iMEET!, and how it works
The iMEET! collaborative process is an innovative process developed by Global Learning to support and accelerate meetings, forums and conferences. It captures discussions and allows groups to rapidly analyse, organise and evaluate ideas — leading to rapid problem-solving and decision-making. All data is captured and is available immediately.
The best meetings succeed by planning for success: developing a sound process to get the most out of all participants, ensuring that strong lines of communication are encouraged and nurtured, and to drive for a clear outcome and alignment.
This is easily achieved in small groups, but as the process is scaled upwards, greater attention must be placed on process, communication, and participation. The iMEET! collaborative process accelerates alignment and decision-making by ensuring that the right questions are posed, and by enhancing full group participation through immersive and high-yielding communication cycles.
The iMEET! difference
Meetings using traditional methods (and even some modern technologies) rarely allow for more than one concurrent discussion to take place — which is fine if you have unlimited time, or few participants.
To accelerate the process, iMEET! encourages groups to work concurrently on different aspects of the agenda all within the same room, at the same time. There is no need to move to break-out rooms, or to re-arrange events to manage any split of function. Through iMEET!, participants can gather together to discuss and document their issues, and to report back to the main group at an allotted time.
This becomes a huge time-saver in meetings: the amount of ground covered is far greater, and yet all discussions are documented for all to see.
The real advantage in using iMEET!, however, comes from the speed in which agreement can be reached, and in the ability of iMEET! to deliver a stronger sense of understanding of the issues, faster yet more-informed and intelligent decision-making, genuine engagement and accountability of decision-making and action,and a greater shared alignment and improved performance following the event.
Q1. What does iMEET! actually do?
A. In a nutshell, it allows people to communicate via computers, in order to sort, analyse, prioritise material, and then choose a course of action. We offer two basic scenarios as examples: the face-to-face session (conference, seminar, meeting) and remote collaboration. In face-to-face sessions, we use inter-connected computers to collaborate and in place of whiteboards, butcher's paper, and hand-written notes.
Q2. What is needed to make it happen?
A. First and foremost: people who want to get something done! In most instances, we use internet-connected computers (nothing special here: any computer connected to the internet will do) and provide the rest. If the internet is not available at a given location, we provide the machinery to bring iMEET! to those present: in the form of computers, a wireless (or wired, if preferred) network, and a server. For face-to-face sessions, we also arrange to have data projection so that collaborative results are seen as a group.
Q3. How do we get there?
A. We help you to plan the best possible approach — from team meetings, planning processes, community consultation, surveys, high-stakes summits, performance management appraisals, or whatever you have in mind. We work with you to design an exemplary process from beginning to end: from the agenda design (including using the appropriate tools and methods to meet your desired outcomes) to meeting management and facilitation, from the operation and management of iMEET! technology during your event to the full engagement and participation of attendees, and from the immediate distillation of attendee input to the rapid output at the culmination of your event.
Q4. How does iMEET! work?
A. Consider this face-to-face scenario: a group of people gather for a seminar, collaborating in order to produce a final outcome (a series of actions). Typically, the room would comprise a number of tables, space in front for a facilitator/chair, whiteboards, butcher's paper, and possibly a data projector for some presentation material. But how do individuals in the room have their say, and how is a final outcome derived? By including iMEET! technology, individuals are able to have their views captured in real time, and shared amongst all participants. What's more, these views (entered into the iMEET! server) can be edited, merged, discussed, reshaped, voted upon, consolidated, and actions prioritised, all within the timeframe of the meeting.
Q5. But what do I need to use iMEET! at a conference?
A. At most conferences and seminars, we provide wireless-enabled laptops with which to enter information into iMEET! directly. Data is stored on a central server (also provided by us), and made available to all other laptops, and projected via a data projector onto a large screen for all to view. All that you need to be able to do is enter content via the keyboard into the intuitive interface on the computer, using a standard web browser.
Q6. Why is iMEET! better than traditional methods?
A. In a number of compelling and very useful ways. The process captures all content from all who participate, regardless of strength of voice. And because it isn't scrawled on butcher's paper, the content is easily read and even more easily manipulated (edited/sorted/prioritised). It's surprisingly easy to rearrange content to reflect the views of those present, and to focus on the topics that matter the most — and all in real time, with results appearing as they are input. At the end of the process, the output is available immediately to all, without the need to transcribe notes to a computer.
Q7. How do I access conference/seminar notes afterwards?
A. Depending upon your requirements, we can either deliver the final output of the conference or seminar within 24 hours of the event (as a Word document or Excel spreadsheet), or alternatively, we can make the session open to delegates via the internet post-event, allowing for further discussion of material, and further work — and then deliver the final output at a nominated time. Online access to iMEET! is protected by unique usernames and passwords, assuring confidentiality of the material at all times.
Q8. What about using iMEET! before and after an event?
A. We cater for this, too — one of the more popular applications of iMEET! is to pave the way for an event, by engaging participants online in order to discuss material beforehand. A typical scenario is to iron out agenda items prior to a meeting, or to prioritise topics for discussion and resolution at a seminar or conference. Password-protected access to iMEET! is via the internet and a web-enabled computer. iMEET! allows for further discussion and input after your event, to encourage further development of action plans, or to seek further input or clarification, or to allow stakeholders to view a record of their input.
Q9. And what if I have a virtual team?
A. iMEET! provides a remarkable advantage for both face-to-face and virtual and geographically-dispersed teams: our users have ranged from executive teams of four to groups spread across many countries. Teams or individuals use networked computers (face-to-face or virtually, or both) to capture discussions and to seek alignment or build on any process. iMEET! is scalable, and works with groups of any size and in any location to create shared vision and agreement on goals and actions.