"I'm listening."
Frasier Crane made a career out of that phrase. He knew that for people to open up they first have to feel heard.
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Making my clients feel heard has always been a priority for me. My old video setup used a teleprompter to project their image right over my camera lens. It allowed me to look at my clients and the camera. This created the illusion that we were sitting across from each other without a camera between us.
But I wanted to make it easier for both of us.
So I moved the camera across the room. The distance allows me to look at the person as if we were in the room together. It creates a feeling of presence without the screens and mirrors involved in my previous setup.
We as product leaders need that intimacy to get to the truth. In a remote world real eye contact signals that you are truly present. It creates the safe space people need to tell you what is really going on.
You can try this too. Move your webcam back so you can actually look at the person on the screen. See if it helps the technology to fade and allows the conversation to go deeper.
Introducing Hit Pause
Most product leaders are drowning in pressure. I am launching a new publication called Hit Pause. It is a home for stories on how stopping to think actually creates more leverage than just doing more work.