5 Practical Steps to Manage Your Digital Presence When Working Remotely
Your digital presence is your 'virtual body language' in a remote team - it's high time you made it count!
💻 A staggering 70% of professionals work remotely at least once a week.
But how many of them are indeed seen and heard?
🌐 46% of remote workers feel treated differently than their in-office counterparts. Often, this stems from the struggle to maintain a robust digital presence.
For remote leaders, creating and maintaining an appreciable digital presence is crucial. It's more than just logging on—it's about active engagement, providing valuable inputs, and nurturing connections.
🤔 But how can we consistently shine in the digital realm?
Based on my experience, I assembled five practical steps to master our digital presence.
Step 1: Practice Proactive Communication
Ever found yourself wondering why a coworker isn’t responding to your email? This is where proactive communication steps in.
Practical example:
Say you've just finished a project milestone. Instead of waiting for your manager to ask, drop them a quick email or a message to keep them updated. This keeps them in the loop and consistently puts your work on their radar.
Step 2: Generate Curiosity
While clarity is critical in communication, a touch of strategic ambiguity can go a long way in engaging your audience and keeping them curious.
Practical example:
Suppose you're spearheading a new initiative. Instead of revealing all the details at once, drop hints and teasers that engage your team's curiosity and keep them engaged and excited.
Step 3: Keep Timing in Mind
As they say, timing is everything - even in digital communication.
Practical example:
Consider your team's different time zones when sending messages. If your coworker is based overseas and you send a notice late at night, your message might get buried in their inbox by morning.
Sending it during their work hours increases the chances of a timely response.
Step 4: Leverage Social Media
You can use social media not only for external communication but eventually also for internal communication.
Instead of fighting the time spent by your co-worker on Facebook, Linkedin, etc.. you can turn it into a tool to grab their attention and keep them engaged.
Practical example: Create a company Facebook group for internal usage. This keeps you visible and engaged with your team and the broader professional community.
Step 5: Be Visible and Engaged
Being consistently active and engaged in the digital world is crucial to maintaining your presence.
Practical example: Don't just use your internal social media tools for work updates - join in on casual, non-work-related conversations, too. This helps build rapport with your team and makes your digital presence more human and relatable.
Your Digital Presence
is your “Virtual Body Language”
Here's the thing. Mastering your digital presence in a remote setting is more than just 'being there'.
It's a dynamic process that requires consistent and active engagement. It's easy to slip into the mindset of being a passive observer, watching conversations unfold, checking emails without responding promptly, or only posting when you have a deadline to meet.
How can you become
an appreciated and admired remote leader?
On June 22, I will discuss it with 3 highly experienced digital leaders:
🎙 Luca Rossi - Founder of Refactoring.club
🎙 Chris Cerra - Deal-Hunter at RemoteBase.co
🎙 Gregor Ojstersek - CTO and author at Eng-Leadership.com
We'll cover everything from the transition to remote management to maintaining effective communication and collaboration, from ensuring employee well-being to building a resilient remote culture.
Our panel discussion will feature the following:
📍 The shift to remote leadership: Transitioning experiences and overcoming hurdles.
📍 Communication and collaboration in a remote setting: Strategies, tools, and practices.
📍 Remote leadership and employee well-being: The criticality of mental and emotional health.
📍 Building a robust remote culture: Creating and nurturing a sense of belonging and unity.
📍 A live Q&A session: Addressing your specific questions and providing additional insights.
Whether you're a founder, a remote team leader, or an aspiring digital nomad, this event promises to equip you with valuable insights to lead with success in the remote landscape.
Join this exciting journey towards a more flexible and inclusive future of work 🌎
That's all for this Saturday.
REMOTE.HOW - Become a Better Remote Leader in 2 mins/week.
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I wish you a great weekend!
Gabriele