17Eye Contact
It is always easier to communicate when we can see each other eye-to-eye. Our eyes connect us at an emotional level like nothing else. The eyes really are the windows to the soul.1 When I want to know how my wife is feeling, I don't ask. I look at her eyes. They tell me everything.
The eyes and the micro-expressions around the eyes are how we gauge a person's mood, truthfulness, and approachability. Consequently, in our effort to make virtual training as close a facsimile to physical training as possible, we must be intentional about making eye contact. This means looking directly into the camera.
On video, learners cannot see the entire picture, which can them make them feel uneasy. Thanks to the negativity bias, they are much more likely to assume the worst when they feel that you are not making eye contact.2 They may think that you are:
- Insecure and lack confidence
- Hiding something
- Disinterested and detached
- Not paying attention
- Not listening
- Uncaring
Maintaining regular eye contact is one of the most challenging aspects of virtual training. It is much easier to make and maintain eye contact in person than it is on video.
One of the big reasons why maintaining eye contact on video calls is so difficult is that instead of looking into the camera, we tend to look at ourselves. Studies and surveys indicate that most people spend 30–70 percent of the time on videoconferencing platforms looking at their own face.
According to a survey conducted by Steelcase, 72 ...
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