The Importance of Face-to-Face
This post written by Eric Peden, Director of Operations and Analytics
I’m one of two remote employees at MyPunchbowl, and — like most startups — we utilize a number of communication tools to keep everyone engaged. Email, company wikis, teleconferences — all are great tools for communication, collaboration and execution. But when there is a strong difference of opinion on which course of action we should take, we’ve found that there’s little substitute for face-to-face.
If I find myself at an impasse with a colleague, a 10-minute videoconference (either Skype or gchat video) will usually resolve what might otherwise take an afternoon of emails. Seeing another person’s nonverbal response helps me better understand his or her objections to my viewpoint more than words over email or telephone. Similarly, I gain a lot more insight into the other person’s viewpoint when I can look him or her in the eye.
We’re better listeners when we can see the whole picture.
