Last year, our water practice started using the hashtag #WaterWednesday on our company’s intranet to help internally promote the projects we work on, recent wins, and other happenings within the Dewberry water group. We shared the following post in August and saw a great deal of engagement from our colleagues across the company; all echoing the value of interpersonal communication, particularly nonverbal cues.

Communication is at the very core of our industry. We have persevered through a few difficult years and learned new ways to communicate, yet, many of us feel disconnected. We all have different approaches to communication and could learn a thing or two from each other. Richard Kincheloe is a water modeling and master planning leader who practices intentionality and awareness to up his game regarding effective communication. Amy Tracy is a One Water champion in Florida, and a strong advocate for improved communication. She is hearing impaired and hears best when she can read lips, see expressions, and interpret body language as well as listen to the spoken word.

Although we may have different ways of communicating, we all benefit from seeing the person we are speaking with." Richard Kincheloe and Amy Tracy

Communication is More Than Using Words

Our Dewberry at Work principles (our firm’s values) include honesty, specifically, “Direct communication. Clear, direct with respect works best.” Numerous studies, including Mehrabian & Weiner (1967), define communication as comprised of body language, tone, and words. The study determined a 55/38/7 percent formula provides the degree of importance of each of those variables, respectively. That’s right, only 7% of communication is the words spoken during your conversations. When virtually communicating without turning on cameras, we immediately reduce the effectiveness of our conversations by 55%, assuming we can hear the tone and words spoken.

Other Considerations for Effective Communications

Turning your camera on for a meeting isn’t the only way to foster more effective communication. Other considerations can support a more inclusive environment for communication, including:

• The microphone input level
• The lighting in your room
• How distracting your background may be

Let’s support our colleagues and those we communicate with by turning on cameras during calls and encouraging others to do the same. Not only can this small gesture make significant impacts on inclusivity and work productivity for everyone, but it encourages and enhances human connection in a world where that’s been lacking. Water practitioners and allies, we challenge you! Lead through action, embrace opportunities for inclusiveness, and improve communication with each other and our clients.