It is quite true that since the pandemic, work habits have changed a lot. One of those changes was the way meetings started to happen. Nowadays they are much more virtual, with zoom and teams, for example, under the pretext of being much easier to meet at any time and in any place.
But… it’s good to reflect on face-to-face, boardroom meetings with the whole team. Let’s list five benefits that face-to-face meetings continue to have so that the habit is not completely cast aside.
1. Body language communicates more information
Face-to-face meetings allow you to observe body language, i.e. non-verbal communication much more clearly. The Psychology Today indicates that at least two thirds of the communication we do may be non-verbal. And its loss means a major miscommunication in the message you want to get across.
2. More attentive and participating employees
Virtual meetings contribute to some participants contributing more than others, causing an imbalance in group communication. Those team members who are more unnoticed, who do not like to talk as much, can be more easily invited to interact in face-to-face meetings. These elements will be more collaborative and the results more productive.
3. Increased trust among the group
Face-to-face meetings contribute to a higher level of trust and understanding. We can apply this maxim to a meeting with a client. If it is done virtually, the desired rapprochement may not be achieved. On the other hand, a face-to-face meeting allows trust to be transmitted and thus increases the chances of achieving the objective.
4. Meaningful relationships
According to a Forbes study, 84% of executives said they prefer face-to-face meetings, allowing for a more solid and meaningful business relationship. Although nowadays interactions are done by email or virtual meetings. But the fact remains that human beings give preference to personal contact.
5. Work flows better in person
It has not happened to anyone that, during a virtual meeting, the connections fail and the communication is interrupted, thus leaving the meeting and having to reconnect. Moreover, it is not always easy to ask for the floor, especially if the participants talk too much. In a face-to-face meeting, body language also speaks for us, letting us know that we want to speak and therefore it is easier to intervene. And then there is no risk of interruptions due to disconnection.
It is a fact that nowadays the most chosen way to hold a meeting is using the new technologies. Because they are more practical, because they allow meetings between people who are not in the same location. But the advantages of face-to-face meetings are so important that they make us rethink doing them again and think that it’s worth renting a space to have the team together from time to time.
Wondering where your next meeting will be? Choose the location here and share it with your colleagues and friends.
