Five Steps for Healthy Virtual Communication

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Communication is crucial to every aspect of life. But healthy communication isn’t always easy.

That’s especially true during the pandemic, when so much communication has become virtual.

Communication expert, professional speaker, coach, and consultant Robyn Hatcher, a guest on my live-streaming show Inside Scoop, helps people connect with purpose. 

Robyn knows that it is completely possible to create and sustain positive relationships through healthy communication. 

She shared her insider knowledge on how to foster healthy communication virtually. Here are her top five suggestions:

1. Recognize how virtual settings are different from being together in person.

We all know this intuitively, but Robyn shared the brain science that backs it up. She says the way humans communicate when we’re in close proximity is called resonance, and it’s how we get cues from each other about responding appropriately to each other.  Knowing how resonance works makes it easier to cultivate it virtually. 

How? Keep reading!

2. Your face should match your message. 

This is often natural when you’re speaking to someone in person, but Robyn says you need to be intentional about it when you’re communicating virtually. 

Robyn suggests getting in touch with your “why” — why are you passionate about your message? Why is it important to you? She often videotapes her clients so they can see whether their face reflects that “why.” Then, it’s a process of conditioning yourself to make sure you’re really expressing yourself well.

3. Center curiosity.

When it comes to having difficult conversations, Robyn says that curiosity is important. When you’re listening to another person, you should be listening to learn, which means you need to be curious: about what that person is sharing with you, about their feelings, and about your own reactions. 

Robyn says you may not know all the answers to those questions, but your curiosity is important for creating a healthy mindset. 

4. Be aware of adaptability.

As more people get vaccinated and we slowly start getting back to seeing people in person, Robyn notes that it’s important to think about how you’ve adapted during the pandemic.

Being adaptable is a good thing, but it also means that you may have picked up habits that make it challenging or stressful to go back to pre-pandemic life. You may be so used to being isolated that being back in close proximity is anxiety-provoking. If it is, Robyn suggests being gentle with yourself and easing yourself back into those situations. 

5. People need to feel seen.

Robyn says that in order to be a healthy communicator, both virtually and in person, you need to make others feel seen. What does that mean? You have to understand what their needs and triggers are. That doesn’t mean you have to like everyone — you just need to understand where they are coming from and what you can do to meet them where they are. 

In other words, not everyone responds to the same types of communication. In order for healthy communication to happen, you have to be sensitive to (and curious about) different communication styles.  

You can watch my full conversation with Robyn here. 

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