After 11 years of running a virtual company with my agency, ZenChange Marketing, I’ve learned a thing or two about the benefits and challenges of having a remote team. I’ve seen how being virtual can offer flexibility, diversity, and efficiency to both our team and our clients. But I also know that being virtual doesn’t need to mean being isolated. In fact, meeting in real life (IRL) is crucial for building trust, collaboration, and creativity among remote teams.
That’s why I recently organized a trip for my leadership team to meet in person in Miami, where I’m based. And let me tell you, it was one of the best decisions I ever made.
Why Meeting IRL Matters?
You might be wondering, why bother meeting IRL when you can communicate online? After all, we have so many tools and platforms that allow us to chat, call, video conference, and share documents easily. And yes, these tools are essential for keeping the workflow smooth and the communication clear. However, they are not enough to create the human connection vital for any successful team.
Meeting IRL allows you to see the faces, hear the voices, and feel the vibes of your team members. It allows you to get to know them beyond their roles and tasks and discover their personalities, interests, and passions. It also helps you to understand their strengths, weaknesses, and preferences and to appreciate their contributions and perspectives.
When you meet IRL, you can have more fun and spontaneous interactions that are hard to replicate online. You can share jokes, stories, and experiences that make you laugh and bond. You can enjoy activities, hobbies, and events that enrich your lives and broaden your horizons. You can explore new places, cultures, and cuisines that expand your knowledge and appreciation. All of these things can enhance your relationships, your morale, and your culture. They can make you feel more comfortable, confident, and motivated to work with each other. They can also spark new ideas, insights, and solutions to improve your performance and results.
How To Make The Most Of Meeting IRL
Of course, meeting IRL is not always easy or feasible, especially when you have a large, diverse, and distributed team. It can be costly, time-consuming, and logistically challenging to arrange. That’s why you need to plan carefully and strategically to make the most of your IRL meetings.
Here are some tips that I learned from my own experience:
- Choose the right time and place: You want to pick a time and place that works for everyone and minimizes disruption and inconvenience. You also want to choose a location that offers something interesting, attractive, or relevant for your team. For instance, I opted for Miami due to it being my home, the presence of several local clients, and enjoyable attractions.
- Have a clear agenda and purpose: You want to have a clear idea of what you’d like to achieve and how you want to do it. You want to balance your work and leisure activities and ensure both are productive and fun. For example, we had a beginning-of-year planning exercise where we discussed our goals, strategies, and action plans. But we also had a lot of leisure time, where we went out to see live music, went on a boat, and went out to dinners.
- Be flexible and adaptable: You want to be prepared for the unexpected and be ready to adjust and improvise. You want to be open to new opportunities, challenges, and experiences that might arise. You also want to respect and accommodate your teams’ different needs, preferences, and styles. For example, if you have a team member with a food allergy, that is something to consider. But one of the most remarkable aspects of our Miami rendezvous was finally meeting long-time team members like Elias in person. Despite 8 years of working together, there’s something profoundly different about sharing physical space. The camaraderie fostered during our time together not only deepened existing bonds but also paved the way for new synergies and insights.
The Benefits Of Meeting IRL
I can honestly say that meeting IRL with my leadership team was one of the best decisions I ever made. Not only did we have a great time, but we also achieved a lot. We strengthened our bonds, improved our collaboration, and enhanced our creativity. We also boosted our morale, motivation, and confidence.
And the best part is we didn’t lose any of the benefits of being virtual. We still have the flexibility, diversity, and efficiency that we value and enjoy. We still have the tools and platforms that we need and use. We can still work alongside people in different cities, and countries. But now, we also have something more. We have a deeper connection, a stronger culture, and a brighter future. We have the power of meeting IRL.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, meeting IRL is a powerful way to enhance your virtual team’s performance, satisfaction, and success. It can help build stronger relationships, foster collaboration, and create a positive team culture. It can also help you align your vision, goals, and strategies and celebrate your achievements and challenges. Meeting IRL can be a rewarding and enriching experience for you and your team, as I have learned from my experience. So, don’t miss the opportunity to connect with your team on a human level.