It is routine that some interactions are virtual for all animal health pros. Examples include:
- Field sales phoning to manage an order with an inside sales person
- Inside sales contacting a customer to verify a size, quantity or promotional offer before shipping an order
- Clinic personnel contacting animal owners to verify appointments
- Telemedicine tools
- Training via webinars or interactive videos
As the use of technology for all types of communication has become ubiquitous, the need for virtual work skills is no longer limited to telecommuters and global teams; it now extends to those of uswhose work never takes us out of the office.
Source: Harvard Business Review, October 5, 2018. Link. Two specific skill sets contributing to virtual intelligence are:
1) establishing “rules of engagement” for virtual interactions, and
2) building and maintaining trust.
INSIGHTS: Note the section about establishing the “rules of engagement.” Making a concerted effort to develop these skills by setting up rules of engagement and establishing trust early can feeluncomfortable, especially for people new to the idea of virtual work.