Sure, an email can seem like a quick way to deliver communication but how much are you really getting done over the course of day when you constantly have to reply to an email thread? Everyone has been there. You get the email first thing in the morning, and by the end of the day you may have finally arrived at a solution, hopefully. It doesn’t take much, with the wide array of time zones that usually comprise group efforts, for the email ping-pong game to cross over into the next business day.
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Keep the Ball Bouncing
So long as the project doesn’t have a high priority level in regard to time, this doesn’t really effect the end result. What it does do, however, is distract you from other projects that are sitting in front of you. In an ideal world, one could just easily disconnect from taking incoming messages, but you can’t really do that anymore. Walk away from your internet for even just an hour and you could easily miss important messages that require immediate attention in order to keep the ball bouncing.
How Long Does it Really Need to Take?
When you begin working in a team environment, your inbox can quickly get flooded, leaving you tied up as you try to keep your head above all the replies you need to make. Enter the videoconference. Not only do you get the fun added bonus of being able to actually see the people you are working with, you get to clarify key points of the project at hand, answer any apt questions, and express your intentions. Using videoconferencing to get your projects off the ground can make that critical difference as to whether it takes one month or three months to complete a project.
On the Same Page
For a select few, being able to express yourself through writing comes naturally. This isn’t the case for most of us. The thought of having to write out anything can turn into a nightmare, with the end result becoming a correspondence that falls horribly short of expressing everything that needed to be covered.
When you take on a project, having the team on the same page is critical to getting everything completed. When you videoconference you get to experience somebody first hand. That means that you can rely on nonverbal gestures to help clue you into whether or not somebody understands something. We’ve probably all had that person on a team that replies to emails stating that they understand the task at hand only to later find out that the person really had no clue at all as to what they were doing. Avoid this annoying time leak by shifting the way the team communicates. An environment with greater opportunity for communication gives you more chances to make sure there aren’t any team members that aren’t living up to their job responsibilities.
Say Cheese!
Just like some folk don’t like to email, there certainly are those that can’t stand the idea of being on a webcam. Obviously for the sake of the job, they will need to overcome this. But the one thing that might help someone overcome this is that, unlike one-on-one video chat services, a videoconference involves multiple team members. This can help take away some of that added stress of feeling like the spotlight is turned on you and leave you with more energy to focus on the group as a whole.
Feeling like you are part of a group that is actively accomplishing its goals is a great way to keep yourself motivated to work harder and more efficiently. You don’t get that sort of sense of belonging through emails alone. To keep things moving forward, start each work day or work week (however you split up), with a simple quick meeting. The amount of communication that can be accomplished in even just fifteen minutes is going to be ridiculously more than just through playing phone tag or sending out email after email.
Different Time Zones, No Problem
With the ability to record conferencing you can allow those on your team that are on the other side of the globe to still participate in videoconferencing. Sure, it might not be the same as being able to participate, but the team member can still gather information. Just like in school, if you have a question, than odds are several other people in the room have the same question. This is where watching a recorded videoconference can get you up to par without having to take away the time that you have to dedicate to the project. Save the emailing for quick responses and use it sparingly. Instead, be prepared with questions and take notes during a videoconference.
Freedom at Last (From Emails at Least)
Email correspondence is quick on its way to becoming a second-rate form of communication. Videoconferencing lets you get issues addressed and resolved without pulling you out of your work day. When you get in the zone working on a project, you want to keep yourself there. Don’t let the email chain keep you shackled to your inbox.
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