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Like most people, I have experienced 2020 as a year of constant change – in the way I work, communicate with loved ones, and even do my shopping. So when my company’s CTO approached me to lead a brand new department, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to make another change.
The initiative I would lead was important in advancing Envoy Global’s mission to bring efficiency and transparency to the immigration process. The COVID-19 pandemic has opened people’s eyes to the power of digitization and automation, a priority in the usually paper-based immigration process. Our CTO, Mahi Inampudi, needed someone to lead the charge in order to make our immigration management platform more efficient by integrating robotic process automation (RPA).
Mahi’s request was both exciting and intimidating. As an engineering manager with a technical background, I knew taking on a more people-oriented role would mean new challenges. As an individual with an employment-based visa, I also experience constant anxiety when considering a new job. To feel confident to take on the role, I was going to have to develop my own confidence with Mahi’s and do it virtually.
Take stock of the challenges of a new role
When Mahi first approached me about this new role, I immediately felt worried about my career and the long-term success of this initiative. I’ve been chasing my green card for over nine years and didn’t want to risk a setback. If the initiative failed, would I still have a job? Otherwise, what will happen to my visa? Getting into a new role is always a risk, but my immigration status made it even more risky.
I was also intimidated because I knew how important it was for this initiative to be successful. I would be responsible for collecting and processing hundreds of thousands of documents containing sensitive personal information for employment based visas. Security is essential and the RPA initiative needed to maintain confidentiality while processing a large volume of documents.
There was a lot at stake, and the fact that my decision and the professional transition had to be done virtually made it much more stressful. Remote communication alone presented its share of challenges.
Lack of body language: Communicating through video calls is difficult because you only see faces, not the body language people typically rely on to communicate. Without physical cues, it’s easy to overanalyze things like how long a person has been on break or their level of engagement in the conversation. The lack of body language hampers relationship building, which would clearly be a determining factor in my success in the new role.
Misunderstandings: Different backgrounds and communication styles create opportunities for misinterpretations, especially when communicating from a distance. This makes team building particularly difficult. Maintaining clear and focused communication during the early stages of team building is essential to establish a foundation of trust.
Collaboration: The initiative would require close collaboration between team members in the United States and around the world, as well as coordination with other teams in the organization. This level of collaboration can be particularly difficult to achieve in the remote totality. In many cases, updates and other important information are communicated through office visits and chance encounters in the office, opportunities that don’t arise when everyone is working remotely.
Despite these challenges, I agreed to meet with Mahi (virtually) to discuss the role. I knew that overcoming these obstacles while making a major life choice wouldn’t be easy, but it was possible.
Overcome remote communication barriers
Fortunately, my conversation with Mahi went well. Mahi was honest and patient, which made it easier for me to voice my concerns and talk about my past experiences. Although I had never held a position like this before, I had experience managing teams on a global scale. Mahi sincerely believed the role was right for me, and as we discussed my qualifications and the job requirements, I agreed with him. The transparency I felt during our conversations made me feel not only comfortable taking on this role, but thrilled with the opportunity.
Now that I have some experience in my new role, I can honestly say that I am on the cusp of mastering the art of distance communication. While it may sound trite, patience and empathy are essential for communicating from a distance. Interruptions like poor internet connections and barking dogs require compassion and understanding. And it takes patience to wait for coworkers to respond to minor issues that could be quickly resolved through casual face-to-face interactions. At such times, stay calm and stay focused on the bigger picture.
I have also learned that although misinterpretations are common when working remotely, asking for clarification in advance saves time in the long run. It shows that you care enough about really listening to your coworkers and helps avoid confusion when working towards common goals. And if you think your team isn’t using the most effective digital tools for a given task, speak up, transparency is key.
My golden rule
Your technical skills and experiences mean nothing without empathy and patience. This principle has guided my entire life, from immigrating to the United States to navigating visa renewals and pursuing my green card, and it has also helped me navigate my promotion.
If you’re offered an exciting new job while working remotely, don’t worry about communication issues or other obstacles. Instead, commit to being compassionate, transparent, and listening carefully to others. If you keep the right mindset, you will enjoy a smooth transition and have no trouble exploiting all the opportunities that distance promotion offers.
Roy Dsouza is responsible for the engineering of robotic process automation at Global Envoy.
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