Probably heard:
“Another meeting that should’ve been an email.”
By writing you first find out whether you really need a meeting. And if you indeed need a meeting, then you take another five advantages that make your work experience a world of difference. We have listed them for you.
- Writing forces you to make explicit what you want to discuss. And what you want to achieve with it. After all, as the organizer of the meeting, you try to get something done for which you need others. Compare it to a journey you are about to take. By planning carefully you arrive much earlier at your destination. But it doesn’t just help yourself. You also show respect towards the people who come along. You show that you are careful with their time. The fellow travelers know where they stand and can prepare well. Want to bet that the trip will be a lot more fun?
- Writing gives EVERYONE the opportunity to participate. Live meetings give extroverts a huge advantage in communication because they think out loud and often assume they don’t need time to think things through. People who can speak in their mother tongue are also at an advantage. And people who sit together while others are calling in also have it easier. While this can be detrimental to decision-making, it is rarely acted upon.
- Writing encourages careful thinking. You probably recognize the feeling when making a presentation: “What is it that I actually want to say”? The same is also true for the people who respond. You have called something quickly enough, but if you share something in writing, people are generally a lot more nuanced. And then it also becomes easier to comment. Try shooting holes in a plan that is not on paper. You’re probably asking the planner for a document first, right?
- Writing creates involvement. If you inform people well and ensure an inclusive process, they will be much more willing to help and put their best foot forward. And there is a simple psychological principle that if you interfere with something, you will find it more important and do your best to make it a success. In addition, people are more likely to put their shoulders to the wheel when they see that careful considerations are being made. That is exactly what you achieve by writing.
- And finally, writing saves a lot of time. That feels counterintuitive to many people. That is why we will give more than 10 scientifically substantiated arguments in the next blog why. We will also give a number of numerical examples. But now we already give you the reason that is number 1 with us: You can read faster than listen. Yes, you read that right. Sharing information in writing is more efficient than oral. The tempo at which you take written words is a lot faster than the tempo at which you listen to (the same) spoken words.
I can hear you thinking: “Which medium is best to use for this? Email, chat, maybe a Google Document?” The answer is: all options are better than not writing. But you can also use a meeting communication tool with an interactive agenda, which is specially made for it. It’s up to you!
