Virtual teams are more productive when connected via videoconferencing than when they communicate using email or phone, a new study has found. And the timing is perfect today for many companies to act on this information.
And in an age where videoconferencing no longer demands dedicated systems or proprietary solutions, this should provide advocates with yet another reason to justify bolstering networks to support the technology. Especially for those organizations already investing in cloud and other solutions that demand reliable bandwidth for every employee.
Videoconferencing helped forge more productive meetings, since 70 percent of participants said they were more willing to engage in discussions when using this technology versus phone or email, according to the study, conducted by the Fraunhofer Institute for OmniJoin. In addition, 60 percent found discussions were more open, since they could see other people and share documents live.
The technology improved morale and boosted team spirit by engendering a sense of collaboration, compared with a feeling of divisiveness created by email and phone, reported 81 percent of those involved in the study. Likewise, 74 percent of respondents felt decisions were made jointly during videoconferences.
Finally, 79 percent of those surveyed found communication was clearer in a videoconferencing environment; they said being able to see speakers allowed them to concentrate longer, reported Fraunhofer.
Although the results are not unexpected -- after all, a videoconferencing developer did fund the survey -- they make sense. And they align with plenty of other studies, such as the March 2012 report from Frost & Sullivan. With the continued growth of mobile employees, the increasing number of home-based employees, and the ever-changing corporate landscape due to mergers and acquisitions, it's easier than ever for workers to feel isolated. It's also easier for them to wreak havoc on their employers' systems, databases, and networks.
As Melanie Turek, vice president of Enterprise Communications & Collaboration Research at Frost & Sullivan, said in a statement:
From our examination of the workplace, we found that companies adopting strategic collaboration tools now will be two to five years ahead of the competition. Forward thinking organizations are seeing measurable value in advanced communications solutions that allow for true collaboration, leading to enhanced thought leadership, customer support and productivity.
Using videoconferencing to create and maintain a sense of community seems a small technological investment, especially when so many organizations are already revisiting their networks to ensure they can handle cloud-based demand. Bolstering bandwidth to ensure they are videoconferencing-capable is forward-thinking, budget-smart, and management-savvy.
Cultural difference do pose a problem though in my opinion. Some people prefer correspondence through email to videoconferencing. Especially in the sub-continent, most dealings are done via indirect means, this trend in turn causes problems when different teams with different cultural backgrounds need to work together, communication gaps arise and that disrupts the overall balance of the task at hand. I think people need to be trained at using videoconferencing, not just sent out there to fend for themselves.
It's like the "paperless office," a concept that makes so much sense, has been discussed for (at least one) decade, and still encounters more resistance than you'd imagine. I think, with videoconferencing, a lot comes to management expectations and styles vs. the capabilities of the technology. There are some people who prefer counting heads in an office. You may never convince them of the technology's benefits.
I'm with you, Dream Chaser. Like technology at large, it sits as a novelty until it begins to become common practice.
We definitely have not embraced and begun to get the benefits of digital connections with videoconferencing. So much time is still spent moving humans from space to space to sit and "meet". As is pointed out in this article, it makes great sense to have people fully engaged when needed and strategically, focusing on the issue, action, etc.
"It's Time to Connect With Videoconferencing" - - This is what I was saying back in 1995 with our product Sharevision 2000 for PC. Granted it was too expensive back then even with a dial up solution such as Sharevison but it worked good. I hope we hurry up this is getting a little ridiculous for something so practical and simple to employ. I still get blank stares, crossed arms and not much else of substance when suggesting remote work these days.
I would think that this should be considered on a case-to-case basis. While some people can multi-task and really get things done, most people can't. At least, based on what I've seen from colleagues and stories I've heard from friends, and of course, from personal experience.
So, long story (or answer) short--Yes, I would think it's a good idea not being able to multi-task in these cases.
Thank you, @dhagar. We've all, I think, been to meetings where we've wondered why we just wasted an hour or 30 minutes; conversely, I hope we've attended meetings (or, ideally, held them), where most of the time was useful, and attendees left with concrete steps to take or goals in mind. Regardless of whether they're in-person or via videoconferencing, meetings should have a goal and a focus, as you say @dhagar. When that's the case, videoconferencing makes them more effective than phone- or email-based sessions since remote attendees are more prone to listen better, feel part of the group, and share their ideas and thoughts, just as if they were physically in the room.
Good points, Joanne. I like Alison's blog. I truly think we can make wider use of videoconferencing. Your identification of the value of focus is the key, I believe, to making those human connections productive.
In the organization physical setting we spend a lot of time on the "peripherals", whether business or social, that do not directly apply or add value to the purpose. I think the videoconferencing favors a focused purpose and the engagement of all parties.
I agree, Kim, that unproductive meetings, regardless of the medium, are at the root of the problem here. One of the benefits of working for home, or working virturally, is to be able to focus. Unproductive meetings, like office chitchat, become diversions from that.
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