How AI and Humans Interact – Amplification…or Replacement?
At a recent documentary film festival, AI was a big topic of conversation. While a lot of uncertainty exists around exactly how AI will continue to evolve and interact with humans, a few specific questions are on everyone’s minds… In this week’s Ask Me Anything, Dr. Marono and I take a slightly deeper dive into the following question: Could AI Replace Humans in Relationship Driven Roles? The answers are nuanced, taking to light where we are with the technology today, where we aren’t yet, and also, where we might go. While it’s easier to see how AI could replace certain more technical or content oriented tasks, it is even scarier to consider how AI might grow into more relationship driven tasks, which require a much higher level of accuracy, understanding of context and idiosyncratic/interpersonal dynamics. Already we see conversational AI being applied to chat bots that are increasingly personalized and human-like. In some cases, as seen with Replika AI users and with the Human-like robot, Sophia, the future doesn’t seem so far off. Check our conversation out and let us know what you think about the future of AI and human interaction! https://youtu.be/1eIrCl5t3KU
AMA: How AI Can Be Used To Coach Body Language
AI is slinging insights left and right – but almost all of the insights are based on what is being said. We have a fresh new series of Ask Me Anything videos with myself and Dr. Marono. In our first video of this series, we are digging into how AI and body language/behavioral communication interact from a coaching perspective. For us at Virtual Sapiens, we are extremely focused on the ‘why’ behind the insights our AI reveals. The need to be clear about the ‘so what’ has never been more important. Whether the AI is picking up on what is being said, or how, the coaching application means this AI will likely end up influencing the way we behave. The only way to do this well, is if we understand how different behaviors influence ourselves, and our audiences. Similarly, supporting insights backed by real science empower the user with education around why they should even care. Check out this short video explaining how AI can be applied to provide coaching and feedback on your body language and nonverbals, and what we keep in mind at Virtual Sapiens. (BONUS! I also mention the difference between AI and Machine Learning…for the nerdier bunch out there 😊 ) https://youtu.be/rcRi4mxcLu0 Try some AI body language coaching out for free. Start with our Assessment Free Trial.
How To Use AI As A Coach – Sales Hacker Guest Post
Over the past couple of months, the increasing presence and applications of AI have sent many minds for a spin. Many professionals I have spoken with are desperately trying to understand the connection between AI and human interaction. For some, this new technology can feel especially threatening. For others, it can feel incredibly exciting, unlocking whole new worlds of possibility. At Virtual Sapiens, we believe there is magic to be had when AI and humans interact, working together each with their strengths, to overcome certain weaknesses. One application of AI highlights this possibility quite clearly – and that is in using AI as an aid to coach at scale. I teamed up with Sales Hacker, a dynamic community with over 60,000 sales professionals, to dig a little deeper into the ‘how’ of using AI as a coach, from a sellers and sales manager’s perspective. Imagine the power of using AI as a tool, not to replace sales professionals and sales managers, but to support them in the ongoing need for personalized coaching and feedback, delivered consistently and without bias, across sales teams. Now that is 🤯 🤯 🤯 Check out the full scope here. ***And yes, that image was created by Dall-E 😜***
New Study Backs The Power of Nonverbals on Video
More research is being done everyday to support greater efficiency in our new world of work. As we know intuitively, communication is at the core of any successful business. Whether this communication is happening in person, over video, or a combination of both, a clear understanding of how to communicate effectively is essential. Business Insider released a new study led by BetterUp’s Lead Scientist, Andrew Reece. This study goes into a deep dive of the platform’s 1:1 coaching conversations, all happening over video, studying the impact of different nonverbals (both body language and vocal) during video calls. Our work at Virtual Sapiens is built on the shoulders of behavioral science, anthropology and the increasing amount of new research that focuses specifically on interactions over video. One finding from this study jumped out at me immediately, and it revolves around ‘active listening’. This includes nods, head shakes, head tilts. It includes various changes in emotion and expressivity as well as certain vocal bursts (mhmm, ahs, ohs etc.). Our focus on the back and forth elements of conversation set us apart from other AI coaches which bias towards the behaviors of the user as active speaker only. On video, vocal bursts can be hard to pick up on since the audio typically focuses on the primary speaker. Our body language on the other hand, is on display consistently. This means it is a powerful way to build trust, rapport, and likeability on video: “Better-rated conversationalists nodded “yes” 4% more often and shook their heads “no” 3% more often. They were not “merely cheerful listeners who nod supportively,” the researchers note, but were instead making “judicious use of nonverbal negations.” Translation: An honest and well-timed no will score you more points than an insincere yes. Good conversationalists are those who appear more engaged in what their partners are saying.“ This study also found no evidence to support the assumptions that people dislike zoom itself. We also believe this to be true. When people understand the skills required to be an engaging conversationalist and speaker on video, this channel can be energizing and help people feel more connected. This stands true when you think about past video calls that were energizing, that left you feeling excited and more connected. If video calls were de facto as exhausting as some people assume, we certainly wouldn’t continue to invest in this space and certainly more of us would be back in the office, and traveling around to meet everyone in person. In conclusion, our work at Virtual Sapiens continues to become more and more relevant as we move away from the trauma of the Pandemic, and further into a renewed world of work. One wherein we are fluent as communicators both in person, and over video. Leveraging each channel for what they are strongest at – with the overall goal of building a more connected and efficient world. Get started now with a free assessment!
Why Your Height Doesn’t Matter On Video
Height is often one of the first things we pick up on when meeting someone in person for the first time. Historically, height has often been associated with higher levels of power (which we can see influencing the wearing of heels or platforms for both men and women throughout history). In fact, even in recent years, some leaders go so far as having a painful surgery to increase their leg length to acquire more height. Today however, it is not uncommon to meet someone in person, only after you have already formed an initial impression of them virtually. In many ways, video can be a great equalizer in professional meetings. Everyone gets the same ‘square’ of visual real estate, no one sits at the ‘head of the table’ and since we can adjust the lens to frame ourselves fully whether we are on the shorter or taller side, our actual height becomes irrelevant on video. Now – while height itself is not a factor on video, framing is. And the way we frame ourselves matters significantly. When you think about your virtual setup, consider the following aspects: Lens height (at eye level) Lens distance (not too far and not too close) Lens alignment (ensuring your head is in the upper third of the lens, not in the middle) The way you frame yourself can place you at an advantage visually, or at a disadvantage. It is critical to get your framing right. There are many times when I’ve met someone in person who is taller than they make themselves seem on video. And there are times when I’ve met someone in person who is considerably smaller than I would have anticipated. While it is always a powerful thing to eventually meet someone in person, there are SERIOUS benefits to developing an initial relationship over video. There is a lot that rests within your control, and as we know, first impressions matter a lot. Take 5 minutes to run through one of our free assessments to see what areas of virtual presence you might be able to improve during your next virtual introduction – and pay special attention to your framing!
The Economist Picks Up On Virtual Presence
At Virtual Sapiens, we spend a lot of time demonstrating the value and power in investing in your team’s (and your own) virtual presence awareness and skills. The Economist recently came out with with an article focused on ‘Virtual/Screen Presence’ as a competitive advantage in the modern workplace. It is indicative of people starting to understand this critical new competency that there is an article dedicated to it in an outlet like The Economist. This article has a paywall, but the gist can be summed up in this quote from the article: “Since video has become more central to work, it pays to be good at it. Being a star in the video age means having the right set-up, speaking well and listening well. Workers can improve under their own steam, but companies can help, too.” One important point to highlight here, is the emphasis on companies doing their part to invest in supporting their employees in developing a new skill set around communicating effectively on video. Currently, there are a number of assumptions floating around that really get in the way of powerful remote work practices and expectations. For instance, assuming ‘people are experts on video now’, or ‘everyone is used to and feels comfortable on video now’… In addition to these assumptions, there is an absence of clear and well thought out policies for how to use video, and when. Not to mention, there is a tendency to view certain coaching in this space as a ‘nice to have’ instead of a ‘need to have’. In line with all communication and sales training firms that have evolved to meet the challenge of remote work, it is imperative to invest in building skills and awareness around communicating and connecting over video. We’ve said it before, and I will say it again, the companies and teams who recognize this, and who invest either in person-to-person coaching, or some of the leading AI tools in this space (like yours truly), will find themselves at a significant advantage as masters of the virtual room. ‘Today’ is always a good time to take a look at what’s on offer – we start with a free trial to assess the current skill level, and provide personalized coaching options to get everyone the feedback and reinforcement they need. Check in with us or try yours for yourself today – don’t wait until you get left behind!
Why Being Told to ‘Smile More’ Is Missing The Point
It is incredibly hard to give and receive feedback when it comes to facial expressions. This is because facial expressions are one of the most personal aspects of the way we express and communicate with others. Too often, people are told to smile more, or bigger. At its worst, this kind of surface feedback might create a very fake, almost creepy smile that doesn’t reach the eyes, or it can significantly disconnect the speaker from how they really feel in the moment, and create an over reliance on a cheery disposition, even at times when it is not appropriate. At Virtual Sapiens, we are very thoughtful about how we provide feedback on facial expressions. For us, it isn’t about counting how many times you smile. Instead, we have designed algorithms that monitor changes in facial expressions. Our goal is to help you develop awareness around what you are expressing with your face, and when, and to avoid moments of ‘frozen face’ (or…RBF – you can google that one for yourself). Our analysis is based on variance in facial expressions. This way, we can help you build dynamic muscle memory around keeping your face engaged and varying in expression that you decide is appropriate to the context at hand. You can always see how this works for yourself by giving our assessment a free trial! Check out the short video below that dives into the real power of facial expression variation as a true indicator of engagement and communication skill. https://youtu.be/s8ufCkHDZKc
Top 25 Future of Work Blogs
In a recent conversation with a prospect, I was told: “I can tell you that every fintech company is looking at how to use video. (…) There is a ton of activity in this space so if you can tailor your value prop to this it could become compelling.” What this statement brings to light, is every company’s mad dash towards figuring out what on earth tomorrow will look like, let alone the next 5-10 years. While the entry of ChatGPT onto the market has taken much of the focus and energy (and rightly so given it’s exciting, and terrifying, presence), there are many other trends to keep a sharp eye on. In particular: The way people connect and communicate, the use of video not only in live video conferencing, but in asynchronous, marketing and sales efforts. The balance of remote/hybrid work and how to build culture effectively The constant evolution of demographics and how recruiting can keep up On our blog, we focus on the evolution of communication, the intersection between humans and AI and of course, the use of video as core to the future of work. We are proud to have been selected as one of the top 25 Future of Work blogs to follow along with other top names in the space. Check out the others here and let us know what future of work questions are on your mind!
The Real ROI and Power of Posture
Posture is one of the very first metrics we developed at Virtual Sapiens. With our assessment and in-call Sidekick tools, our AI can tell if you are slouched forwards, backwards, or off to one side. The main reason we started with posture, is that it is a very ‘loud nonverbal cue’ AND our required use of computers, tablets and iPhones’ have dramatically increased poor posture and ‘Tech Neck’. Whether you like it or not, your posture is always sending a message. Developing awareness around moments when your posture droops or falls can be a significant advantage in terms of controlling the impression you send to others. Intuitively we know that good posture is supportive of (and thus associated with) better health and longevity. Research also links posture with confidence, both in the signals we project to others, and also in the way our posture affects the way we feel about ourselves. Recently, additional studies have been added that further support the relationship between posture and a felt-sense of confidence. In this study, we see that our posture affects our own self-evaluation. With participants reporting more confident and positive self-evaluations when writing with upright and open postures, vs. more negative self-evaluations with closed off/stopping postures. In this study, we saw participants who typically under-performed or experienced high anxiety/stress during math tests, performed significantly better when they applied themselves in an open and upright posture vs. closed and stopped. We understand the links between felt-senses of confidence and the confidence we project. This is particularly critical for professionals who have to perform under pressure, who have to show up and pitch clients on value and trustworthiness etc. Understanding the power of posture both as a critical support of our physical and mental health, allows us to see the immense value of this seemingly simple nonverbal. There are two things that are active barriers to improve posture: 🖥 Our reliance on screens for hours and hours in a day, actively draws our head forward, thus instigating the foundations of poor posture.🧎🏻 Rewiring ages old habits, requires frequent and consistent reminders, ideally in the actual moment of stopped posture itself. While it would be wonderful to have colleagues and friends around us to poke and prode us into good posture, at Virtual Sapiens, we figured having a subtle, private coach in your corner would be more convenient, and effective. Our real-time nudge technology meets professionals where they are, helping them build new muscle memory to support better business outcomes. If you or your team could benefit from a dose of improved posture (which let’s face it, everyone could!), let’s chat.
When Filler Words Can Actually Be Helpful…
Filler words…the trendiest metric most AI tools will measure. But are they really that bad? Wouldn’t it sound robotic if you didn’t using a single ‘um’, ‘ah’ or ‘you know’? Understanding the psychology behind filler words can help us understand why we might want to avoid them for the most part…but also why we might indeed want to use them strategically in certain scenarios. Why We Tend To Use Filler Words In general, we fill pauses, or gaps in sound with ‘filler words’. Instead of pausing, taking a breath, and continuing with real, meaning based words, we say something like ‘um’, ‘uh’, ‘ah’. Instead of finishing a sentence as a statement, we will often add a ‘ya know?’ Why We Want To Avoid Using Filler Words It’s easy to see how vocal expressions like this can really detract from a message delivered with clarity and authority. With these examples in mind, becoming more aware of the types of ‘vocal fluff’ we use and when, is important. Ultimately, we want to have a clean, clear and crisp vocal presence. You can check out our video on the subject here, or below. BUT… https://youtu.be/nAABpkgPKM0 Why We Might WANT To Use Filler Words There are also scenarios in which adding in some filler words can be helpful: 📢 If you are getting interrupted a lot. Maintaining the speaking baton with a well leveraged filler word can help you maintain the vocal floor. 💛 If you are trying to speak more colloquially, to a colleague or a friend, having less than perfect vocal real estate can help people build rapport. It’s for these two reasons that we find filler word counters so tricky. Without knowing the exact context and intention, some filler words sometimes can actually be helpful. This being said, if you are delivering a speech, a recording, a pitch, it is always best to go with the cleanest vocal presence possible. When every word counts, and when pausing can really accentuate authority and confidence – you don’t want to lose expensive real estate to unintentional filler words. What do you think? Try out our Virtual Presence Assessment tool to see how you do in our other nonverbal communication metrics.