October - November 2001  

Engineering Trends

Terrorist Aftermath — Rethinking the Need for Face-to-Face Meetings

by Todd Yuzuriha

I was in the air on my way to a meeting on September 11th when the pilot's voice came over the intercom. "We've been instructed by the FAA to ground all aircraft," he announced as he turned the plane back toward the airport we had just left.

In the days and weeks following the atrocious attacks of that day, companies across America — even around the world — have been forced to rethink some tried-and-true business practices. One of them involves face-to-face meetings.

The Trend Had Already Begun

Even before 11 September, distance was becoming less relevant in our work lives. Several high-tech tools have made it possible for us to communicate and collaborate from virtually anywhere. As a result, we have not had to rely so much on face-to-face meetings to get together. As we move forward, the challenge will be to balance business and technology, making sure we know when we need to meet in person and when we can meet electronically. We will need to consider making e-conferencing a business-as-usual practice.

Deciding How to Meet

Electronic meetings are great when discussions will focus on factual tasks or keeping up to date on project status. Face-to-face meetings are beneficial when emotions need to be conveyed — when resolving conflicts, selling products or services, or celebrating a project success. Face-to-face meetings seem necessary when emotional stakes are high, whether for a pleasurable interaction or a tough one. Most other meetings might be just as effective held remotely.

Tools to Improve Electronic Interaction

Phones and e-mail will continue to be the common forms of electronic communications. These technologies have become so entrenched in our workplace and are so convenient that they will likely always make sense for electronic communication.

But other tools exist to enhance electronic communication. Video is at the top of that list. If your company has or plans to install video conferencing equipment, take the time to check out its features. This newer technology can effectively substitute for some of your face-to-face meetings, without losing all personal contact.

A more informal alternative to video is the PC camera. These inexpensive tools can be purchased for around $100 and are extremely simple to use. The only real drawback is that both parties communicating must have a PC camera, and firewall-happy Internet connections to make them useable and secure.

As we continue to conduct our work in a changing economic and political environment, it is important to balance business and technology to find the most effective ways to get our jobs done. 

Todd Yuzuriha is the author of How to Succeed as an Engineer: A Practical Guide to Enhance Your Career. For more information, go to www.engineeringsuccess.com.