Wednesday, March 4, 2009

The Face(book) of Meetings

The Face(book) of Meetings
A new Civil War for the United States of America (and the world)

The business of meeting has forever changed and it will affect each and every one of us from this day forward.

There are some that say that President Obama’s lambasting the AIG executives for their meeting without understanding the purpose or design of the meeting marked a new civil war.

In comparison, there are some historians that blame the Civil War on Abraham Lincoln’s amassing of troops. Other historians say his response was the only response possible to the events of the moment. All the speculation in the world will not change the events that occurred.

Action for all its planning and purpose is about an unknown future, and historical analysis is an exercise of ‘what if’.

This meeting civil war is obviously not about north vs. south or freedom versus slavery. It’s not even about the cost of meetings. This civil war is about our understanding of the purpose of meetings versus structure of meetings.

A host of meeting associations are fighting to demonstrate the value of meetings and have their voice heard in congress.

Congress cannot dictate the validity of meetings and even if they could it would be in conflict with our founding belief – the right to meet and speak in freedom. Congress cannot focus on cost without being hypocritical: Congress meets at a cost well over a million dollars each and everyday (combined salaries alone for the 435 voting members of congress approach $1 Million a day).

So what are the associations fighting for? If you asked them what is their next meeting like, would they know?

What is a meeting? I can’t tell you because I am just discovering the reality of twitter, wiffiti, facebook, blogs, wikipedia and the 20 other social networking and related technologies that are in the audience during meetings I’m speaking at and attending. It has changed the personality of the audience as a group and the individuals within that group. While some argue it offers distraction and others power, both would agree it is not the same meeting of yesterday.

Something as simple as the announcement to ‘turn your cell phone off or vibrate’ has become obsolete and quite funny in terms of its impotence. This is like asking them to shut off their minds and shackle their thumbs.

I offer only this. I know that the value of freedom, a value that is universal in importance – and a value I am proud is something America strives to understand and provide anew each day – and cherished by the citizens of the world, means that meetings will incorporate the freedoms of new technologies whether they are comfortable or not during this time of great transition.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow made Paul Revere famous – The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. Paul Revere rode 19 miles to warn of the British. Israel Bissell rode 345 miles to warn of the British. In today’s world, Israel Bissell is finally getting some of the recognition he deserved.
Think about it though, with Twitter, both of them could have stayed home… I doubt they would have.

1 comment:

  1. I like this Jeffrey! Good points on the fact that meetings have changed and so have the attendees. It's a new day for meetings, events and speakers too. Lots of opportunity for growth and engagement in new ways.

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