NoMad Meetings

NoMad Meetings work with organisations and influential leaders who must have effective meetings with anyone, wherever they are.

July 2010: It is mid season (winter or summer) and the opportunity to plan and prepare for the new financial year.
Some research* pricked our attention, which seemed so obvious but has us focussing on our key training and coaching when it comes to increasing the productivity of virtual meetings - videoconferencing and phone conferencing and online meetings. Brain overload!
Factory videoconference Whether you are using Polycom, or Tandberg or CISCO telepresence, or WebEx or GoToMeeting or normal phone conference calls, this research tells us that there is significantly different brain information processing going on between when we are meeting face to face and when we are meeting at a distance. Virtual meetings increase brain load, and can make it more difficult to interpret information and make decisions, than when face to face.
We have looked through our virtual meetings training materials and courses, and spot several elements of virtual meetings that this research says will reduce the productivity of meetings and drop the level of engagement that an effective leader will want from their meetings - unless specific techniques are used. Here are 3 areas which improve cognitive load (and which we were relieved to see we include in our corporate training and coaching). For virtual meetings to be productive and engaging:

- Keep information simple and in simple blocks. Complete each block and move to the next.

- Sign post regularly to place participants where they are in the agenda.

- Help participants “break through” heuristic cues such as likeability of others on the call, so that they can concentrate on the content and intent of the topic.

* The research was carried out by Ferran and Watts in Management Science. We are following up this and other research to make sure that our training, coaching and services are atuned to what makes meetings productive and engaging.

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What are the organisational culture and business processes needed to maximise investment in videoconference and phone conference equipment? What are the key tips and tricks to make business meetings highly productive? Do you need a hand to quickly arrange a highly effective "virtual" meeting so that you keep up your business and other relationships?

Talk with us and together we will get your meetings happening quickly and show you how to run engaging meetings, every time. You may have all the communications gadgets, such as videoconferencing, WebEx, GoToMeeting, Adobe, Polycom, Tandberg, CISCO telepresence, phone conferencing, .. but your business meetings are not as productive as you need them to be; people are not always engaged; you just can't get the commitment that you need to grow your business as you know you can. Strategic planning is just not getting the "glue" from all the people that you need. You want to get decision making happening quickly. You need to keep your workforce engaged and manage people, and really engage with your key stakeholders - wherever they are.

They call us the meeting tamers... we provide you with processes and skills to confidently hold productive meetings... so that you can get on with your business and people know exactly why they are meeting and what's in it for them and you. The way you run meetings (and how others see you running meetings), is an indicator of your business acumen.

Just a quick note to say a huge thank you for the .. tips. It was enormously useful and formed the basis of our planning meetings prior to today's webinar. Caroline (UK)

I never knew there was so much skill and strategy needed to run online meetings - I rather suspect some people think it is just like any face to face meeting. Anne (Qld)

If quick and long lasting results make sense, talk with us with what you really want from your meetings.

We give you and your stakeholders role clarity and processes so that you will get critical clear savings in money and time, less stress and reduced ecological footprint for every meeting. It just makes sense! We coach and train you and your teams to plan and run productive business meetings so that you develop sustainable relationships when meeting with one person, to hundreds, in a way that is easy and natural.

The NoMads easily blend face to face and virtual facilitation, so that small and large businesses can fine tune the ways they collaborate and communicate; the way they drive their businesses and apply knowledge when, and where they need it.

With a growing set of revolutionary live coaching sessions, tailored courses, individual and team coaching and tailored services, we help you navigate to 'faster, better and smarter' meetings, workshops and other virtual events and help you enjoy meeting stress-free without going, well, 'mad'. It just makes sense!

NAUTICAL NOMAD
NoMad Nigel sailed the high seas from Victoria across the Tasman, aboard Vega, the Greenpeace Yacht. It was a test of teamwork, virtual and physical communications and provided many lessons which have been directly included in the NoMad services. For a great story click here.

Thanks for a great course....wasn’t sure in the beginning why I was doing it...providence prevailed and I certainly learnt a lot. Your prework was invaluable and the professionalism fantastic. Great process. Ingrid

This course will help save you time and money and enable you to distinguish yourself as an early and effective adapter of new technologies. It will impress others that you are able to run meetings over the phone and internet in such a competent, enjoyable and efficient manner. Ann

In this course I came to understand the nuances which are essential to create a successful and efficient online meeting where participants finish the meeting satisfied that something has been achieved and the next meeting will be equally as worthwhile attending. Anne

Engage richly - wherever you are, wherever they are. Plan just-in-time rich meetings with clients - at times that suit everyone. Effectively share knowledge and best practices with your clients, suppliers, staff, colleagues, managers, business associates and/or stakeholders - wherever they are.

The question is, are you having these meetings faster, better and smarter?

Today more than ever we are concerned about how to innovate, create and deliver ‘just-in-time’ by sharing knowledge and collaborating.

This ultimately means that we can no longer waste time in getting to and from meetings and being frustrated trying to get everyone physically together. And we need to work with people wherever they are. Time is an asset and the less of it we have, the more valuable it gets. If we are to be competitive, effective and productive then we need to find new ways to communicate faster, better and smarter.

Virtual communications are more than a loud speaker phone, the latest iPhone, a mere keyboard, webcam, or having Messenger, Skype or Microsoft Live installed on your computer. A speakerphone does not a productive meeting make!

You need the wisdom, experience and know-how of getting the very best results efficiently and effectively by building relationships, and facilitating communications in the new economy - the world of digital and web-based telecommunications.

Of course, some of the traditional meeting roles apply but there is more than just the agenda and minutes to create and facilitate consistently effective virtual events - powerful and engaging phone conference calls; meetings with distributed teams where everyone feels involved and committed to actions; presentations which bring about change.

Is our approach to 'faster, better and smarter' meetings for you? Speak with us about what you want from your meetings.

Click here to learn more about the clients and customers we serve.