Taking meetings to the next level...

Google has changed the way we communicate, research, build communities, live our lives, consume our relationships. Google changes our perception of the world and maybe even our future brain structure in ways we are yet unable to comprehend.  

“What would Google do?” Reading Jeff Jarvis’ book and the celebrated media and newsblog buzzmachine.com got me thinking about the way associations and federations operate in an open social networking minefield. 

You would think of it as a minefield if you are the type of person who believes governance is the way to order and organize. If, however, you think like Google does, you know that everything is different in a world where the user determines the direction of the conversation. 

Associations should no longer just speak to their members, they should connect their members to one another and derive value out of making these connections. They should no longer fence off the knowledge bases but open them up for general consumption and conversation or debate.

Let’s take a closer look at relationships. I believe the current generation of young people -let’s call them the G(oogle)-Generation - develop relationships more quickly and more intensely with more understanding because they keep in constant contact with the people in their lives and their networks. Social Networks brings them and keeps them together. 

The value added perception from the current association members comes from a new angle. Existing members that are already sold on the value of your association will have an opportunity to get to learn the uses of online connections stimulated by their peers in the association. By (inter)connecting with your existing members, your network has just expanded exponentially and thereby the reach of your conversation and knowledge base as well. 

Now to practical matters

So enough about the perceptions and now to practical matters. Besides the commonly known Google tools like GMail, Google Calendar and Google Docs you can now develop enterprise-like platforms from your laptop computer or handheld devices on Google Apps. 

I’ve tried and applied its principles over the past months to set up multiple platforms for initiatives (www.meetingsinitiative.org built on Google Apps using Google sites as well as satellite websites for local spinoff initiatives (nl.meetingsinitiative.org , uk.meetingsinitiative.org, it.meetingsinitiative.org) and other small business purposes. 

Another tool has vastly improved the quality of leading an association. As president of a local chapter, introducing online web 2.0 collaboration to run the chapter like a business has been a very rewarding experience.  The MPI Netherlands Chapter is now using Central Desktop online collaboration for over 50 volunteer board and committee members. Other chapters like MPI Italy and a new chapter in formation in Turkey are also applying these technologies. Easy use, basic configuration requirements and vast email reduction based on periodic mail digests on project progress are the key ingredients to its successful application. 

Thirdly I crafted a number of bespoke social networks. One for participants and alumni of  an interactive conference and event management course programme on Ning.com. Another is a collection of experts and novice software users that are now actively exchanging experiences, insights and tips & tricks eventhough they are competitors in their daily business environment. This Software User Group of commercial businesses have met through their not for profit trade association and form a community within a community.    

Today’s online technology tools allow small organizations & businesses to get more work done with fewer employees or with teams located in distant cities and countries. Most are inexpensive, if not free. Below are some of my favorites:

Central Desktop is an online project-management and wiki-like intranet tool that allows you to set up projects with internal collaborators and external customers, and manage all types of communication, file and document sharing. It’s a great tool for creating online operations, engaging volunteer leaders and retain knowledge bases for associations or SME companies. With both public and private workspaces, users work and collaborate realtime. You can use it as a makeshift event website integrating project management tasks as well as integrated web meetings and syndicate messages and content to Twitter and Facebook .

Dropbox is simply a high powered FTP site, but the interface and work flow is impressive. Users simply drag files to dropbox desktop folders, which are then uploaded and stored online. You can share folders with anyone.  Upload a file and it shows up on your remote co-worker’s desktop. You can even set up public folders so anyone can send large files without clogging mailboxes.

The free online Google Calendar lets you share your calendar with collaborators and sync with desktop and phone calendars over internet. Google Apps, the most recent addition to Google  allows you to setup a fully operational backoffice with email synchronization at a fraction of the cost of an Exchange server type environment.

Virtual collaboration via iLinc allows you to work face-to-face in real time using web- and videoconferencing. It also allows you to access files and programs of multiple desktops and visit websites together with a live browser so you can take someone to a page and walk them through a real demo or sign-up process.

Jott allows you to record voice memos that get turned into e-mail text. You can create boxes for anyone you collaborate with and send notes anytime and anywhere. While you’re at it, use voice messages to create groups for distribution, post appointments to Google Calendar and even update your Twitter feed.

SimpleEvent is a free conference-call service, but it has some useful additional features. For example, you can put together meetings on the fly and have multiple people join in. You can also use it to host large web meetings of up to 1,000 participants.

The named system are a random sample of a wide range of tools available online. They are the basis of a learning organisation if you have the curiosity and willingness to try them. In my view none of these tools prevail over any other but demonstrate how I have seen teams thrive across multiple organisations and cultures. They bridge the gaps of communications and allow us to further develop and foster relationships pre-, during and after face to face conferences, live meetings and events.

—By Ruud Janssen, international conference organiser, marketing coach, award-winning e-marketeer, association volunteer leader, emerging technologies speaker and entrepreneur at ©TNOC | The New Objective Collective

Source: Article Headquarters Magazine No.34 Copyright ©TNOC 2009