A face-to-face discussion of organizational topics and issues can be conducted in various methods. In this modern day and age, individuals conveniently communicate through emailing and conference calls which limit the ability of people to express ideas only through the power of words. However, traditional meetings allow individuals to facilitate discussion and interaction in a face-to-face manner, allowing the participants to express their opinions freely with the help of nonverbal communication.
Body language and physical gestures, which are not possible through emailing and phone calls, play vital roles in meetings. Most of us find it easy expressing our ideas along with these gestures. This is one of the many advantages of having a meeting.
Let us find out what other benefits holding meetings can offer to the individuals.
Meetings Build Good Working Relationship
A meeting is a gathering of individuals with diverse opinions which are ready to be shared and discussed. Meeting participants may or may not have similar interests and personalities. But individuals are bonded together in a meeting.
Notice that when you attend meetings in your office regularly, you somehow create a cordial affiliation with your colleagues and even strengthen the bond in the long run. This is because you see each other often during meetings despite the busy and hectic schedules at work that hinder employees to bond with each other during office hours.
Comparing face-to-face meetings with phone calls and emailing, the latter forms of communicating do not really contribute much in strengthening the bond among colleagues. During meetings, individuals can demonstrate manifestations of connection such as a handshake and facial expressions. In meeting discussions, you see other people smile at you or participants laugh with each other. These can be good initial steps to establish rapport with each other.
Since meetings allow a sharing of ideas and experiences, individuals eventually realize that they will find some things common to all of them. This paves way for a more comfortable atmosphere within the group which, in turn, makes it easier for the attendees to freely express themselves without worries of getting criticized and unheard. And when people are comfortable with each, it also becomes easy to crack humor. A good humor during meetings can work as an “ice breaker” from a serious atmosphere and it also keeps the cordial relationship among participants.
Meetings Boost Individual Morale
Attending meetings is a good chance for a person to practice good and open communication with others. Some individuals have brilliant ideas but find it hard to easily express themselves verbally for fear of not getting appreciated and recognized. If the meeting facilitator is effective in making everyone participate, even the most timid attendee will learn to open up and share. Make it a point to be heard and notice that your confidence level will start to build up.
Just remember though that not everyone’s ideas are generally accepted by the group. You may experience being criticized and argued upon. Just prepare yourself for this circumstance and learn how to defend yourself professionally. Being able to interact with different personalities makes one a better speaker and more confident person. In fact, if you communicate your brilliant ideas, you become exposed to the group and soon your abilities will be discovered and complimented.
Meetings Enhance Team Building
When you work in an office where people are so busy they barely find time to get together to catch up with each other, holding meetings can be considered a team building or socialization activity. Despite its serious atmosphere in nature, meetings can be turned into a fun gathering among individuals. One way of doing this is to find a venue that invites a good break from the office environment such as a fancy restaurant.
Other organizations even incorporate meetings with team building activities. So, instead of conducting meetings during weekdays and in office hours, sessions are scheduled during weekends through a team outing. This way, individuals find time for fun and leisure along with the serious matters at work.
However, this approach depends on the nature of the organization and the type of meeting. Managers may find it uncomfortable to discuss important matters while having fun. So, a conference room is a more ideal venue. But there are still ways to build the team in meetings.
