Over the past few weeks, millions of Americans have had to make an abrupt shift to working from home. For many, this has been a jolting experience. The act of getting up and going to work every day can serve as a trigger for getting your mind on track for productivity. Without that trigger, it can be a struggle to adjust to a day where all you can do is roll out of bed and try your best to get your work done.

This experience has also been an isolating one – working without your team can make you feel detached from the overarching goals of any workplace. Keeping yourself and your team motivated at a time like this can feel like a daunting task. Still, with the incredible technology, we have at our fingertips, staying connected is possible. 

Benefits Of Video Conferencing

The benefits of using video conferencing as a method of communication reach farther than you’d think. Video conferencing is an incredible tool for diminishing the spatial divide the best we can, so read on to learn more about the benefits of video conferencing.

1| Attendance

Perhaps the best thing about this situation is that most people aren’t too busy for a meeting. We don’t have to worry about appointments, lunches, major chores, or other meetings getting in the way of something as simple as a weekly check-in. 

It’s even easier to bring people together if you’re using integrated programs like G Suite, which connects meetings to emails and calendars and allows coworkers to know when you’re free to chat. Getting your whole team in one place—albeit a virtual one—is easier than ever. 

2 | Body Language

When we use tools that rely on text (or even phone calls that rely on voice), it’s easy for things to get lost in translation. Tone doesn’t always come across the way we intend, ideas can be misunderstood, and messages can be missed.

Body language is one of the many factors that allowed our species to get so far. We use body language in subtle ways to express ourselves and take in what others are trying to communicate in return. A subtle head nod or shake, the shrug of the shoulders, or a sweeping hand gesture can change the meaning of a sentence or interaction in a fraction of a second. So when that’s taken away from us, miscommunication is inevitable. 

Video conferencing bridges the physicality gap that our brains are always trying to fill and makes it much easier to communicate.  

3 | Streamlined Communication

We have plenty of methods of keeping in touch with one another: instant messengers, emails, and texts, for example. The problem with these tools is that conveying ideas can take lots of time when we factor in the back-and-forth required for one conversation, even those that seem the most straightforward. 

When we use video conferencing tools like Google Hangouts, we have an opportunity to discuss the way we do in person—we take turns expressing ourselves both verbally and physically—and that can turn a massive week-long thread of emails into a neat pile of deadlines and deliverables in a fraction of the time. Plus, when we approach these virtual meetings with an agenda and set schedule, things tend to move even more efficiently than they might in person. 

4 | Collaboration

Video conferencing, above all, allows us to collaborate. With screen sharing technology, it’s easier than ever to communicate our ideas to achieve whatever the goal of the meeting is. As long as the meeting is approached with set objectives, whatever projects your team is working on are bound to move forward smoothly and as a cohesive unit. 

Video conferencing is the best way for us all to make the most out of a situation that may feel a bit scary. If we come together and use the tools we have to integrate the work we’re doing, the only way to go is forward. You can find more resources to help you get started with virtual meetings over on our blog.