In this soon-to-be post-COVID era, teams are discussing, sometimes in hushed tones, whether or not they should get together for real, in-person meetings. As the vaccination rates rise and the COVID case numbers go down, this is becoming more and more of a possibility.
However, many companies have realized how amazing virtual meetings can be. They're easier to organize, easy to attend, and less complicated to involve multi-state or country staff members.
Have in-person meetings in conference rooms seen their death??
We don't think so. While there have been some benefits of remote work, the value of bringing your team together for on-site meetings from time to time may definitely be worth your time.
Here's why we think you should consider returning to in-person meetings in conference rooms (at least every once in a while!).
1. In-person meetings in conference rooms allow everyone to focus
We all do it, right? During our team meeting while others are presenting we can multi-task like a fiend! Creating out daily to-do list, replying to emails, creating proposals, and any other digital pressing need we find before us. The camera may be on but that doesn't stop us from making an efficient use of time!
But...it's not quite efficient OR effective in the long term if team meetings are meant to engage, create and solve problems. Before virtual meetings, it was not good behavior to constantly be on your phone or answering emails during a face-to-face meeting. And not because there's necessary a moral value tied to multi-tasking -- it just causes the team to lose focus.
Meetings where a team gather in a conference room requires that everyone focus on one thing at a time. This ultimately brings about faster decisions, quicker agreement, and staff alignment. Focus can do wonders for any company!
2. Conference rooms are think tanks for creativity and strategy
You know when it's hard to be creative? When you're staring at a screen filled with boxes of talking heads on a Zoom call. Conference rooms bring another level of brain engagement and ability to create and explore. There are so many well-designed conference rooms out there. These spaces are meant to encourage brainstorming, creative discussion, and positive energy.
If you need to have a serious brainstorming session that brings out the best ideas of your team, we suggest you get away from the screen and get into a conference room. Watch the creative juices flow!
3. You can meet with both your team both live and virtual
You may push back and say, "But our team is national! It's not worth it to have a local meeting." It's true-- have a national or global team may bring some complexities. But that's the beauty of technology! Conference rooms are often outfitted with video conferencing technology so you can have the best of both worlds. You can bring together your local team, which will automatically energize the conversation to start with, and then you can conference in the remote team. If the tech is available, why not use it?
4. In-person meetings allow you to connect and engage in authentic ways
Have you ever built a successful relationship via email? Yeah, we didn't think so. The best teams are the healthiest, most communicative teams. Remote working unfortunately has a dark side. It's much too easy to miss the non-verbal social cues that happen daily in the workplace. Someone might be having a really bad day. Someone else might be ticked at another coworker. Someone else might need to be recognized for their hard work. But those moments get lost in remote work where our only interactions are on planned virtual team meetings.
If you met in person in a conference room, it gives a chance for normal, natural human connection. You may find out things and recognize needs in your staff you may be altogether missing currently. Meeting together in person may be a simple but effective way to keep tabs on the health of your team.
Ready to start meeting in person with your team??
If you're ready to book a conference room for your team meeting, we recommend the following sites to do some exploration of options:
If you're in Chicago, come check out Mox.E in the South Loop, an enterprise-level coworking and conference room space.