The Problem with Meetings

ThoughtForm was invited to speak at the Building Business Capability conference hosted by the International Institute of Business Analysts in San Antonio, Texas. In their November 8, 2018, session, Business Designer Marisa Boevers and Business Strategist Laura Sebulsky discussed ThoughtForm’s unique approach to meeting facilitation. They also released “The Problem with Meetings,” an illustrated guidebook on the topic.

“The BBC conference was a great experience, the sessions were diverse and very engaging,” recalls Boevers. “The best part was interacting with the other attendees. Business analysts have so much on their plates today. From process to experience to technology to business cases, they are at the heart of many transformations. It’s always fascinating to connect with the folks in the trenches and hear what they’re wrestling with.”

Marisa and Laura had the opportunity to share ThoughtForm’s insights during their interactive session, titled “Visual Thinking for Better Meetings.” During the session, they led attendees though visual thinking exercises and introduced “The Problem with Meetings,” ThoughtForm’s newly published guide. The book provides 22 tools and techniques for using visual thinking before, during, and after meetings to promote more productive collaboration.

“If you’ve ever sat through a meeting that began with a fuzzy agenda, proceeded through a series of wandering speeches, and produced uncertain results, you’ve probably thought, ‘There has to be a better way,’” says ThoughtForm Principal Norm Goldberg. “This book gets right to the heart of what’s wrong with most meetings and offers unusual but proven methods to keep participants focused, build group consensus, and develop meaningful action plans.”

If you missed this year’s conference but would like a copy of “The Problem with Meetings,” you can download the free digital version here.