Summer is a wonderful time of the year. Long days spent lounging on the beach, walking in the mountains, swimming in the pool, and… freezing your you-know-what off in an ice-cold conference room. Unfortunately, for many of us, that’s as much a part of summer as anything else.
Since you probably can’t lower the AC or throw open the windows, it’s time to make a change. While the weather is so lovely, why not try having a meeting outside?
It may sound risky, but we can offer you some tips to make sure it’s both enjoyable and productive.
First of all, be prepared – bring the materials you need, so you don’t have to delay the meeting to run back upstairs and grab something. Don’t forget to take something to write on, such as a flipchart or whiteboard. If it’s a bit breezy, consider taking notes on your mobile devices, so nothing blows away!
Second, choose the right location. We recommend setting up somewhere where everyone can sit up comfortably, and somewhere in the shade – after all, you don’t want to get your staff all sunburnt! You may also want to bring some cold drinks to keep cool and keep the mental juices flowing.
Third, consider how you plan to take and organize notes. Rather than writing everything down on paper, which can easily be lost or simply blow away, we suggest taking snapshots on your phones or tablets and sharing them after the meeting. Next time you do connect up in the meeting room, you can use NovoConnect’s intuitive file sharing feature to send everyone the snapshots and make sure no one is left out of the loop. As an added bonus, taking and sharing notes digitally means your meeting is not just friendly for your staff, but for the environment as well!
Most importantly, don’t forget to make it enjoyable! Take inspiration from the warm weather and the beautiful bounty of summer. Let your ideas wander, just a bit, and think outside the box. The best ideas don’t always appear within the 4 walls of a meeting room. Dare to experiment, and ideas will come not only when you least expect them, but where you least expect them.
With proper planning and organization, outdoor meetings can be not only enjoyable, but also efficient and productive. With the help of mobile technology and modern collaboration solutions such as NovoConnect, topped-off with a few gorgeous rays of sunshine, we can afford to think outside the box – literally. After all, you can afford to be a bit more practical later; now, it’s summertime!