7 ways to use face-to-face communication

Despite the social media revolution that’s taking place in organizations around the world, face-to-face communication still has a place in the communicator’s toolbox

Studies and surveys bear this out. A survey released last year by the IABC Research Foundation finds that tech-savvy Millennials as well as their older Baby Boomer counterparts prefer face-to-face as the primary way to build relationships in the workplace. A survey earlier this year by the consulting firm KHR Solutions found that 56 percent of respondents prefer face-to-face communication with their bosses and more than half prefer communicating with co-workers face-to-face

There’s no getting around the importance of face-to-face communication, but many organizations still struggle with the best way to use it. Here are seven tips to get you on your way:

1. Make face-to-face part of your overall communication strategy. As effective as it is, face-to-face is not a panacea. It should be one element of a communication strategy that also includes other vehicles that are useful and relevant to employees. How do you know what vehicles should be used to communicate various messages? Ask employees through a survey or conduct a communication audit.