Everything but relationship building is possible online.
In a conversation last week, my discussion partner commented that education can be easily transferred online so that students can successfully learn anything. And then they finished with:
“But we are not able to create the relationship building experience that students have when they are together in one room.“
In short, they hold the belief that connection suffers in online meetings. And that there’s nothing we can do about it. Most people believe that’s true.
At Choose Leadership, we know otherwise.
Luckily for us, Covid-19 created many opportunities to prove that we can design and deliver online experiences that have participants leave more connected to each other than after most of their face-to-face experiences in office meetings, conferences, or classrooms.
Those open to transferring their events online, have co-created with us all sorts of short and long events in the past 6 months. In other words: We have the data.
We can engage everyone throughout an online experience, no matter how long it is.
We can have everyone co-create towards a shared goal, and ensure it is fun and productive, at the same time.
We can have groups work towards a shared vision that inspires and ignites everyone.
And we can create the atmosphere that has everyone open up to share honestly and deeply.
Given our physical confinement and our decreased ability to travel and meet each other within the same town or around the globe, the yearning for connection has been steadily increasing for a majority of people.
But connection cannot be created through face-to-face meetings alone!
You might feel daunted to turn your event that is all about networking and relationship building online.
We get that. We have been there. But really, it is not that hard!
Yes, there are a few things to consider so as to not overwhelm people with excessive screen time. And yes, we need to take extra care that people stay fully engaged.
Preparing an online event takes more time than putting together the programme for an offline event.
That’s even more the case when we skip the slide show and presentation and instead put a premium on networking and relationship building through meaningful interaction.
But make a quick calculation:
How much time do you save by not having to organise catering, conference rooms, and accomodation?
How much participant travel time (and energy is freed up when transferring to online events?
What about the dramatically decreased carbon and finaicial footprint of your gathering?
We are not saying: “Never meet face-to-face again!”
But our hope is that ever more people experience just how full of energy, interaction and productivity an online event can turn out to be.
And that your annual face-to-face conference will be followed by at least two years of that same conference going online, because you and your participants just loved it.
We know that the same depth of team building,
or alignment around a shared vision and goals,
and inspiration, connection, and interaction are possible online.
The future of team meetings, workshops, and conferences is virtual.
Let us help you to get it right.
