You're listening to Business English Pod, the Business English podcast for professionals on the move.
Hello, and welcome back to Business English Pod.
My name's Edwin, and I'll be your host for today's lesson on managing remotely by video conference.
Managers today have to juggle lots of different communication channels, even more so with the rise of remote teams and virtual meetings.
It's not all face-to-face anymore, with so many teams working remotely and video conferencing with apps like Zoom becoming a daily occurrence.
And this means managers need a new set of approaches and skills to manage their teams.
One situation where we see these skills come into play is in virtual meetings and one-on-one chats with your team members.
When you're holding a video conference with a team member, you'll typically start with a bit of small talk before switching to the main topic.
With remote work, people may have more anxiety and, as a manager, part of your job is to relieve that anxiety.
Emotional leadership and building trust may also require you to show vulnerability.
At the same time, supporting your staff will involve outlining very clearly your expectations about communication.
After all, we have so many more options in today's business world.
For example, if you're using Zoom or another video conferencing app, you'll find yourself sending resources through the chat function rather than handing someone a document or sending a link through email.
And as people adapt to new ways of communicating, you will have to give solid technical or logistical advice.
In today's dialogue, we'll listen to a conversation between Heather, a manager in a consulting firm, and her employee, Adam.
Adam is a junior consultant preparing for a meeting with an important client.
Heather is demonstrating her skills in managing her team remotely.
As you listen to the dialogue, try to answer the following questions.
1.
What does Heather say to show her vulnerability?
2.
What expectations does Heather emphasize about communicating with clients?
3.
What bit of technical advice does Heather give Adam?
All right, Adam.
Just going to close my window here.
Raining pretty hard where I am.
Again.
How about there?
Yeah, we had a bit this morning, but looks clear now.
Nice.
We kinda needed it, so I probably shouldn't complain.
Anyway, yeah, I just wanted to touch base.
I know you're gearing up for the meeting with Healthwise, right?
Yes, we're scheduled for Thursday morning at 10.
Did a bit of a walkthrough with Kathy after the weekly check-in and I think we know what we need to do to get ready.
It's just... Just what?
Just feeling pretty nervous, I guess.
These virtual meetings are a different game.
It's not like walking into a room and engaging people face-to-face.
True enough.
I remember my first Zoom meeting.
I didn't know how to mute myself and my kids were going crazy the whole time.
Really embarrassing.
Yeah, well, I guess I'm lucky I don't have that to deal with.
No.
And you're way better with this stuff than the rest of us.
I think you've adapted better than most.
And you're always really prepared, which is the most important thing.
You're going to do great.
And Kathy will have your back.
Sure.
It's just the tech I worry about.
Really throws me off when there are connection issues.
People cutting in and out and all that.
You don't think we could just run this as a teleconference?
I know that might seem easier, but we need to be able to do these things over Zoom.
The video component is important, really helps with the relationship building.
Right, I get that.
Just wish it wasn't so glitchy.
Well, there are ways to reduce that.
In fact, let me just send something through the chat here.
It's a one-pager on optimizing your virtual meetings.
There's some tips there for ensuring a clean connection.
And might not be a bad idea to send it to the people at HealthWise as well.
All right.
Yeah, got it.
I'll give it a read and pass it on to them.
Okay, great.
We can only control what we can control, right?
One more thing I'd suggest, if you don't mind, is nixing that virtual background.
To be honest, it can be a bit distracting.
Just a blank wall would suffice.
Yeah, I was kind of thinking that.
I put it up there and never bothered changing it, but you're right.
I actually find it distracting when other people use them too.
Now let's go through the dialogue again and look at the language and techniques Heather used in her meeting with Adam.
All right, Adam.
Just going to close my window here.
Raining pretty hard where I am.
Again.
How about there?
Yeah, we had a bit this morning, but looks clear now.
Nice.
We kind of needed it, so I probably shouldn't complain.
Anyway, yeah, I just wanted to touch base.
I know you're gearing up for the meeting with HealthWise, right?
At the start of their conversation, Heather makes a bit of small talk about the weather.
Small talk is just conversation about things that aren't very important.
Its purpose is to make people feel socially comfortable.
You don't need a lot of small talk before switching to the main topic.
To do this, Heather uses the word anyway.
Anyway is just a word that says, let's talk about something else.
And she then states the purpose of the call, which is to check in with Adam about his upcoming meeting with Healthwise.
When we switch to the main topic, we often use a transition word like anyway, and then simply state the topic we'd like to discuss.
Let's run through some more examples of this approach.
I know, right?
But anyway, I wanted to talk with you about next week.
Interesting you mention sales, because that's what I'd really like to discuss.
So how is Adam feeling about the upcoming meeting with HealthWise?
Yes, we're scheduled for Thursday morning at 10.
Did a bit of a walkthrough with Kathy after the weekly check-in and I think we know what we need to do to get ready.
It's just...
Just what?
Just feeling pretty nervous, I guess.
These virtual meetings are a different game.
It's not like walking into a room and engaging people face to face.
As you can hear, Adam is feeling uncertain about the meeting.
He knows how to prepare for it, but he doesn't feel 100 comfortable doing a virtual meeting, which is much different from face-to-face or in-person interaction.
How does Heather respond?
True enough.
I remember my first Zoom meeting.
I didn't know how to mute myself, and my kids were going crazy the whole time.
Really embarrassing.
What do you do when an employee expresses a lack of confidence or uncertainty?
Well, if you want the person to take your advice, you need to build trust.
And one great way to do that is to show vulnerability.
That is, to share your own weaknesses and challenges.
Heather shows vulnerability by talking about a time when she didn't know how to use the meeting software properly.
And she mentions how embarrassing it was that her children were interrupting.
Many 21st century business leaders talk about how important it is to show vulnerability in this way.
So let's practice some more examples.
I have to admit I was really scared when I first started working here too.
I've made some pretty stupid mistakes in my time.
I know I'm not a perfect leader and I've still got a lot to learn.
You know, I don't think I know half as much about this as my staff.
Now that she has shown vulnerability, what does Heather do next?
Well, I guess I'm lucky I don't have that to deal with.
No.
And you're way better with this stuff than the rest of us.
I think you've adapted better than most.
And you're always really prepared, which is the most important thing.
You're going to do great.
And Kathy will have your back.
When we work remotely, we don't always get ongoing feedback on our work.
And for that reason managers find themselves spending time reassuring their staff and building their confidence.
How does Heather do this with Adam?
Heather tries to reduce Adam's anxiety by telling him how good he is at his job and reassuring him that his colleague Kathy has his back or will support him.
In this way, Heather is building Adam's confidence prior to his big meeting.
What are some other ways we can reduce staff anxiety?
Let's try some more examples.
I think you're doing really great work in these difficult circumstances.
Your job is 100% safe.
Please don't forget that.
This isn't all up to you.
You've got a whole team of people behind you.
I'm sure you'll give a great presentation, just as you always do.
So does Adam now feel confident about his presentation?
Sure.
It's just the tech I worry about.
Really throws me off when there are connection issues.
People cutting in and out and all that.
You don't think we could just run this as a teleconference?
I know that might seem easier, but we need to be able to do these things over Zoom.
The video component is important, really helps with the relationship building.
In fact, Adam still isn't 100% confident.
His biggest concern is the video conferencing technology, which suffers connection problems from time to time.
But when Adam wonders whether they could do a phone meeting or a teleconference, Heather insists on Zoom.
As a manager, you need to set clear expectations about communication in this way.
Some people will want to do what is easiest or most comfortable, even when it's not the ideal mode of communication.
Setting expectations for communication on virtual teams is especially important.
With the distance between people, failures in communication can lead to isolation, misunderstanding or worse.
Let's practice more ways of outlining expectations about communication.
I'd really like to see regular email updates about this project.
We need to include the whole team on any communication about this issue.
I expect you and Amanda to be honest and upfront with each other.
It's absolutely necessary to attend these weekly video check-ins.
Now let's get back to the dialogue, as Heather offers further support.
Right, I get that.
Just wish it wasn't so glitchy.
Well, there are ways to reduce that.
In fact, let me just send something through the chat here.
It's a one pager on optimizing your virtual meetings.
There's some tips there for ensuring a clean connection, and might not be a bad idea to send it to the people at Healthwise as well.
Part of your job as a manager is to support your staff in learning new skills and knowledge.
You don't have to know how to do everything yourself, but you can always provide them with useful resources.
And in a video conference.
It's easy enough to send documents through the chat or instant messaging function of the software you use.
Adam is concerned about the technology being glitchy or having repeated small problems, so Heather sends him a document through the chat that will help him and the clients avoid those problems.
How else can we let someone know we're passing resources on during a video conference?
Let's run through some examples.
If you look in the chat, you'll see I've passed on the new policy.
Let me just post a link to a blog post about this little issue for you.
Have a look at the document I just sent through the chat, which I think will help.
Heather has one more bit of advice for Adam.
Let's listen.
Alright.
Yeah, got it.
I'll give it a read and pass it on to them.
Okay, great.
We can only control what we can control, right?
One more thing I'd suggest, if you don't mind, is nixing that virtual background.
To be honest, it can be a bit distracting.
Just a blank wall would suffice.
The last bit of advice is about Adam's virtual background.
Many video conferencing apps allow you to put a background image behind you.
You've probably seen people appear with a beach behind them or a famous building.
Heather advises against this because it's distracting or pulls people's attention away from what you're saying.
If you tuned into our last lesson, you practiced examples of giving simple, direct instructions on using technology.
Now we hear Heather taking the same approach to giving advice.
Let's practice more ways of giving direct suggestions to an employee.
I suggest you get another person to co-host so they can monitor the chat.
If you have more than 10 people, get them to turn off their video unless they're talking.
During your presentation, just click Mute All to make sure it's quiet.
How does Adam respond to Heather's advice about nixing or removing his virtual background?
Yeah, I was kind of thinking that.
I put it up there and never bothered changing it, but you're right.
I actually find it distracting when other people use them too.
As you can hear, Adam agrees with Heather's suggestion.
And with that she has successfully coached him both emotionally and on the technical aspects of his upcoming meeting.
It sounds like Heather has learned how to manage a remote team with confidence.
Now let's practice some of the language we learned in today's lesson.
Imagine you work as a manager with a software development company.
You're talking by video conference with one of your employees who's about to lead a project for the first time.
You'll hear a cue from the employee.
Then I'll give you a suggestion for what you can say in response.
We'll guide you through each step in the practice and provide an example answer for each response.
Ready?
Let's give it a go.
So, it's my first time to lead a project and I'm feeling a little nervous.
Start by showing vulnerability and say you understand, and still get nervous at the start of big projects too.
Answer.
That's understandable.
Actually, I still get nervous at the start of a big project, too.
Really?
But you've got lots of experience leading teams.
I don't.
Next, say you think he'll be fine because he's got good leadership skills.
Answer.
Oh, I think you'll be fine.
You've got good leadership skills.
Appreciate that.
But I am a bit worried Dan might cause problems.
Now state that leading the project will involve solving problems with people one on one.
Answer.
Well, leading the project will involve solving problems with people one-on-one.
Yes, of course.
It's just sometimes hard to have those types of conversations.
Finally say that you're sending through a guide to having difficult work conversations for sure.
So let me just send through a guide on handling difficult work conversations.
Now let's practice some of the vocabulary we've covered in this lesson.
In a moment, you'll hear a series of sentences with a word replaced with a beep.
Repeat each sentence, including the missing word.
For example, if you hear If you can't meet face-to-face, then set up a video conference.
After each response, we'll provide the correct answer.
Let's begin.
Don't worry what others think.
I've always got your...
Answer.
Don't worry what others think.
I've always got your back.
I'd like to move our weekly check-in to Tuesday morning at 10.
It's hard to understand because your sound keeps in and out.
Answer.
It's hard to understand because your sound keeps cutting in and out.
Thanks for the update, Jenny.
And let's touch again next week.
Answer.
Thanks for the update, Jenny.
And let's touch base again next week.
We've also looked at how to outline expectations about communication, send resources using the chat function and give clear technical or logistical advice.
Thanks for listening, and see you again soon.
