In the last several years, we have seen an increasing growth in project teams which are dispersed across locations.  With improved technology, we can communicate more easily with our teams through phone conversations, conference calls, video conferences, e-mail, texts, instant messaging, among others. While being able to easily communicate with others remotely provides many benefits, there is still great value to face-to-face communications.

There is a value to the physical contact of a handshake and eye-to-eye contact which can solidify a personal relationship that cannot be replicated by remote communications. It helps to establish a stronger personal connection. Even one face-to-face encounter can strengthen subsequent remote communications.

Face-to-face meetings are not always possible or the best use of our time, but finding times to engage with your team in person can contribute to improved team engagement and performance. Here are some examples of times to have face-to-face meetings:

Kick-off Meetings: Gathering the project team for the first time can set the tone for the team moving forward through the project. Strongly encourage your team to attend the project kick-off meeting in person. People who join the meeting remotely via conference call will not be fully engaged and will miss an opportunity to create bonds with other team members. I have seen instances where team members in the same building elect to dial into these meetings. To minimize this, I do not publish dial-in information and will only provide the information upon request. This provides me with an opportunity to discuss the request with the person and only provide the dial-in information if there is no way for them to attend in person.

There may be other key meetings where in-person attendance is desired. Stress the importance of this to your team.

Periodic Visit: As a project manager, find time to have some one-on-one visits with project team members. It can even be for an informal chat over coffee. It can provide an opportunity to understand your team members better, what their interests are, what else they are working on, as well as build trust. Building trust and rapport with team members will improve their engagement with the project and lead to better performance.

Remote Visits: Depending on your budget, engaging face-to-face with team members in certain remote locations can be a challenge. Some remote team members are located within close proximity to accommodate an on-site visit, but other team members may be located in offices which require significant travel to visit.

If your budget allows, schedule trips to visit key project team members, especially during key times of the project. A few years ago, I was managing a systems implementation project where the system was being installed at an out-of-state location. I scheduled a visit for a few days to meet with the technical team installing the system along with the vendor. The time spent on-site was very valuable as we worked through key decisions and solidified our relationships. After that visit, our ongoing communications were virtual and we were able to work better together.

When budgets are tighter, you can still find ways to meet with remote team members. In one project that I managed, we had project team members located across the US and I did not have the opportunity to visit with most of them. I did have the opportunity to visit one of our remote sites for a training class, which allowed me to meet with a few project team members. There are times when people may be visiting your office from a remote location. I’ve had the opportunity to meet team members and other key stakeholders visiting from overseas and it was helpful to meet with them face-to-face.

Though our work and interactions have become more virtual, don’t underestimate the value of face time with your team. The return on this investment can prove most valuable.