Trust in video
The fact is video conferencing has been with us for well over a decade, and it's still a minority sport. Why? OK, it was difficult and expensive and the experience wasn't so great in the early days. But that's just not true anymore.
In fact it's so not true anymore. But most of the traditional suppliers are still trying to bamboozle us with facts and figures about why their particular 'mousetrap' is the must have piece of kit. But that just isn't relevant as most people are still afraid to make the leap into video communication. They don't see the point, or more pertinently they don't see the benefits.
Which brings me to the point of this piece. Let's talk about the benefits. And not the standard one about reducing travel. That's the ROI story loved by accountants (I am one, I should know!). I believe we need to highlight how video enhances communication if we are going to have mainstream appeal. In particular I want to focus on how video develops trust in this blog. 
Having seen video calls in action countless times and participated in hundreds too I honestly believe that the capability to see the person you are communicating with, to observe their reactions and look into their eyes, really can help the relationship building process. That should not be a big surprise... most communication experts have been saying for years that over 50% of communication is achieved non-verbally.
But how does that translate into a business benefit, and one that at the end of the day makes me want to spend some money?
Well, let's say you manage a dispersed team. You want to meet with them frequently but summoning them to your office can take significant chunks out of their working week. Video gives you the chance to see them face to face, every day if necessary, no matter where they are. This really fast tracks the trust process. I found it amazing how much more comfortable I felt managing a dispersed team when I could call each of them up and see them. By taking my call I knew they were ready for work, I had the same feeling as if they were in my office.
By seeing how they communicated with me I was able to make much more informed judgements on areas like:
- how they would perform in front of clients
- were they confident in their own capabilities
- had they done the requisite preparation
In short I much more quickly determined who I could trust, for what tasks. Video grew to be an essential management tool for getting the best from the team.
Lets not forget the employee too. The need to build a relationship with management and the rest of the team is crucial. For me the ability to use video significantly helped boost my morale and kept me motivated when I had a boss in a different city. I was able to get into his office whenever I wanted just by making a video call... in fact I saw more of him than most of the team sitting outside his office! Again it was trust that was key. By being there and making regular face to face contact I felt in particular he trusted my judgement and ability to take responsibility for major decisions and projects. It certainly helped my develop quicker and make a greater contribution.
Surely it is these qualitative benefits that we have to emphasise if we want video to be demanded by businesses of all shapes and sizes, and not remain the domain of the large enterprise in large conference rooms.