Welcome to Manager Tools. Today's cast, Distant Manager Basics. Part 2. Here we go. Okay, so I am is not a terribly rich form of communication. How important is it that we see individuals face to face? Does that add, how much value does that add and for those people who are remote

what do we do about that?

Okay that's easy, that's webcams, right? I mean we recommend you increase your use of

webcams. When people are distant, if you aren't using a

webcam to see them, you're not using a valuable tool that we believe is completely

reasonable. The fact is seeing another human's face matters to human being. Even for you

decency, sorry, you're biologically wired to feel that way. Mike, just stay quiet

for a minute, bear with me. that

I feel that way.

that's killing me. Kill me Smalls.

There are clues in facial expressions and body language that simply cannot be

intuited by an overwhelming volume of written communication. cannot be carefully enough, often enough, or systematically enough to ferret it out anyway, right?

So for all your directs working for you somewhere else, we recommend trying to use a webcam

at least once a week for at least five to ten minutes and frankly longer if you can.

Folks, this recommendation we're making is a trivial minimum.

We're actually comfortable recommending half an hour or more for those folks not traveling or simply doing desk work in their home.

And a good time to do that half an hour would be during...

Oh, what would you do? I'm trying to think maybe, oh yeah, we could do it during the phone

one-on-one, which is the richest form of communication we ought to be having, right?

Yeah. Look, it's the most natural pairing of the technology with your

intent, which is more information

during the meeting designed to further the relationship. And so we urge you to

...