Irony being the greatest of all ironies in the world, it should not be much of a surprise that the exact terms of such interpretation allowing crossover into starkly differing interpretations of reality should be so commonly encountered a phenomenon of everyday deriving. But the fact that they are as recurring instances of normality across the singular realm of the diverse world is one truth universally established and reestablished through different discourses of it along the runs of time. Take for instance the as identical as it can get phrasal word of ‘face time’ and FaceTime with just the case of the letters and a space however eking out a whole world of such enormous distinction that indeed makes all the difference. Sitting on exact opposites of the same scale are these two different assertions, each in a notion of them that dramatically polarises the other. In its basic, ‘unremarkable’ version, completely devoid of any alternative meaning, face time is essentially the time entailed out of a face to face contact with someone. Overruling this facet of the common noun though and asserting its prominence as a more discrete Proper Noun instead or commonly also as a verb is the FaceTime of more modern day leanings, referring to a digital service serving though of the same purpose of connection face to face as well, though in an ‘advanced’ manner of being. And while the times of the second decade of the 21st century has registered within its definitely defining dimensions enough mode of transitions even in its mere existence in just a couple of years now, making therefore the evolved nature of communication of Apple’s FaceTime the norm over the unassuming still existence of the separated face and time entity, the importance of what can be considered the traditional mode of contact cannot be ruled out yet.
With the menacing still exploits of the COVID 19 disease continuing its way in utter wayward might of its own for more than two years now, the world has been left to deal with not just the extents of contagiousness of a deadly virus but grapple also to conduct its own ordinary business along the course of its existence. Thus what has emerged is too much a reliance on the exploits of technology for furthering virtually every single aspect of the everyday life of humans, whether it be for existential purposes of work and business or more live worthy chartings of leisure and entertainment or the many other reasons somehow attempting to yield a response across either of the aforementioned states of life and living. Of course a greater shift to the technological had already been effected in gradual but guaranteed steps of it even before the pandemic set about to making it the absolute way of treading for the whole wide world. Which means that amidst our taking recourse to a number of such alternative routes of connect and contact, the widening gap between the face time and FaceTime identities had already gained more than enough traction. With the latter interpretation of the concept in very digital terms effectively nullifying the constraints brought about by separation of time and space in corresponding measures of them, it has been only reasonable that a switch to conducting important business meetings and conference with clients and companies and parties outside the purview of one’s more localised area and region of existence by rejecting the inconveniences of travel and associated logistics in favour of the instant and hassle free option of video conferencing and the like gained prominence. But even in almost scraping away the person to person interaction in very physical terms whether out of necessity or in compulsion, the fact that remains still resilient, relevant and real as ever is that face to face meetings continue to be important at least in their essence, even if not so much yet in the realisation of the crucial attributes of them.
Source: Lifesize
Face to face meetings, or let’s refer to them as the traditional way of conducting business instead, discounting though the personal aspect of communication as which they entail as well, might come a cropper when it comes to apparent saving of time and energy and conserving of resources in its very nature as being more ‘demanding’ an exercise in execution. But what is evident isn’t always wholly the real standard of what it is and traditional meetings do hold an advantage over digital communication across a range of the characteristics that make it up and even surprisingly in relation to the oft (mis)quoted contexts of time and space. Because for all that it entails, digital modes of conducting professional affairs whether it be for the immensely real like immersive experience of video calls and/ or conference or the rather ‘removed’ relying upon mails and messages tend to be only a secondary way of communicating with people. And in a world where the ultimate decisions of even the most intricately challenging business kind are essentially taken by very human brains in referring to their power of cognisance and reasoning and not derived out of an algorithm fed into by simulations of the real world, the power arising out of the very essence harboured by the primal taking to any face to face communication can never be undermined.
Engagement indeed is the key driver that sets apart in person meetings from digital ones with the latter susceptible to such irritating interruptions of buffering and network connectivity and the like that more rapidly drains the human zeal than any energy sapping escapade upon flights or the like. The clarity of interaction that so effectively determines the future course of action in every work setting is ever so essentially present in traditional meetings, making it therefore stand out over even the multiple portals through which the online connection seeks to eke out a favourable conclusion.
No less important tends to be the non verbal exploration of behavior so integrally intertwined in any form of communication struck in person, that holds greater cues to what is the real indeed determiner of final outcomes. Interestingly, it isn’t just the prospect of luring in clients by managing to build an impression through assertion of verbal as well as non verbal skills but also the significant extent of in company bonding that is such a crucial aspect of forging a healthy work culture. Face to face interactions between project leaders and their associates or between bosses and employees not just bridge the hierarchical gap between individuals making up different echelons of the professional world but also help foster trust and understanding between and among them. Because real communication hold greater scope for more lucid expression of oneself, whether in assertion of one’s personality or in relaying one’s ideas and principles of work, it helps to establish therefore a connect between group members and employees as well as with employers for a greater sense of belonginess within the workspace that is often a very effective driver of productivity and loyalty.
In person communication tends also to be more natural and manifests therefore as a less stressful commitment to handle. And while the traditional way of conferences and meeting still does call for considerable prep to be done beforehand, the realisation of this approach tending to be comparatively relaxed sets in only when one has encountered the rigid unease of the online world. Emerging out of greater clarity indeed, and in such allowance of it that makes providing more convincing an explanation of one’s view on the scheme of things a legit proposition as well as such scope of it that make improvisation and brainstormings more productive sessions, real time face to face interactions hold always the upper edge when it comes to conducting business in the most efficient of terms indeed. Conversely, misinterpretations are less likely to occur or at least more likely to be cleared out when the mode of communication is one that involves presence in person.
Source: Small Business Bonfire
In more professional appropriate jargon, face to face communication is also important across such associated concepts that naturally stem out of this primitive means in interaction. Attentive listening for instance is one fore across which the advantages pan out, even as the build up of a collaborative work environment, one that engages one and all and therefore brings in more energy leading to a boost in productivity necessarily entail out of it. Prior to achieving the results though, it helps also in reinstilling the spirit in employees of consciously wanting to emerge as more valuable resources to the company by being as productive as possible. Charting therefore essential virtues of work ethics in such measure that is not just optimum but might as well be the epitome of it, making therefore the whole venture stand on more reliable grounds of success.
With connection established and rapport build through such intimate indeed ploys of interaction, face to face meetings touch upon also more human areas of empathy that which might not seem to have much to offer in the professional context can still be a surprising driver of workplace motivation and general geniality simply by being a positive human emotion. In promoting cooperation between employees and employers or among employees as well while helping drive favorable business outcomes out of clients, direct face based interaction can indeed be the deal breaker by ensuring that no valuable information is susceptible to the folly of getting lost in hazy translation of the forever buffering digital world. Face to face meetings count because they signal a greater effort made, whether it in be in traversing the dimensions of time and space or in ensuring that the concerned parties do all that is within their means, or rather even beyond it to influence negotiations and securing tenders and projects and contracts and present thereby the esteem they accord indeed to their work as the ultimate priority. Of course, endless boardroom conferences and mundane summon for meetings at the most ungodly hours of the day can prove to be counterproductive. The key is to strike a balance and schedule face to face meetings in utmost consideration of the convenience of all involved, for it to disrupt the frenzied FaceTime phenomenon mostly taken to in the utter fancy of it.
