Why is it so hard to lead a hybrid team?

As a higher percentage of our communication turns digital, we need to come to a collective understanding of Digital Body Language.

Over the last year there’s been plenty of talk about how to find your voice and speak up in a digital world, but it seems like there’s no real consensus — and maybe that’s the point.

A lot of this comes down to a disconnect in how we use digital body language. Different personality types don’t merely use different digital body language; they also have different interpretations of that same digital body language. For example, a really social extrovert might end a direct chat message with three smiley emojis to show their excitement, while an introvert using those emojis might be passive aggressive, as their authentic digital voice would be to send a simple thumbs up.

Understanding different communication styles is key to the success of our fast changing workplaces. We’ve heard for years that being technologically adaptable is the way of the future. But if that mindset means dismissing people’s communication preferences, companies are bound to alienate portions of their workforce.

Companies that embrace and encourage their employees to find their own, authentic voice, foster a company…