Why Face-to-Face Time Beats Facetime
This week during an in-person creative presentation with a client I was stuck by how valuable the dynamics of face-to-face meetings are compared to the virtual sessions that have become the norm. There’s no doubt that none of us miss lugging presentation boards around the country and wasting endless hours getting to and from client meetings. Add to this the savings in money, sanity and carbon emissions of virtual meetings — it is easy to see why we de-fault to Teams, Webex or Zoom! But this week’s face-to-face was a great reminder of what no virtual meeting can ever replicate:
1. The Value of Body Language
We might be able to read facial expressions virtually, but unless you are psychic there’s no substitute for seeing people’s visceral reactions in person as they respond to creative work…a lean in, a smile, a glance of positivity (or negativity) to their colleagues says it all. Try reading that last one in the virtual world!
2. Spontaneous and Fluid discussion
While we can dialogue in the virtual world, it tends to be just that…conversation between 2. The stilted format and inability to have fluid chats kills the enthusiasm a face-to-face generates. And on the flip side; conflict, dissent and disagreement are more exacerbated by distance and disconnection in the virtual space (what were they really trying to say?).
3. The Collective Impact of a Whole Body of Work
Yes, we have Miro and Mural and a whole host of digital white boards where you can look at a body of work together, but there’s no substitute for a physical wall of work where people can scan, react and compare in a more natural and visceral way.
4. Focus and Attention
There’s no way to multi-task in the face-to-face meeting without being an A-hole! And this need to pay attention fuels efficiency, trust and respect that can be mere illusions in the texting, scrolling, sidebar chatting, camera and volume turned off world of the virtual meeting.
5. Human Connection/Bon Ami
And this is the real killer. Just to be able to shake a hand, hug the huggers and spend time together creates a whole different level of goodwill, understanding and chemistry that seeing faces on a screen can never match.
All this to say…don’t get lazy and just default to virtual because it is easier. Find times to go live and it will keep the relationship and the work alive!