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Guide for WHEN to do FACE to Face vs VIDEO meetings

 In Delivery, Environment, Job Interview, Meetings, News, The Winning Voice, Video, What not to do

With the re-start of ‘normality’ in Australia, set for early July, how will you decide when to have a face to face meeting versus a video meeting? What’s the best mix of face to face and video meetings?

From my research and discussion with executives, below are overall thoughts on the topic and a list of suggestions on when to hold face to face and when to do video meetings – for you to adapt.

Adapt is the operative word.  Don’t adopt the suggestions, adapt them to your organisation, culture, environment, geography etc.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

You’ll never replace the richness and vividness and feeling tone of face to face meetings. With a succession of video meetings, we become ‘distant’ from people and trust can be eroded.

In effect, we come to know people – less.

You can often ‘read’ a face to face meeting. It is much harder to read a video meeting. In the face to face world, when a person enters a room, often, a strong impression is often formed. When seeing someone enter a video meeting the impressions are weakened. It’s also easier for people to hide in video meetings.

Consider meeting face to face, proportional to the importance of the meeting. When you’re not sure whether to meet face to face versus video, opt for the face to face.

Here is a my first draft suggestions for you to adapt. Adapt is the operative word.  Don’t adopt them. Adapt them to your organisation, culture, environment, geography etc.

WHEN TO DO FACE TO FACE

First meetings with prospective clients within your own city.

First meetings, that require air travel, with A and B class clients.

Pitch meetings with new and existing clients.

Thank you and appreciation events for clients.

Orientation of new team members, and at 21 day intervals for a span of three months from the orientation date.

Important board and leadership team meetings.

At 21 day intervals with internal team members, to reduce isolation.

All-hands meetings to celebrate a significant accomplishment.

Important candidate interviews.

Making a team member redundant.

WHEN TO DO VIDEO

Second and subsequent meetings with clients and prospective clients in your own city and interstate.

Internal weekly team meetings.

Internal, regular all-hands meetings Internal one on one meetings.

Leadership team meetings.

Board meetings.

Shareholder meetings.

Client conferences.

HOW DO YOU BEST MIX OF FACE TO FACE AND VIDEO MEETINGS

Alternate face to face and video meetings. For example, if you have your Leadership team meetings weekly, in a block of four meetings, have three video and one face to face meeting.

Own the Conversation

Reflect on the above suggestions and over the next seven days, adapt the suggestions while, over time, compiling your playbook for when to hold face to face versus video meetings.

 

 

 

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