Face-to-Face Communication in Business

Time is the biggest impediment to face-to-face communication in business. Overworked executives often feel they simply do not have the time to meet with all employees and interact in a meaningful fashion. To maximize your time, meet for example with a handful of senior executives for a one-hour meeting on Monday to tackle the week’s most significant issues and request reports from various departments. The next day, meet with each individual member to review reports and important messages they’ve compiled for you. On Wednesday, meet with operational managers, and Thursday, meet with front-line supervisors. By Friday, your front-line employees will have a new sense of direction. Even though you will meet with everyone face to face, you should post your meeting notes electronically online for other employees to review, thereby keeping multiple channels of communication open.