Virtual Meetings Planning a face-to-face or Virtual Meeting

Situation

Suppose your firm will be holding a meeting of 7 people from all over the U.S.A. They will either set up a virtual meeting, where everyone stays home, or create a live event that brings everyone together. Compare and contrast virtual meetings with live events. Assume costs are not an issue.

Comparison of In-Person and Virtual Meetings

Comparison based on convenience

Virtual meetings has expanded the communication options

Virtual meetings are convenient and have unique advantages

Comparison based on effectiveness

Face-to-face is by far the most effective form of communication

Given the circumstance, face-to-face is the better option

Overview

If cost is not an option then face-to-face communication is by far the most effective form of meetings. Face-to-face communication and virtual meetings are two entirely different types of communication. While each one has its advantages, when and how they should or should be used will depend on the unique characteristics of the circumstance. Face-to-face meetings allow participants to fully and naturally express their selves while virtually meetings are not quite as natural of an experience. While the virtual meeting is predicted to one day account for a substantial amount of meetings, it will never completely replace face-to-face communication; especially if time and money are not the key considerations.

Virtual Meetings

For many generations, conducting a meeting was completely dependent on face-to-face in-person contact. For larger companies that spanned geographic areas, this meant that a significant time was dedicated to travel which was also associated with great expenses. Contemporary technology has greatly expanded the ability to communicate in a variety of different ways and through an expanding number of platforms. Whereas once the technology was limited to voice only, today there are platforms for video as well as a many forms of different collaboration tools. Today many companies hold virtual meetings in place of meetings that were formerly face-to-face arrangements. A virtual meeting is Online virtual meetings are real-time interactions...

In other words a virtual meeting can link meeting participants without him or her ever leaving his or her workplace. From this new innovation businesses can expand businesses and make decisions faster; however, all meeting attendees should learn to respect each other, communicate, and appreciate each other's differences.
This technology also can provide unique advantages that are not always possible with face-to-face meetings. For instance, if the group is spread out geographically then it could take days to make the necessary travel arrangements. However, with a virtual meeting these meetings could be arranged in hours, if not minutes. Furthermore, with large groups, sometime there isn't simply enough room to house them. Whereas with a virtual meeting there can be an infinite amount of participants. Virtual meetings and web conferences are cost-effective, less consuming and tremendously convenient and the platform is becoming increasingly popular; especially for non-critical or low priority business functions. Although these meetings will never officially replace an actual face-to-face meeting in terms of their communication effectiveness, it is likely their popularity will continue to rise. Some of the best practices to keep in mind while holding a virtual meeting have been identified as the following (Heath, 2011):

• Provide and Agenda and Other Necessary Information Beforehand

• Use the Proper Software and Technology

• Test the Equipment Before the Meeting

• Encourage a Friendly yet Professional Atmosphere

• Establish Clear Goals

• Encourage all Participants to Present Ideas

Figure 1 - Face-to-face and Virtual Hybrid (Heath, 2011)

Face-to Face Meetings

Face-to-face meetings are still by far the most effective medium for communication. The advantages lie in fact that there is the full spectrum of social interaction in which cannot be duplicated by virtual technologies. It is easier to pick up on body language and presentation style that are harder to deduce from virtual technology. Furthermore, there can a wider range of activities that can be…