Face-To-Face In This Technological Age: Why Collaboration Works In Commercial Office Design

The value of face-to-face meetings in commercial office design

• Builds a sense of trust. Many eyebrows were raised in the internet world when Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer, put an end to the company's telecommunicating and instead, told employees to physically attend meetings. Rather than have her employees call in and work together virtually, Meyer believes that face-to-face communication is better to enhance collaboration, which helps to create a better quality of work.
  
  Studies have shown that it is more difficult to build trust within teams that work remotely, it is harder for leaders to emerge, tougher to create genuine rapport and much, much easier for misunderstandings to grow. Meeting in person will not only build trust between employees but also their creditability to each other. It will establish partnerships that are meaningful, built on something more than a digital platform.

• Sharing ideas better. What could take a good half-an-hour in sending e-mails back-and-forth, can be achieved in a couple of minutes through face-to-face conversation. Even the time spent on the phone could be cut too; in person, people are less likely to talk over each other, there will not be a time lag, nor will there be any issues with the connection. Collaboration can (and should) happen naturally, as ideas are bounced around and immediate feedback is gained. This is part of the reason why comfortable, collaborative areas such as breakout rooms are becoming commonplace in modern commercial office design.

• Gauge body language. It's not what we say, it's what we do. An old adage, but one that has been around for so long because it remains true. In face-to-face meetings, you will gain a better understanding of a person's situation by reading what their reactions are. When communicating digitally, this will not be possible; whilst sending a smiley face emoji will mask sadness or frustration, it's more difficult to do in person.

• Open communication. Meeting face-to-face shows transparency, allowing for more open communication between staff, keeping their points clear and concise. Writing e-mails or consolidated feedback takes time and much concentration, whereas open dialogue can allow people to explore their ideas, to really ascertain the situation and find a solution.

• Mutual respect. By capturing each other's attention, employees will be showing a willingness to put time and effort into their meeting. This makes their partnerships valued, as though they are on a shared mission. This mutual respect forms a strong foundation for trust and as we've covered, future collaboration.
  
  Whilst digital interactions allow for efficiency and cost-saving benefits, being in the same room provides an information-rich method that will always be necessary to grow a strong team full of collaboration and creativity. All you need to do now is to get your commercial office design right!