While virtual meetings may have become the norm – especially in the aftermath of the pandemic– the interaction and spontaneous conversations of in-person meetings remain simply unmatched.
Virtual meetings remain great as they extend convenience, however, they can also be more awkward at times. It is more difficult to mind map ideas within the company and conducts in-depth discussions. Face-to-face interactions have always been known to contribute towards increased productivity and communication at a workplace. It’s definitely a lot easier to brainstorm face to face with a whiteboard and markers than it is to do over a virtual communication platform.
Also, the amount of non-verbal information available in a face-to-face meeting is greater than through a tech-enabled communication platform. In fact, a study by Forbes Insights points out that 84% of executives mention that things build stronger, more meaningful business relationships during in-person meetings and conferences. Moreover, meeting with people in-person can help to encourage spontaneous conversations that inspire some of the best ideas that a business can possibly encourage.
There is a substantial section of the workforce that has simply found it difficult to adjust to working from home. For such individuals, the idea of interacting with people up close remains essential.
In some cases where businesses do not have physical office spaces, in-person meetings may be the only time when employees working in the same organizations are actually present in the same space. In-person experience remains quite important in this regard.
Quite often, face-to-face meetings are crucial in establishing the client relationship while taking things to the next level, when building trust and obtaining loyalty remains crucial. Face-to-face meetings with clients and customers are known to increase emotional relationships and help build loyalty. Similarly, there is a natural proclivity towards meeting and interacting with people before forging a business relationship. Especially at the beginning of a client relationship, where the trust factor remains yet to be established.
It needs to be pointed out that it is always better to hold the hard conversations face-to-face, else there is a possibility of a small issue blowing into a big problem simply because no initiative was undertaken to meet someone face-to-face to talk through the issue and reach on a mutual agreement.
As organizations adjust to the hybrid working model, it remains a fact that physical meetings are very much here to stay. The current challenge for various companies, however, is to strike the right balance between face-to-face and virtual meetings. In all likelihood, the line between physical and remote meetings will become more blurred, allowing more people to interact in the way that best suits them.
Comments
Post a Comment