The virtual learning management system is used by companies these days so much. But digital body language is an important concept in this regard. The trainers have to recognize this language and respond accordingly.

Body language is not something that we can control, it’s uncontrollable and it happens as certain facial expressions emerge on our faces when we see something. So how to judge a learner’s body language?

Digital body language can’t be recognized when you talk to a person for the first time. However, when you continuously communicate with someone, you learn to recognize that language. But there is often a problem with comprehending such body language in virtual training platforms which can confuse. When you understand it, you can get an understanding of the others’ feelings such as joy, appreciation, and excitement.

Misunderstanding body language can cause problems because when we are working in teams, this can lead to a waste of time.

How should we communicate at the workplace?

It has become quite confusing because when we use smileys in our conversation, it comes across as gibberish. It indicates unprofessionalism and shows a person’s lack of confidence in his work because he is trying to get over-friendly.

If we are precise in our communication like using one-word responses, it shows as being snobbish. Your senior might not comprehend, whether you have understood a problem. Also, our coworkers might not like to talk to us, when they are facing a problem. We also have to understand the value of another person’s time. It’s because we can’t write long sentences. After all, a person may not have time to read them. The conclusion is that you should try to find the right mix of words, whether the communication should be one-syllable or long.

So there are rules of digital body language we must follow:

• Visible value: 

In virtual training meetings, it’s better to go through emails with attention. When you miss out on them, you can leave out some important work details which can cause problems when the work is completed. You can also show your approval for what someone else is saying through a “like”. Always respond to emails because the responses show that you trust the sender. Don’t respond before understanding the email after reading it 2-3 times.

You are not going to get any extra marks for being the first respondent to a group email. You have to be correct with the response and always think before putting any thoughts into words.

• Make sure you know what you are writing: 

In a virtual LMS, the biggest problem is what to write.

Although your meaning is pretty clear, sometimes, you might write something which can hurt someone. Moreover, sometimes you can use flowery language due to the use of a thesaurus and the recipient can’t understand it. Similarly, the use of the font is also important.

• Take decisions with confidence: 

It’s important to see that digital communication is done with confidence. It would help if you do not ask team members about what they want. When you are making a decision, be confident about it because when you are not, it can undermine your status in the team. The team would stop believing in your decisions. So, self-confidence is an important part of your role as a leader.

• Have belief in the team: 

When you have implemented a virtual LMS, the important part is that you need to trust the team. It can only happen when the team has confidence in you and the first two laws of digital body language are also followed. When the team uses a virtual learning management system, they can see all information through emails. So, you don’t need to be over-controlling, calling them up about everything. You should know that the team members can be relied upon for their job duties and tell you the truth. Anyways, you should have faith in them because, in a digital world, everything can be controlled automatically. The team members can send work reports to you at the end of the day.

This is how communication should happen when a company implements a virtual learning management system.