Video-based communication creates a situation in which, with the camera switched on, we see ourselves as it were in a mirror and at the same time are aware that we are also being seen by others. This leads to more self-awareness and self-control – effects that can be used consciously. In our online trainings and workshops over the past few months, we have been able to intensively observe and analyze these effects.
In recent months, many of us have been forced to use video-based communication to communicate with colleagues, team members, employees and customers. Video-based communication tools trigger two aspects that are fundamentally different from the “classic” face-to-face situation:
- I see myself with the camera switched on as it were in a mirror
- I am more aware that I am also seen by others through my camera
Studies of computer-mediated communication show that this has an impact on the attentional focus and self-awareness of participants, leading to more self-attention or self-focus. In turn, the present research on self-attention indicates that increased self-attention leads to more self-regulation with corresponding effects (both positive and negative).
In the “classic” face-to-face situation, we look “out into the world” and at others, as it were, closely connected with ourselves, our feelings and ego states: This form of “self-forgetfulness” can – for example in the course of a heated discussion in a meeting – lead us to behave in a way that does not correspond to our ideal conception of ourselves. We tend to have little distance from ourselves and fewer opportunities (or less reason) for self-control.
In video-mediated communication, on the other hand, we find ourselves in a situation where we have more distance to ourselves and – because we see ourselves as it were in a mirror – we are also more aware that we are visible to others. Through a mirror and/or a camera, that part of me is activated which I define as the ideal of myself: How or who do I want to be and how or as who do I want to be seen by others? Our focus is more on our own impact. This increases our self-control and activates our self-reflection. However, the increased self-attention is exhausting and requires (and consumes) cognitive resources – an experience many of us have had in lengthy online meetings or online workshops.
This leads to both positive and negative effects, which will have to be taken into account even more in the future when choosing the communication medium:
Increased self-awareness, for one thing, leads us to be more aware of our own behavior, offer more support to others, and suppress socially undesirable stereotypes. With increased self-awareness, the tendency for self-expression, dominant behavior, and corresponding negative group dynamics is reduced. This is important for collaboration, e.g. in distributed international teams or in interdisciplinary project groups.
However, increased self-awareness may conversely lead to more “conformist” behavior, which may lead to weaker overall team performance and a greater propensity for groupthink.
Initial conclusions:
Video-based communication with the camera turned on and the associated ability to see oneself and be seen by others seems to make sense when it comes to that:
- Focus the participants’ attention on the social events within the group
- Strengthen social cohesion and make connectedness tangible
- to exchange ideas in an appreciative, dignified and unprejudiced manner
- To reaffirm the common direction, and the common goals.
- Make joint decisions or establish binding force for existing decisions
- to exchange ideas in a very factual, focused and rather “unexcited” way
- Control emotions
- Mediate conflicts in an emotionally controlled and appropriate manner
- Establish values and rules of the game
- to avoid negative or dysfunctional group dynamics and to activate the more “constructive” sides in the sense of the “I-ideal” in the participants.
However, these effects only occur if all participants have actually switched on their camera. Binding standards make sense here.
At the same time, there is a dependence on prevailing norms and expectations and thus the danger of (even) greater adaptation to prevailing hierarchies and “secret rules of the game”.
The “classic face-to-face setting” then appears to make more sense when it comes to:
- to deal with controversial issues
- Creatively wrestle to find new or innovative solutions to problems and constructively argue about them
- to compete for the best ideas
- Increase the willingness to think outside the box or to work on complex tasks for which no routines or best practices exist yet
Against the backdrop of these experiences, it will be necessary in the future to be even more conscious in choosing the appropriate medium for the respective communicative occasion: When and for which occasions does it make sense to deliberately use video-based communication, even though it would also be possible to meet face-to-face? However, on which occasions or occasions should we definitely meet face-to-face? The medium is never neutral and essentially determines the content and the form of the communicative event. Choosing the adequate medium is an important part of digital leadership and team competence.
