Face to Face

Graphic facilitation of a team-building event

Last week I spent three deeply meaningful days graphically facilitating a meeting with a passionate team from The World Bank. When a group gathers specifically to talk about how they can support the poorest people on the planet, it translates into significant value---really significant value. I spent some time thinking about the simple fact that this team had gathered from all parts of the world to discuss a vast number of issues, ideas and strategies---again, all around supporting programs that help the poor. What would the cost be for this team NOT to meet face to face? It is hard to fathom. Of course, at face value, costs to gather are significant and sometimes hard to swallow---especially in tough times.

What was incredibly profound was the strength of the network that seemed to form in front of our eyes ... I could feel it and see it happening real time. In a recent HBR Survey, 95% of subscribers said they believe face-to-face meetings are a key to success in building long-term relationships. For a global team that spends much of its time regularly dealing with issues that would be categorized as crises, meeting and forming bonds on the spoken and unspoken levels result in opportunities we can't even begin to quantify. Doug Weeks of Booz Allen summed up his thoughts on going to conferences recently when he said, "I go because everybody is going to be there."

So ... we ask, can connections of gathered intelligence, forming relationships, conversation, and the building nature of collaboration happen via a flat screen and a headset?

The bottom line, which is the ROO---Return on Objective---carries WILD VALUE when meetings are well designed, the genius in the room is catalyzed, and every opportunity is made to support learning and transformation.

I saw this happen last week and the experience drives us to continue to explore ways to support meaning making for the hearts and minds that are doing good in the world ... the magic happens when people are face to face.

BAM!