Virtual Meetings Offer Real Benefits

It was not very long ago that video conferencing technology became available and everyone anticipated a steep decline in business travel. Well, that did not happen, but virtual meetings did find a niche in the corporate world.

I recall sitting around an oval table sporting tiny microphones chiseled into its walnut finish. An elaborate flip-up console in front of our host caught my eye as well as a myriad of electronic white boards and video screens surrounding us in a soundproof room.

I was impressed, but not a real fan. Meetings seemed overly orchestrated, controlled and artificial. Aside from the occasional need to look at a chart together, a conventional conference call would have sufficed. Why couldnt I stay in my own office? And while the big screen television and camera combinations of recent years have reduced both cost and complexity, we all had to sit semi-circle in front of the contraption like a bunch of kids posing for a class photo. No thanks.

The technology has changed dramatically and it is now as simple as adding a speakerphone and a $99 Web camera to your PC. Advances of integrated components, the Internet and high bandwidth have all set the foundation for this next generation of video conferencing.

Being able to show PowerPoint presentations, work with white boards, stream audio and video, share documents and even software on your PC provides a compelling alternative to a 3-D meeting. And just for old time sake, you can even whisper to another person in the (virtual) room by using a private “chat” feature on the lower right side of the screen.

Knowing that you probably cant work much harder, you need to find ways to work smarter. A tired clich? perhaps, but nevertheless true. Take ACORD, for example. We have employees and volunteers separated by geography and nine hours of time zones. We plan to use technology to present information and run educational programs for members.

I am not going to say that virtual meetings will eliminate all business travel. Human beings require real-time interaction to network with others and explore business opportunities. There is also the serendipity that comes with such gatherings. However, I do expect to see a decline in the number of short meetings.

We also have technologies that allow us to store presentations on the Internet that can be viewed by anyone at anytime. This self-service approach to presentations helps to make even virtual meetings more productive.

When you have a virtual meeting, a significant portion of time is devoted to listening to someone speak. Aside from a few questions that might be asked, the session is mostly a monologue. And if your intention is to bring people “up to speed,” you run the risk of boring those who already are up to speed.

Besides, your audience will be unable to remember 80 percent of what you said 30 minutes after they leave the room. So why not give them a chance to pace themselves online with a self-service presentation?

And doesnt it make more sense for people to view a presentation on the Internet at their convenience and when they are prepared to do so? If you had a tiring week and are not about to be a good listener, you can go online and view the presentation when youre ready. Viewing a self-service presentation might even eliminate the need for a virtual meeting altogether.

I couldnt imagine traveling for two days to deliver a speech on the history of ACORD. If its important to educate our new members on the subject, it can be delivered online whenever they wish. I am already beginning to re-think what information can be delivered in a self-service channel and what requires me to be there in person. I am not looking to avoid traveling; I am looking to make my travels more productive and strategic rather than being a messenger.

If you want to see some examples of Internet-based virtual meetings and presentation software, search for Net meetings in your browser. If you want to see what Ive been experimenting with, visit my personal Web site at gregmaciag.com and experience a self-service presentation for yourself.

Clearly, these new and improved tools will go a long way to increase the acceptance of virtual meetings and presentations. But the most important factor that will drive future success will be the skill with which we all deploy and participate in such events. We cannot merely transfer what we do at conventional meetings and do the same online. We need to re-think interaction, pacing, timing and enhancing the total experience with various features of virtual products.

Although office workers have had tools to manage information in the past, white-collar workers never had the same relationship with their tools compared to those working in the skilled trades. And being technologically challenged (even boasting about it) has not been much of a stigma among executives in the past.

Executives today have a shortage of two highly valuable resources–time and attention. And since technology-based tools are intended to help conserve and manage both, executives need to become adept at using them to no less an extent than those working in the trades.

Ben Salzmann, president of Acuity Insurance in Sheboygan, Wis. (formerly Heritage Mutual Insurance), told me about some of his past presentations. As an advocate of advanced technology, he would bring a large old dental drill to meetings when he was invited as a speaker. He would raise his arm and wave this huge and painful looking apparatus at the audience and ask if they would visit the dentist who used it.

Ouch! It was a great metaphor to talk about upgrading equipment and developing new executive skills. And thats exactly what we need to do today.

Gregory A. Maciag is president and chief executive officer of ACORD, the non-profit industry association based in Pearl River, N.Y., with offices in Belgium and the United Kingdom.

Reproduced from National Underwriter Property & Casualty/Risk & Benefits Management Edition, November 19, 2001. Copyright 2001 by The National Underwriter Company in the serial publication. All rights reserved.Copyright in this article as an independent work may be held by the author.

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