Whether getting together in person for problem-solving, planning, or idea-sharing, many employees are thrilled with the opportunity to engage in active discussion when management is truly interested in their input.
I’ve seen the positive impact of these employee gatherings first-hand in my work as a facilitator and trainer. Individual, team, and organizational benefits of effective in-person working sessions include:
- expanded internal resources through networking and relationship-building with co-workers
- reduced silos via interdepartmental communication and teamwork
- enhanced organizational capacity through shared learning, idea-exchange, and renewed focus around a common purpose.
Bringing together employees from different areas of a large organization may incur travel costs compared with lower-cost alternatives of webinars and teleconferences. But the benefits and overall value of connecting employees make a well planned face-to-face gathering a worthwhile investment.
Employee feedback
Here’s what employees say about their experience in these sessions from actual meeting evaluations:
- It’s good to get out of our bubble and look at the big picture.
- It was an excellent open forum to bounce ideas off of other employees.
- Brings together what we’ve been trying to accomplish and articulate in a cohesive, common platform.
- It provided a sense of team and togetherness.
- Excellent opportunity to exchange ideas. We’re all in the same boat with common goals.
Want better collaboration and engagement?
“Regardless of how tech-savvy you may be, face-to-face meetings are still the most effective way to capture the attention of participants, engage them in the conversation, and drive productive collaboration.” – Michael Massari
