Impression Management on Video
Impression management is a core component of what we aim to teach at Virtual Sapiens. The way we have designed both in-call nudges and post-call insights is around the various ways in which your audience can perceive you based on your nonverbal behaviors. The three main perception themes are: Perceived Trustworthiness Authority Impression Energy and Expression Perceived Trustworthiness Conveying trustworthiness is one of the most important elements of impactful communication. After all, if someone doesn’t trust you, it’s unlikely they will listen or allow themselves to be influenced by you. According to Dr. Abbie Maroño, Advisor at Virtual Sapiens: “Judgements of trustworthiness are one of the first judgments we make about a person, this is highly automatic and unconscious. We make these judgments in less than a second of seeing a person’s face, and before any verbal interaction has taken place. Judgements of trustworthiness are also made prior to any judgment of confidence, competence, or likability, so as important as these judgements are, we should first focus on how we can appear trustworthy”. Your Sidekick has been designed to help you exhibit markers of trust from a nonverbal communication perspective. This translates to the following metrics: Expression of emotion (Facial expressions and active listening cues) Eye gaze (screen) Hand gestures Check out the video below from Dr. Abbie Marono, on why it is imperative to be aware of, and to develop these markers of trust, from the very first moment and onwards. https://youtu.be/ZUGXrLcKK10 Authority Impression When it comes to Authority Impression, we focus on: Posture Active eye gaze Face Touching Check out the video below on the specific nudges that fall under the category of Authority Impression, and how you can begin to think about leveraging these nonverbal cues to have the effect you want as a professional on video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr6iqwtCIgQ Energy and Expression The third communication theme at play in the Sidekick is Energy and Expression. This is a category that is very much centered on two things: Alignment between intention and expression Variation in dynamics Engaging meetings all have these two things in common. Whether in-person or virtual, when the speaker(s) is expressing themself congruently with a clearly established intention, the results are much more impactful. Similarly, an engaging speaker understands how to emphasize different points in a given presentation, or discussion with different facial expressions, hand gestures, postures and certain vocal cues. Your Virtual Sapiens Sidekick pays special attention to the perceived energy and expression levels you are generating on any given call. This translates to the following metrics: Facial expression dynamics Posture Face touching (emphasis on head in hand posture) Hand gestures Check out the video below for more on how you can think about ensuring your presence is supported by aligned energy and expression. https://youtu.be/c-jlAQILmO4 Keep in mind, these same nonverbal cues apply for in-person conversations as well! Particularly given the new ‘Power Skills’ for leadership and C-Suite positions as defined by Harvard Business Review, the Sidekick is here to provide the crucial feedback towards unlocking your professional superhero qualities. Having a Sidekick at your disposal is key to always be improving.
The C-Suite Skills That Matter Most
Looking at trends in C-Suite position searches and the most relevant skills, it is refreshing to see a shift towards ‘social skills’. As defined in this recent article by Harvard Business Review: “When we refer to “social skills,” we mean certain specific capabilities, including a high level of self-awareness, the ability to listen and communicate well, a facility for working with different types of people and groups, and what psychologists call “theory of mind”—the capacity to infer how others are thinking and feeling.” The topic of self-awareness is of particular interest to us at Virtual Sapiens as it is one of the first things our users notice improving while using our in-call Sidekick for feedback on their virtual presence. Self-awareness is developed through feedback. Getting feedback consistently, especially in a virtual environment, is a gap in many professionals’ continued development. Given these are the skills that are increasingly being attributed to strong leadership and C-suite positions, tools that provide quality feedback with a focus on communication must be leveraged. Read the full article on HBR here.