I held a pre-bid walk for a flooring replacement project. It was my first major in-person meeting since the pandemic started.
The meeting went very well.
On paper, it’s a basic demo and install. Simple to draw.
But renovations are tricky. The contractors challenged us with great questions. I wonder if they would have asked such questions in a video conference.
After surviving my share of corporate time-sucks, I get why tech productivity gurus hate meetings.
But we’ve chosen a profession that manipulates the real world. In-person meetings are essential. The room pulses with energy when motivated professionals gather together.
A bid walk for a renovation is a no-brainer. The walk was shorter than the round trip to the site but well worth the commute.
Video conferences have proved their worth over the past two years. It is an indispensable tool for an agency that is split between North and South.
But dang, it’s hard to beat a good meeting in meatspace.
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How are you calibrating meeting formats during this new normal?
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David Epstein makes a great argument for separating the chain of communication versus the chain of command.
Seth Godin challenges the concept of “next” and posits that we would be better served in thinking our current project might be our last project.
Cal Newport questions the current self-help pop culture usage of “Parkinson’s Law” (work fills the time available). He reframes it as “Well-established work cultures can harbor irrational behavior. Beware!”
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Justus Pang, RA