An instant Wall Street Journal Bestseller
The definitive guide to communicating and connecting in a hybrid world.
Email replies that show up a week later. Video chats full of "oops sorry no you go" and "can you hear me?!" Ambiguous text-messages. Weird punctuation you can't make heads or tails of. Is it any wonder communication takes us so much time and effort to figure out? How did we lose our innate capacity to understand each other?
Humans rely on body language to connect and build trust, but with most of our communication happening from behind a screen, traditional body language signals are no longer visible — or are they? In Digital Body Language, Erica Dhawan, a go-to thought leader on collaboration and a passionate communication junkie, combines cutting edge research with engaging storytelling to decode the new signals and cues that have replaced traditional body language across genders, generations, and culture. In real life, we lean in, uncross our arms, smile, nod and make eye contact to show we listen and care. Online, reading carefully is the new listening. Writing clearly is the new empathy. And a phone or video call is worth a thousand emails.
Digital Body Language will turn your daily misunderstandings into a set of collectively understood laws that foster connection, no matter the distance. Dhawan investigates a wide array of exchanges—from large conferences and video meetings to daily emails, texts, IMs, and conference calls—and offers insights and solutions to build trust and clarity to anyone in our ever changing world.
Digital Body Language
How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance
by Erica Dhawan
ebook
1 of 1 copy available
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
May 11, 2021 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781250246530
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781250246530
- File size: 6682 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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April 1, 2021
The volume of email to be answered and the number of virtual communication channels to be monitored in today's working world are seemingly ever-increasing. The importance of communicating effectively in all of these spaces is now as important as doing so in person (if not more so). Dhawan (Get Big Things Done) seeks to help readers correctly decipher others' signals and project their own so that they are not misunderstood. In addition to explaining what this means and why it's useful, Dhawan details her four rules for communication--value visibly, communicate carefully, collaborate confidently, trust totally--and points out the ways in which differences of gender, generational group, or culture can influence communication. Some of the advice might not be appropriate for every workplace or profession (e.g., her suggestion to use all caps and multiple exclamation points to communicate urgency), but much of the content will be broadly applicable, in the vein of Thomas Zweifel's Communicate or Die and Kerry Patterson's Crucial Conversations. VERDICT Written in an approachable style, and organized such that readers can pick and choose sections that apply to their situation, this will be a useful resource for anyone who struggles with online communication.--Sara Holder, Univ. of Illinois Libs., Champaign
Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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April 1, 2021
Dhawan (Get Big Things Done, 2015), founder and CEO of collaboration-consulting group Cotential, offers this timely book on digital body language and creative ways to foster inclusion and belonging in digital communications in the workplace. Due to COVID-19, many people are working from home and are remotely engaging with their colleagues frequently. But in an online environment, tone, social cues, and body language can be difficult to interpret. How do we ""build greater trust, connection, and authenticity, allowing us to communicate better and build stronger relationships"" in the workplace? Dhawan shares examples from psychology to provide helpful anecdotes and ways to decode various communication cultures today. The book is a quick read, and many of its lessons can be applied immediately. The Digital Body Language Guidebook appendix is a helpful resource for reflecting on the questions and adopting steps and strategies to enhance one's communication approaches. Readers interested in workplace culture and communication skills will find this fascinating, helpful, and engaging.COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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