Imagine there are no flip charts. Imagine if you can. No board table with members sitting in their predictable random order.
With no typical meeting room distractions like fluorescent lights, a laptop and overhead box projecting the slide on the pull-up or pull down screen.
Imagine all the people – board members – in a comfortable, refreshing and unpredicted environment – a relaxing setting that makes you feel good. Sofas, high top tables and bar stools, and bit screens across the living room type feel. Don’t like sitting in a sofa all day? Move to the table where you can sit up straight. Need some coffee? Go make your own, one-cup at a time.
The agenda was adaptable and manageable:
- A beamed in webcast – a state economic outlook with a drill down into the local area for this association.
- The presentation on the big screen from a legal update to a discussion on value – what it is, how the association is doing with it, and ideas to communicate better.
- Presentations that were more like a big screen movie than a business meeting – and additional small television screens around the room
- The group focused on the vision and mission when discussing their strategic issues, their goals and what it would take to achieve them.
- Strategic Planning – real collaboration without rush or distraction.
- The remote beamed between the walls, and breakout sessions with iPad for each group to document their ideas. It makes the output easy to capture and collect – and readable.
Settings like this where technology looks easy usually are not. Association Executive Mark Epstein (Tri Counties Association of REALTORS®) was behind the scenes certain the connections worked and the environment was laid back and easy.
When it comes to thinking differently, being strategic, a new, unexpected environment lent to board member focus, thinking clearly and being “there” in mind and body and spirit.
The ROI was obvious as we said goodbye. Comments included “relaxed, comfortable, engaged, productive and all on the same page.”
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