Video conferencing has helped us keep in touch throughout lockdown, but should this relatively new technology spell the end for face-to-face contact?
To simply replace ‘in person’ events with video conferences would risk losing so many things that we take for granted, and that we have a duty to protect.
Number 1 – Life is not all about business!
Ask yourself how many video conferences ended in a chat over coffee, a stroll around the grounds or a deeper conversation over dinner? Did a video conference include a chance to visit new places, eat fine food, meet people you would never have met or create memories that last a lifetime? In fact, can you remember any video conference calls at all?
Number 2 – It does wonders for our mental health
Researchers have found that having limited face-to-face social contact nearly doubles someone's risk of having depression.
Taking your people away from their laptops is not only beneficial for their mental wellbeing, it also inspires openness, creativity and boosts morale. It gives your people the chance to relax, re-energise and re-engage.
Number 3 – You’ll create lasting relationships
92% of our groups surveyed said that they had lost connection with some of their people because they were unable to meet face-to-face.
Meeting in person allows relationships to grow stronger, last longer and have a deeper connection.
Getting people back together, whether in the a meeting room, conference centre or coffee shop, is vital. Humans are a social species and we thrive on face-to-face contact.
We need to get our people off-line, so they can enjoy a chat with their teams, build new relationships over a coffee and connect for real, in-person, face-to-face.
