With the business environment now relying heavily on digital technology for communication, the importance of face-to-face management is emphasised by Jerry S. Wilson at Businessweek.com.
Wilson is a board-elected senior vice-president of the Coca-Cola Company, where he serves as president of the global McDonald's division, and is also co-author of the book Managing Brand You.
He observes: "People are starved for actual human interactions, and quickie digital contacts make poor substitutes. In today's fast-paced digital world, face-to-face interactions are more important than ever."
Information relayed digitally can be unreliable or misleading, believes Wilson: "Grammatical errors abound, and redirected e-mails with completely incorrect information or aimless oration are sent around like free candy," he explains. "This clutter drives incalculable productivity loss for any organisation."
However, Wilson insists face-to-face interactions allow people in the workplace to discuss issues thoroughly and are more conducive to identifying and addressing potential problems and solutions as well as discovering alternative approaches. What's more, nonverbal cues can be read during real-life meetings to assess true reactions to an idea or opinions.
Wilson adds: "Creativity can be explored during such discussions, and decisions have a greater probability of moving ahead successfully. Ambiguity can be sorted out immediately, resulting in alignment of priorities and direction. None of this is so easy to do in digital space."
Managers who excel in face-to-face interaction are good listeners and are able to understand or empathise with their colleagues.
Wilson summarises by saying: "While it is easy to click and send, face-to-face interactions can have great impact. They lead to more consensual decisions and the building of trust and high-performance teams. It all begins and ends with the people. People who do not have regular and credible interactions with others are missing the potential of personal growth."
Don't Displace Face to Face
Jerry S. Wilson, BusinessWeek, 10/02/09
