Body language has always been tricky. Crossed arms, raised eyebrows, leaning in or looking away; all signals we interpret constantly, sometimes accurately, sometimes disastrously. Whilst we’ve had telecommunication for a long time, Covid transformed our work and learning spaces to be even more digital and virtual. Jo Cook shares more.
Much of our professional life now is hybrid, online, and text based. That means our digital body language (DBL) — the emojis we use, the speed of our responses, whether we turn our cameras on, even the backgrounds we choose — is just as important as face-to-face presence. Yet like physical cues, these signals are ambiguous. The challenge for teams is how to read them without falling into assumption or bias.
Remote work is a tool of growth and empowerment for those who are not able to go to the office whatever their circumstances
TJ teamed up with SyncSkills to explore how DBL is killing team trust, with a webinar and the announcement of a free place on the REVEAL development programme. Gaelle Watson, Director of SyncSkills and webinar host, commented that “in spite of the loud noise about return to the office full time, I have always been, and still am a firm believer in remote teams. Remote work is a tool of growth and empowerment for those who are not able to go to the office whatever their circumstances.”
Whether you work freelance, from home full-time or a hybrid in-house role, these strategies from a webinar exploring this area, plus tips and tales from attendees, will help you develop your thinking and approach.
Self-awareness: how you show up matters
The area where we have the most control is being intentional about digital presence. Webinar attendees echoed this with their advice:
- “Be aware that your tone of voice is congruent with the message”
- “Have consistency in communicating regularly”
- “I’ve created a branded backdrop with my company logo, it makes me look more professional”
Chat participants added another layer. Joan Keevill observed, “I think being authentic is very valuable, but it only comes with practice. When you start out, you’re often a bit self-conscious rather than focusing ‘outwards’ on the participants.”
Authenticity is not a fixed state but a skill to be developed through practice, feedback and reflection. That feedback can be platform reactions, LinkedIn comments, verbal feedback from peers and more.
Tone and visibility: powerful but double-edged
The research is clear: video increases trust and engagement, but another study showed that 73% of people also experience video call anxiety. Chat comments captured this tension vividly. Helen Palmer asked, “What’s the deal with the people who prefer not to be on camera? I think this should be understood and accepted.” Catherine Dock added, “My husband is one of those. Is neurodiverse. Hates being on camera”. This shows that webcam use can be inclusionary for some and exclusionary for others. Leaders need to balance the benefits of visibility with respect for individual needs.
Tone in text-based channels was another hot spot. Attendees cautioned: “Be careful with jokes or sarcasm, tone can be misread online”. In chat, Joan admitted, “It annoys me a little when people have a camera on but on a different screen so they’re not making eye contact. I will call it out in the nicest possible way”. The lesson is that tone and visibility matter, but they must be handled with empathy.
Bias and interpretation; getting past assumptions
The webinar pointed out that just like physical body language, digital cues are subject to interpretation and our biases. Examples from attendees included:
- “I have a manager that is terrible at this – makes assumptions instead of asking”
- In chat, Catherine Dock observed, “Managers can be very micromanage-y when they can’t see what their teams are doing. HUGE trust-killer”
- One attendee shared that, “I left my job after having my first child as the manager would not consider home working, perhaps a lack of trust and was a micro manager. Commute was over an hour each way. Have now been freelance for over 20 years :-)”
One particular piece of advice was to “Discover how they want to be communicated with and adjust”. These stories underline how easily digital misunderstandings or mistrust can corrode relationships. The final webinar message was a simple antidote: “When digital cues feel ambiguous, resist filling the gap with negative interpretations. Instead, ask clarifying questions, you need curiosity over assumption”
Practical strategies for teams
Attendee contributions generated a wealth of strategies to overcome the challenge of digital communications in diverse, fragmented teams.
- Clarify intent: “Make use of the private chat if you need to ask for clarification”
- Build rapport early: “Encourage everyone to speak at the start (eg a warmup), if you need them to contribute later”
- Value others’ voices: “Ask questions to people I respect in the industry — it shows I value their voice”
- Normalise personal style: “I send my team a gif every morning (except on my day off!)”
- Respect silence: “Be respectful and mindful of the quieter ones and don’t pick on them”
- Soften tone digitally: “Use emojis and reactions thoughtfully, they can soften tone”
- Address bias openly: “Lack of psychological safety will kill trust stone dead”
These are practical, human-centred actions that build inclusion, safety, and trust in digital environments.
Gaelle added that, “Leadership is not a destination. It is a journey! People change, tools change, bosses change… However, to move forward as a team, there are three success behaviours that required self-reflection:
- Taking the time to decide what and how to address a situation
- Being crystal clear in communicating about it which will mean in an age of over communication that we choose our channel wisely: email, teams, WhatsApp; the choice of medium will matter
- Being consistent – being systematic and predictable is a guarantee of psychological safety for our teams
Routine may foster staleness, but flexibility requires intentional and systematic communication to ensure performance is not affected by someone not working at the expected time.”
From signals to trust
DBL is not about perfect etiquette but about trust. Trust grows when we combine intentional self-awareness, inclusive interpretation of others, and a willingness to check rather than assume. Gaelle Watson commented, “Trust is harder to develop with a team we don’t see as we can’t rely on traditional performance measurement tools”.
Teams that get this right avoid the trap of misinterpretation and instead harness the richness of digital communication. They create space for people to contribute in their own way, whether that’s speaking up on camera, posting in chat, reacting with emojis, or following up privately.
When misunderstandings inevitably happen, they address them with curiosity rather than blame. That’s what allows trust to thrive, even when most of our working relationships are mediated by pixels.
Building together
We can only manage ourselves, and we must accept that others communicate differently. We can shape the climate by being conscious of our own digital signals, generous in our interpretations of others, and deliberate in creating space for everyone’s authentic presence.
If body language once defined how teams read one another, digital body language is now the key to how we build, or break, trust online.
Jo Cook is Editor of Training Journal and an L&D Specialist at Lightbulb Moment
Gaelle Watson is Director of SyncSkills and has launched the REVEAL leadership programme for women managers of remote and hybrid teams
