Time to rethink your meetings

Design meetings that engage your key people in conversations that matter.

In the late 90’s we tackled this challenge and developed a collaborative meeting design methodology – one that is highly engaging, productive and maximises the opportunity (and investment) of getting everyone involved. Since then our iMEET! methodology has inspired hundreds of meetings from 6 to 600 participants, from community groups to corporate boards, from Parliament House to a circus tent.

Our fundamental belief is that by engaging the whole group in a conversation it transform passive listeners into active participants. It helps create shared understanding and agreement in the shortest timeframes.  These collaborative meetings enable groups to go deeper, faster and further in the time available.

Our collaborative meeting design principles

  • Agree on what success should look like. What are we trying to accomplish? How should we go about it? How will we know we have been successful?
  • To get the right results, invite the right people. Avoid political correctness: get the people that really matter involved.
  • If you want innovation — don’t just talk about it. Make the program a role model for a new way of working together — innovation in practice.
  • Choose spaces that inspire. Environments are both physical and mental. If you need creativity and innovation, choose spaces that foster that spirit.
  • To make it work, keep it real. Have fun, but keep your focus on real business. People are busy: they want solutions to their challenges.
  • Don’t try to do too much. Create space and time for issues to emerge: slow down to focus attention. Work efficiently but don’t be driven by the agenda. Respond to energy rather than content.
  • What gets measured, gets attention. Sustainable change occurs through focus on the issues, and clear outcomes and follow-up actions.
  • Use the best technology. Match appropriate technologies including hardware and software to leverage your productivity.

“It is the first time I have experienced ..iMEET!.. and I was very impressed with the amount of information that could be shared and presented in a brief period of time and the high level of participation it provided. I guess it was the immediacy that was so powerful.”

How does it work?

  • Before the Workshop  we work with you to define the key business outcomes and deliverables needed from the meeting. We then design with you a process that will both engage your participants and provide them with effective ways to contribute to the conversation and decision making. This process typically combines succinct presentations with small group work, group plenaries, discussion and decision making. Pre meeting work may also engage participants online to contribute ideas, complete a survey or provide input into a design that would meet their needs.
  • During the Workshop we help facilitate the agreed process and agenda supported by our iMEET collaboration software. This platform enables table groups to discuss and contribute ideas that can be made visible to all. Plenary sessions can discuss and agree themes and consolidate, sort and rank and vote on items,  as needed. Information gathered may inform decision-making in future, or decisions can be made immediately and action plans developed. At any time, groups can work together – or in parallel on separate topics or actions. Work is done in real time, quickly and efficiently. A really smart way to keep everyone ‘connected and on the same page’. Throughout the workshop we use our expertise and experience to help you manage the flow to ensure maximum engagement and contribution.
  • After the Workshop we provide a workshop report that documents all of the data and decisions made and captured. This is available the following day or sooner if required.  No long wait for the inaccurate typing up of ‘flip chart scrawl! Time and money saved.

The Deliverable: An outcome that generates ideas, alignment and unified action.

Information from Services / September 28, 2017

How we can work with you

  • Leadership

    Grow leaders who understand, engage & inspire people.

  • Teamwork

    Build high performance teams that are great places to work.

  • Sustainable Change

    Create an adaptive people-centred change ready culture.

  • Vision & Strategy

    Facilitating shared understanding for a preferred future.