial communication in both directions. Coaching wearing a mask does not work. Fortunately, a quality videoconference provides a close to in-person experience without the need to wear a mask.
Our experience with teaching remote executive presence had intersected with today’s technology to make one-on-one coaching a powerful tool over video. Plus, the time and cost of travel eliminated. The experience allows our clients to learn even more about how to be productive remotely. Building the skills needed for the decade ahead is now easier than it has ever been. We can go there together.
Change Masters has been working remotely for over two decades. We have been coaching globally over videoconference for over a decade. We also teach others how to have executive presence on a videoconference.
We provide a remote group coaching workshop called, “Having A 3-D Presence On A Flat Screen“. It is all about the power of showing remote executive presence. We deliver the workshop remotely.
The remote workshop works well for up to seven people located globally. The preparation includes three hours of engaging video showing the best Change Masters remote communication concepts.
One example included participants from five continents. They all sent in video recordings (using their smartphones) of themselves giving an influence message. In the workshop, we spent three hours playing back those video recordings and coaching the participants on how to improve their impact and presence. It was a great success! Here’s what they told us after the event:
Having remote executive presence has never been more necessary! Change Masters delivers high-quality remote individual coaching to make that happen. We coached one of our Mattel clients in Hong Kong via videoconference. One big realization he reported was, “I did not realize how my non-verbal messages were visible. I thought I was covering up my frustration and it was not true. Learning how to better manage my impact is very valuable.”
Executive presence is an important skill in-person and on videoconference. We like to say “we wrote the book on executive presence“. We also have extensive experience with remote executive presence coaching using videoconferencing with a global clientele.