Lessons from Erica Dhawan

Erica Dhawan, a leading authority on 21st-century teamwork, collaboration, and innovation, has shared a wealth of knowledge through her books, articles, and speaking engagements. Her work primarily focuses on "Digital Body Language" and "Connectional Intelligence," providing a modern rulebook for communication and collaboration in a digital-first world.

On Digital Body Language

Dhawan's groundbreaking work on Digital Body Language provides a framework for understanding and navigating the nuances of communication in the digital realm.

"Digital body language is the cues and signals we send in our digital communication that make up the subtext of our messages." [1]
"Today, roughly 70 percent of all communication among teams is virtual." [2]
"What is implicit in body language now has to be explicit in our digital body language." [3]
"Reading messages carefully is the new listening. And writing clearly is the new empathy." [4][5]
"A phone call is worth a thousand emails." [4]
"We have to understand that brevity creates confusion, that we must choose to be clear, not brief, even when we feel rushed to be fast in a digital world." [1]
"In a digital world, who we are online is likely the first impression we show the world." [3]
"Digital body language may be fundamentally casual, but casual isn't the same as careless." [3]
"Disengagement happens not because people don't want to be empathetic but because with today's tools, they don't know how." [3][6]
"The loss of nonverbal body cues is among the most overlooked reasons why employees feel so disengaged from others." [6]
"Physical body language and digital body language are inseparable. In fact, digital body language is reshaping physical body language, verbal communication and even the way we've begun to think." [4]
"We are tone deaf. We need to become tone deft in a digital world." [1]
"Emojis at work are useful tools to infuse emotion into otherwise flat, one-dimensional digital communications." [7]
"Your level of priority is reflected in your choice of medium; Your emotional expression is conveyed through your use of punctuation and symbols... Your response time conveys your level of respect." [3]
"The most important takeaway from Digital Body Language is to prioritize thoughtfulness over speed." [4]

The Four Laws of Digital Body Language

Dhawan outlines four key principles to master digital communication. [2][7]

Value Visibly: "Explicitly show respect and appreciation." [3] This means being "attentively aware of other people and clearly communicating 'I hear you' and 'I understand you' by using the new cues and signals of our digital body language." [8]
Communicate Carefully: "Be clear and unambiguous." [3] This involves choosing the right words, tone, and channel for your message. [9]
Collaborate Confidently: This is "about designing and creating a culture of thoughtfulness instead of rushed groupthink behavior." [10] It requires being consistent, staying informed, and exercising patient responses. [9]
Trust Totally: To foster this, leaders should "be vulnerable and empower others to take ownership of their ideas." [9]

On Connectional Intelligence (CxQ)

Before Digital Body Language, Dhawan introduced the concept of Connectional Intelligence, the skill of leveraging networks and relationships to achieve great things.

"If you could multiply what you know in your head and your heart, your IQ and EQ, by the power of everyone you've ever e-mailed or could contact by social media and other technology, what would you do?" [11]
Connectional intelligence is the "capability to unlock new and unrealized value by fully maximizing the power of networks and relationships." [12]
"This is not about connecting more... this is about connecting intelligently." [5]
"The key is the skill of how you really cultivate the connections you already have to drive breakthroughs." [13]
"We have to shift that notion from quantity to quality because in today's overconnected era having a lot of networks doesn't necessarily lead to measurable change." [13]
"It's no longer just about accumulating numerous connections on social media platforms. The true power lies in the depth and quality of these connections." [14]

On Leadership in the Modern Workplace

Dhawan provides actionable advice for leaders navigating the complexities of hybrid and remote work.

"The best leaders of the future will be the ones who understand that what they do must align with what they say." [15]
"Good leadership is more than just about bending people to your standards or norms; it also involves a willingness to engage across the different digital body language styles present in your workplace." [8]
"Over half of all employees report they don't receive the respect they need or want from their leaders." [8]
"The question we have to ask ourselves is no longer how will we adapt to our new normal, but more importantly, how will we create a better normal?" [1][12]
To improve meetings with remote employees, "tapping remote workers first, giving both introverts and extroverts space to contribute, and bringing new life to standing team meetings" are key strategies. [16]
"When leading an organization you must learn when to compromise and when to stand firm." [15]
"The best leaders don't just hire people for today. They also weigh their potential." [15]
"Leaders must become more socially focused in today's workforce where change is constant. If they don't, people won't innovate and organizations will suffer." [15]
"You don't know what you don't know—ask for help." [8]
"In crisis situations, this means recognizing that solutions can come from a diverse range of sources beyond traditional government structures." [14]

On Collaboration and Innovation

A central theme in Dhawan's work is how to foster genuine collaboration that sparks innovation.

"If leaders and teams can break away from unneeded bureaucracies, cross-team dysfunctions and delays... we can unleash exponential growth and innovate through teamwork in ways we've never imagined." [5]
"Innovation happens every day in secret in silos and cubicles." [17]
"Difference is all about dissonance." To create innovation, you must create "sparring zones" in your teams. [5]
"We have an opportunity to evolve in this moment in time by applying a method that can serve us through any culture any distance any organization." [5]
"We all have the power to drive innovation... We just need to get past the roadblocks we've created: endless meetings, cross-team dysfunction, resource-wasting duplication, and a lack of real, meaningful inclusion." [18]
"Embrace Collaboration: Prioritize building strong relationships with colleagues, community organizations, and citizens. Collaborative efforts lead to innovative solutions." [14]
"Develop Communication Skills: Effective communication in person and virtually is key to collaboration." [14]
"Foster Adaptability: Be open to new ideas and flexible in your approach as government often faces unexpected challenges." [14]

Personal Learnings and Reflections

Dhawan often draws on her personal story to illustrate her points.

As a shy, introverted girl, she "learned the skills I needed to build connections across difference. My superpower became deciphering other people's body language." [7]
On overcoming challenges: "I needed to move from intelligence to wisdom... I needed to connect past my own fears." [17]
On her relationship with her mother: "Where did I learn my greatest lesson about connection? Not from my books or my research or years of experience. But from my mother." [17]
On her writing process: "Whenever I would hit a wall and couldn't stare at my laptop for a minute longer, I would take a short dance break... dancing made me indistractable!" [4]
On her career journey: "I was just an entrepreneur, asking: How can I get big things done?" [18]
On the power of community: "For anyone that wants to get a big thing done... It all starts with, what do I care about most?... How can I build a community around this?" [19]
"Connection today is often used to describe large quantity of networks and interactions. but that's just a high level and superficial. it's about tapping into our most vital emotional and creative spirits so we can evolve." [17]

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