Digital Body Language

Digital Body Language How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance The book we all read right now: the definitive guide to communicating and connecting wherever you are. Email replies that show up a week later. Video chats full of ‘oops sorry no you go’ and ‘can you hear me?!’ Ambiguous text-messages. Weird punctuation you can’t make heads or tails of. Is it any wonder communication takes us so much time and effort to figure out? How did we lose our innate capacity to understand each other? Humans rely on body language to connect and build trust, but with most of our communication happening from behind a screen, traditional body language signals are no longer visible – or are they? In Digital Body Language, Erica Dhawan, a go-to thought leader on collaboration and a passionate communication junkie, combines cutting edge research with engaging storytelling to decode the new signals and cues that have replaced traditional body language across genders, generations, and culture. In real life, we lean in, uncross our arms, smile, nod and make eye contact to show we listen and care. Online, reading carefully is the new listening. Writing clearly is the new empathy. And a phone or video call is worth a thousand emails. Digital Body Language will turn your daily misunderstandings into a set of collectively understood laws that foster connection, no matter the distance. Dhawan investigates a wide array of exchanges—from large conferences and video meetings to daily emails, texts, IMs, and conference calls—and offers insights and solutions to build trust and clarity to anyone in our ever changing world. "We need Erica Dhawan’s book more than ever." ―Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and founder of Lean In “An indispensable guide to a business world turned upside down by video calls, group texts, and remote work."  ―Daniel H. Pink, bestselling author of Drive  "This book is a breakthrough that will be read for years to come" ―Seth Godin, author of The Practice

‘A profound look at how to foster inclusion and better leadership in our digital world. Digital Body Language makes a strong case for the importance of equality in all forums.’ —Billie Jean King, Founder, Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative ‘Non-verbal cues are vital to understanding each other. Now that so much communication happens online–and with the massive shift to distance learning and remote workplaces–we need Erica Dhawan’s book more than ever. In Digital Body Language, Erica shares tips and strategies for communicating effectively on chats, emails, and video calls, so everyone can successfully share and connect in the digital age.’ —Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and founder of Lean In and Option B ‘Digital Body Language is an indispensable guide to a business world turned upside down by video calls, group texts, and remote work. With Dhawan’s expert guidance, you’ll learn how to read and send the subtle cues that signal trust, competence, and authenticity. You’ll discover practical tips for using everything from exclamation points to emojis. Most of all, you’ll understand that that effective communication and collaboration begin with valuing others.’ —Daniel H. Pink, author of When, Drive, and To Sell Is Human “This book is a welcome and practical guide to the ways in which we need to rethink how we interpret on-screen and inbox behaviour. Developing a common digital body language will help everyone ― while also opening a path to better ways for all of us to relate to one another and create a sense of inclusion and belonging.” – Financial Times “Fascinating, helpful, and engaging … Dhawan offers this timely book on digital body language and creative ways to foster inclusion and belonging in digital communications in the workplace.” –Booklist

ERICA DHAWAN is a globally recognized leadership expert and keynote speaker helping organizations and leaders innovate faster and further, together. Erica has spoken, worldwide, to organizations and enterprises that range from the World Economic Forum to U.S. and global Fortune 500 companies, associations, sports teams, and government institutions. Named as one of the top management professionals around the world by Global Gurus, she is the founder and CEO of Cotential – a company that has helped leaders and teams leverage twenty-first-century collaboration skills globally. Her writing has appeared in dozens of publications, including Fast Company and Harvard Business Review. She has an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School, MBA from MIT Sloan, and BS from The Wharton School. Learn more at ericadhawan.com and follow her @ericadhawan. Join the community at ericadhawan.com/digitalbodylanguage.

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