Andrew Brodsky, a management professor at the University of Texas and author of PING: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication, shares insights on navigating the challenges of digital communication. He highlights how texts, emails, and video calls can misrepresent our intentions. Brodsky introduces the PING framework, focusing on perspective-taking and nonverbal awareness, and offers practical tips for effective virtual interactions. He emphasizes the importance of channel selection and the nuances of authenticity in the digital age.
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insights INSIGHT
Channel Choice Depends on Goals
Choose your communication channel based on your specific goal to maximize effectiveness.
Early-stage brainstorming works better individually and virtually to yield more ideas.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Apply the PING Framework
Use the PING framework: Perspective-taking, Initiative, Nonverbal awareness, Goals in virtual communication.
These elements help ensure your message is clear and well-received.
insights INSIGHT
Understanding Communication Richness
Communication richness depends on synchronicity and cue variety, not just one factor.
Slight differences in richness can drastically affect interaction outcomes and feelings of awkwardness.
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This book dives deep into the science and strategy behind effective virtual communication. It challenges the myth that in-person is always best and breaks down why smart, intentional virtual communication can actually boost productivity and reduce burnout. The "PING" framework provides a simple method to optimize every digital interaction. It provides practical insights you can use immediately to create healthier, more effective remote workplaces.
In the age of virtual communication, here’s how to ensure your messages convey what you mean.
Texts. Emails. Slacks. Zooms. We’re communicating in more ways than ever, but Andrew Brodsky has a word of warning: Your virtual communication might be sending messages you’re not aware of.
Brodsky is the author of PING: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication. And as a professor of management at the University of Texas McCombs School of Business, he researches the impact of technology on workplace communication. “In virtual communication, there's often missing information,” he says. “As recipients of it, we're searching to fill in the gaps. The problem [is] that the recipient who's making these guesses is often guessing incorrectly.” As his research reveals, variables like typos, the time you schedule a meeting, and even your choice of email signature affect how your messages are received — and how you’re perceived.
In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, host Matt Abrahams and Brodsky explore his PING framework (perspective-taking, initiative, nonverbal awareness, and goals) for mastering digital communication. From understanding when to choose email over a phone call to navigating cameras-on versus cameras-off meetings, he offers practical strategies for ensuring your virtual messages communicate exactly what you intend.
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