Ballgames, Brews, + Meetings

Monday, August 29, 2011 1:24 PM by Kelsey Horne

what do all three things have in common?
What do all three things have in common? More than you might think. The debate over face-to-face meetings is raging as the country is seeing the economy take another sharp turn. Demonstrating the value of face-to-face meetings has never been more important.

A recent blog post on the Economist titled ?You can't share a beer over email? asked readers: which has greater need of face-to-face meetings, the smaller company or the bigger? Mixed opinions surfaced but all agree face-to-face meetings are increasingly important. 

Here are some reasons why face-to-face meetings are important. They:
1. Create a team with a sense of ownership not just of their jobs, but of the entire company.
2. Grant a sense of community by meeting distant colleagues.
3. Avoid the cloud of misunderstanding, office politics and finger pointing that could otherwise get kicked up.
4. Promote values and contributions of each individual and the relationships between them.
5. Add a level of honesty to the dynamics of the conversation that the digital world does not yet capture.
Sharing a beer leads to camaraderie which leads to increased productivity and decreased misunderstanding. Enjoying a ballgame and a beer during a networking session may be just the ticket building a happy and productive workforce. In Pierce County, you'll discover more success than ever before with more than five breweries, one semi-professional baseball team and more than 1,490 restaurants, all working toward workplace efficiency.
Author: Kelsey Horne