US colleague, Jane Bozarth, wrote in her blog about an incident where a young piano player failed at her first public performance and stopped, on that day, any interest in an instrument again. Her teacher did not create the environment for her to succeed. In the ongoing blog discussion about the lessons to be learned from this story, came a comment about ZPD. (Wikipedia: ZPD is the difference between what a learner can do without help, and what he or she can do with help).
How does ZPD (and the ongoing research which followed this 1930 revelation) relate to the way that we start, maintain and grow relationships at a distance?
In the business setting, I find myself moderating/ facilitating/ coaching/ training in this zone. This is the zone where organisations either do not enter the zone of virtual meetings/conferences etc (often because of the fear of failure or fear of the unknown), or if they venture there, and if they fail, then, like the piano student, they make a decision never to touch it again – saying: virtual meetings don’t work; you can only do proper business face to face; you can only build rapport face to face.. etc).
The role of the “teacher” – in this case NoMadMeetings – is to help the business identify and acknowledge this zone, and help them know that they can have whatever assistance is appropriate to move into the zone, and through the zone, and together we can develop the skills, business processes, confidence and tools to succeed.
Here are comments we hear from managers related to this zone:
“I did not realise how inefficient our meetings were, [until we were coached in how to plan and run virtual meetings].”
“We now routinely hold short and [virtual] meetings, because we know the key steps in making them worthwhile, productive and engaging.”
Contact us examples of what has worked for you. Also your examples of confident at-a-distance business relationships that you have developed, or outcomes that you are or have achieved ONLY because you have moved into the zone, or through the zone and confidently know that virtual/at a distant relationships work. We love to hear about what works (and also what doesn’t work for you!).
(Photo with permission Anne Russell – Russellsynergies photos