COVID 19, Non-Verbal Communications & Virtual Mediations
I recently came across an interesting paper by David Wakely, BA, C.Med, entitled “Mediation Design Implications of the Covid-19 Pandemic”. It deals, in part, with the implications of Covid-19 on nonverbal communciation in virtual mediations.
After comprehensively discussing the forms of non-verbal communication typically used in mediation - like touch, distance, eye contact, facial affect, gestures, non-speech sounds - and how they influence negotiations, the author goes on to make some worthwhile suggestions on how to address the limitations placed on these forms of communication in the virtual world.
He also analyzes the stresses on effective communication created by the technology platforms themselves, and suggests a number of ways to counteract them.
His recommedations include:
Using “speaker” or “spotlight” view instead of “gallery” view during “opening” sessions to reduce or lighten the cognitive load on participants by helping them focus on what the speaker is saying and better facilitate the absorbtion of the information being conveyed
Using the “share screen'“ or “whiteboard” function to help focus on specific information and ease the cognitive burden on participants of trying to divide their attention between multiple participant screens
Shut off “self-view”, to avoid the natural distraction created by seeing onself on screen
To facilitate better receipt of non-verbal communications, web-cam placement should be such that it shows not only the participant’s face but also the upper part of the body and some surroundings
To better facilitate “eye contact”, create a smaller “active window” on your screen, which should be placed as close as possible to the camera and switched to “speaker view”.
Schedule breaks, especially in full-day mediations. “Zoom fatigue” is a real thing!