Why Face-to-Face is Best – New Year’s resolution for 2018!

There’s no doubt that the introduction of email technology a mere couple of decades ago was a great boon to business but it has its drawbacks. Emails can be a very blunt tool to communication messages. How many times has an email you’ve sent been misunderstood, misapplied or even misled its intended recipient?

Emails are a bit like post it notes, we can’t live without them but they’re no replacement for verbal or face-to-face interaction. Likewise, Conference calls are a great cost-effective way of communicating with colleagues in different offices or even overseas but the quality of the communication, while sometimes effective, is rarely on the same level as a face-to-face meeting.

This point was brought home to me when I was communicating long distance with a colleague in the U.S. who works for a multi-national insurance company. We are working on a global HR project. Initial communications were stilted at best and we just weren’t connecting. My colleague and I planned a work visit for her to come to our London office and within days we were talking like old friends. At the end of the day, humans are social animals.

The idea that email, phone or so-called “social media” – maybe should be renamed “not so social media”? – can replace that physical interaction is misplaced.

Long distance communication is fundamental to the success of many organizations. At the same time remote workers and virtual teams are quickly becoming the norm these days but meeting over the phone is not always the answer.

In my experience, as I related with the example of my U.S. colleague it is when you meet face-to-face is when the strategy and direction is set. Phone calls are great and convenient, however, without discipline they can be very ineffective.
Another issue with phone conferences is that many of the people taking part “aren’t there.”

By this, I mean they are possibly doing something else, putting on the kettle, making a cup of tea, looking at how many likes they recently got for a post on Facebook! Face-to-face meetings are how the really hard work gets done usually; it is where the heavy lifting takes place. That’s why one of my New Year’s resolutions is to try to meet face-to-face where possible for 2018 and onwards.

It often makes sense to schedule meetings in the flesh even if there is more time, cost, or inconvenience involved. Meanwhile, don’t let distance be an excuse for not meeting face-to-face. Video chat is much better than a phone call for discussing tough issues. Skype, FaceTime, and other apps make it easier than ever to meet face-to-face, even when you are remote.

In an ideal world though I like to meet people in person and it often baffles me when people in the same office or on the same floor talk to each other by email or phone. I’m not saying I never do that, some times we don’t need to wander over to another desk to confirm with a colleague that I am indeed up for going out for lunch with her.

Anyway, in line with the traditional Fifth Step practice of providing a five-step guide to improving the world of project management, here are my 5 reasons why meeting face-to-face is best:

1. Body Language is Communication – We often forget that body language plays a major part in human interaction. It is not just how you said something, but also your facial expressions and body posture. This is lost in a phone conversation.

2. Ensures Engagement – Who knows what people are doing while on conference calls? Probably best not to ask! Face-to-face creates engagement. It means that people are “in the conversation.”

3. Clarifies Meaning – Conference calls often result in misunderstandings whether that is caused by lack of communication or because the medium is not up to better meaning. It is harder to raise your hand on a conference call than it is face-to-face.

4. Drives Participation – When colleagues are in the same room, it encourages greater people participation. You can’t just go sit in the corner and turn your back to the meeting. Yet, allegedly, this is what many people do on conference calls.

5. More Efficient – Face-to-face meetings are typically shorter than conference calls. On the phone, lots of people sit around on mute impatiently waiting for the discussion to conclude. But in face-to-face situations there is a greater pressure to get to the point.

It’s understandable that face-to-face isn’t always possible. Cost and time difference all contribute to having to hold a phone call.
For example: I have been working on a global HR project involving multiple parties across different territories, including the US, Europe, Australia and of course they can’t pop over to have a face-to-face with me at the drop of a hat. But setting a strategic course for a major project management initiative is when that initial face-to-face can help to set the direction and tone for a successful outcome, which is what we achieved for the multi-national insurance company with whom I have been engaged

If you would like to learn more about our approach to project management and the Fifth Step approach to the challenge of change in 2018, drop us an email at enquiries@fifthstep.com

At Fifth Step we’re passionate about your business, and in addition to collaborating with your existing teams, will also own and run stand-alone projects.