Communication is complex, containing many layers that play a role in accurately getting a message across – from body language to tone of voice to our choice of words. Each serves a purpose, and each is uniquely important in effectively sharing our thoughts with the people around us.

However, as we move to an increasingly digital world – where a lot of our communication is done through working virtually – some of these critical aspects can be diminished or lost, making it more challenging to connect with others.

With this obstacle comes the importance of being empathetic to those around us and considering new ways in which we can foster strong two-way communication virtually, including the 3 tips we’ve summarized below.

By reducing the ability to show body language or tone of voice, communicating virtually can make it difficult to communicate emotions and fully understand how the recipient is feeling. To combat this, it’s important to embrace all the communication methods the virtual world has to offer.

These methods include turning webcams on to ensure that you’re noticing and acting on the reactions of others, or putting extra effort into considering how the tone of the email you’re about to send may be interpreted.

In doing this, you’re showing empathy by putting the feelings of your co-communicator at the forefront and working to better understand their thoughts and emotions to improve communication.

Many aspects of being in an physical environment help build a sense of community, including small talk, in-person events, or going out to grab lunch with a co-worker. These activities help develop bonds and build workplace rapport, important elements of establishing an effective team.

However, as we move to phygital landscape and some of these traditional bond-building elements are removed, extra consideration must be put into building a sense of community.

This can include adding more personal elements to touch points, from asking colleagues about their pets to sharing pictures from a fun weekend outing. It can even be as simple as asking someone how their day or week is going. The more empathy we show towards our colleagues by putting in the effort to build relationships, the better sense of community we can form.

Communicating primarily virtually is still a relatively new concept that has gained traction over the past couple of years largely because of the pandemic. As a result, the digital communication that comes along with it can still be challenging as we learn to adapt.

So, it’s crucial to remember that communicating with others won’t always be perfect. Sometimes, it may be difficult to contact someone, written communication may be misinterpreted, or the context of a message may be lost. When we hit these snags, rather than showing frustration, approach the situation empathetically by being patient and showing understanding towards others as we continue to improve our digital communication skills over time.