Key Differences Between In-Person and Virtual Meetings
Raphael Avraham Sternberg is famous in the United States and globally for his motivation. He gives the differences between virtual and physical meetings. According to Raphael, several firms have adopted remote working. This has become a norm since the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic. Even though the situation is returning to normal, several firms will likely maintain remote working. Also, employees enjoy remote working, and according to firm owners, remote work has saved on space and the cost of furnishing the office. Employees confirm enjoying the cozy home offices, lunch break exercising, and brief commute times. But, a group of employees also prefer physical to virtual working and meetings. All our preferences are accepted and respected. In this article, we will cover some differences between virtual to physical working and office meetings.
In-Person Meetings
Advantages of In-person Meetings
In person, meetings involve more fluid talks, and there are higher chances of establishing a positive rapport with clients and your workmates. Similarly, physical meetings make brainstorming easier for employees than virtual meetings. In-person meetings have minimum interruptions, and never will poor internet or muted mics be a hindrance.
Disadvantages of In-person Meetings
Physical meetings often waste a lot of time because they involve traveling from place to place to meet for the meeting. It also has disruptions like smaller conversations, out-of-topic chats, and bantering. Several in-person meetings in external locations are expensive because they involve booking and hiring spaces.
Virtual Meetings
Raphael also talks of virtual meetings and their pros and cons. This will help you gauge whether virtual meetings are a suitable option for you or not.
Advantages of Virtual Meetings
First, virtual meetings are quick. They do not involve planning for participants’ schedules, arranging for refreshments, booking rooms, or traveling to meet. Virtual meetings are always straight to the point and brief because they do not involve small unnecessary talks but focus on the main point. The meetings are highly efficient because of no chit-chat and unnecessary talks. Virtual meetings are affordable because participants can meet from their homes.
Disadvantages of Virtual Meetings
Virtual meetings have no human connections hence affecting creative collaboration. The meeting can only be successful when the internet connection is good, making the meeting tedious and difficult. With virtual meetings, employees lack enough time to create a solid rapport among themselves.
Key Differences Between Virtual and In-person Meetings
Speed
Virtual meetings have a faster speed of communication compared to physical meetings. Virtual meetings involve logging into the account and taking part. The speed in in-person meetings is much lower because of mimics and off-topic conversations. In-person meetings are also affected by the issues of lateness, which makes the meeting lag.
Cost
The cost of having a successful in-person meeting is much higher than virtual meetings. In-person meetings involve renting space and buying refreshments which makes it costly. Virtual meetings only involve having a stable internet connection that is affordable.
Human Presence
With in-person meetings, people can interact and strike a rapport among themselves. You can also make new friends and share ideas easily after the meeting ends. In-person also supports collaboration among people. However, virtual meetings allow only one person to speak at a time, hence regimented collaboration.
These tips from Raphael Avraham Sternberg will help us understand the differences between in-person and virtual meetings and their cons and pros.
