Remote Working and Meeting Face to Face

[fossyant]

Whilst Teams Meetings have been great for controlling a meeting's length, why is it now so difficult to get folk to meet face to face (when the discussion really needs to be in the same room) ? I need folk to be together as it's a change in expenses policy, and could mean an increase in student's claiming placement travel costs (to help with cost of living) - I've had moans about it increasing workload already - tough the bosses said it needs doing.

I suggested I could do any day, as I'm often in 4 days a week. Responses so far, I only do this day or that day ! This is going to be a challenge.

 

[Pale Rider]

You need to hire @ColinJ as a consultant to make use of his forum ride organising skills.

 

[wiggydiggy]

I suspect that if the outcome of the meeting could mean an increased workload then that is the main reason for the lack of enthusiasm to attend. Set it up remotely to start the process, and agree a follow on meeting face to face in that meeting.

 

[fossyant]

I have a feeling it will have to be remote. We're hybrid working but some folk take it to the extreme.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Sorry to hear that, we've only had a positive experience with remote work.

 

[Electric_Andy]

We are hybrid working but if there's a face to face meeting, we are expected to attend. We can't use the excuse "wednesday is not my office day". The whole point of hybrid working is that it is felxible and days can be changed to suit.

 

[figbat]

Why does it need to be face-to-face? One thing we learned though lockdown is that you can do a lot of things remotely that previously were thought to need hands-on time. And if people are working hybrid setups then surely this needs to be respected? I agree that sometimes it feels better to have people in the same room but these days that's rare. I can't remember the last internal meeting I went to in a meeting room or where at least one person wasn't joining online.

 

[wiggydiggy]

We are hybrid working but if there's a face to face meeting, we are expected to attend. We can't use the excuse "wednesday is not my office day". The whole point of hybrid working is that it is felxible and days can be changed to suit.

Hybrid is flexible so long as its flexible within the hours of work e.g. if someones none working day was always previously Tuesday, it would continue to be so and we wouldn't expect them to logon at home on that day (or come to the office)

It sounds like @fossyant is trying to arrange a meeting when people are supposed to be logged on at home, but asking for them to come into the office at the same time instead and they are making excuses - thats not hybrid working.

 

[biggs682]

Face to Face is soooo yesterday

 

[Drago]

Remote working and meetings were the future.

Until a load of middle management David Brent sorts with nothing to do realised they were in danger of being found out, and decided it was no longer the future.

 

[fossyant]

It's one where a few of us have decided face to face will be best. We're getting knock back as people don't want to do the work. It's non negotiable as it helps students with placement costs. I have a feeling folk will not want to agree.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Remote working and meetings were the future.

Until a load of middle management David Brent sorts with nothing to do realised they were in danger of being found out, and decided it was no longer the future.

Theres a lot of reasons why some people are against it no matter what we say, I've luckily not had experience of any of those types myself but have heard stories from friends of various institutionalized attitudes that 'they must be in the office'.

It's one where a few of us have decided face to face will be best. We're getting knock back as people don't want to do the work. It's non negotiable as it helps students with placement costs. I have a feeling folk will not want to agree.

I suspected so, working from home has nothing to do with it! Set up the remote meeting and they have no excuse.

 

[Electric_Andy]

Why does it need to be face-to-face? One thing we learned though lockdown is that you can do a lot of things remotely that previously were thought to need hands-on time. And if people are working hybrid setups then surely this needs to be respected? I agree that sometimes it feels better to have people in the same room but these days that's rare. I can't remember the last internal meeting I went to in a meeting room or where at least one person wasn't joining online.

Yes I also agree, it does save a lot of time and money to do it remotely. But sometimes people like to be in the same room, especially if there needs to be a lot of cross talk and variating input from people which is much harder on MS Teams. There is the "hand up" function but this relies on the chair being effective, and also audio delays make it tricky sometimes

 

[figbat]

Yes I also agree, it does save a lot of time and money to do it remotely. But sometimes people like to be in the same room, especially if there needs to be a lot of cross talk and variating input from people which is much harder on MS Teams. There is the "hand up" function but this relies on the chair being effective, and also audio delays make it tricky sometimes

Right, so there's "like" to be face-to-face and there's "need" to be face-to-face. Teams can be effective if well facilitated, it just needs some effort and buy-in (and not a little bit of etiquette and discipline). In the past when I have found that I couldn't gather everyone together I have sometimes insisted EVERYONE uses Teams, so you don't get the common outcome of the people in the room over-talking, forgetting about and ignoring the online participants. That way nobody is dis/advantaged.

 

[annedonnelly]

Offer cake. The only face-to-face meetings I've had in the last three years have included food