Why Offline Meetings Will Always Exist

Today's millennials are your employees, managers, and CEOs. Along with their younger Gen-Z counterparts, millennials have become a dominant demographic in the workforce, which has paved the way for more accessible communication. The younger generations grew up in the digital age, and they expect to be connected from anywhere, at all times. And those expectations have permeated throughout the workplace, including in conferences and meetings.

With a global pandemic still underway, a vital part of business resilience has been reliant on technology and flexibility. As the world sees loosening restrictions, people are considering what the future of the workplace looks like. But even your millennial employees agree there are several advantages of face-to-face meetings — here's why.

There's still a place for in-person meetings

Conferences and meetings are evolving, but they will never be obsolete. Today most of us are relying on using Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, or other virtual meeting tools — while only 10 years ago the sole option was to have everyone together in the same room.

Most companies have been taking full advantage of the 24/7 connectivity and will continue to allow teams and individuals to work remotely, knowing they are able to collaborate and communicate online through email or chat as easily as sitting down one-on-one.

Even with these wonderful advances in technology, one thing that cannot be replaced is expression. The ability to see a colleague face to face, and react to their body language, changes the whole experience of explaining a project or working through an issue.

Have you ever tried to type a description out and then realize this would be much easier in person? An even more terrifying situation is when a friendly bit of sarcasm is ill-taken on the receiving end of a conversation, which in turns dilutes trust and slows down forward movement. In both of these situations, it can be better to have an offline meeting.

These breakdowns in communication can be more easily avoided during offline meetings because you can use hand movements, body language and vocal expression to get your point across.

Most companies realize this and know that face-to-face, offline meetings are still very necessary for overall productivity. In today’s technology-connected workplace, in-person meetings may be less common, but they will always exist because there are some things you can’t express with emojis.

9 advantages of face-to-face meetings

1. Fast moving projects work better in-person, especially when a road map with all members needs to be laid out
2. Employees often feel represented more fairly when they see everyone face-to-face
3. Reviewing performance or interviewing is better done when there's a human element, and make it easier to communicate company culture and values
4. Not every team feels that technology provides the best form of communication, and bad communication is can quickly become a hindrance to the company
5. Often employees find it easier to stay fully focused on the objective of the meeting
6. Online meetings tend to meander, but when you book a room for a designated time it helps push it along
7. Bad internet or network connections aren't a problem when you're meeting face to face
8. Employees are more accountable for tasks coming out of meetings, and can't fall back on a faulty connection
9. Professionalism is more strongly emphasized when everyone is together in person

After six months of Zoom meetings, most employees are looking forward to all of the benefits they'll get when they are able to have face-to-face, offline meetings with their colleagues. From better collaboration to more opportunities for creativity, meeting in person is still the best way to build stronger relationships.

See how our software can help you get the most value from your face-to-face meetings. Request a demo today.