Communication. The book “Into the Heart of Meetings” describes the characteristic processes of meetings and how to influence them through Meeting Design. Based on many years of working together as professional Meeting Designers, Mike van der Vijver and Eric de Groot provide an array of tools that enable meeting organisers to obtain the best outcomes from their meetings as measured by their business value.
Into the Heart of Meetings is the first book ever about Meeting Design. Through their company MindMeeting, over the past 10-20 years the authors have given shape to this new profession. They introduce the principles underlying Meeting Design, as well as the main practical issues that Meeting Designers face and need to solve.
The authors use countless examples, connecting their writing to daily working practice. Thus Into the Heart of Meetings is an explorative study, a textbook and a practical guide in one.
Meetings – conferences, conventions, seminars, workshops, etc. – are an integral part of daily life in organisations. In this book, the authors argue that the potential of such meetings is severely under-utilised for a number of reasons. One of these is that the organisation of meetings is conceived mainly as a logistical operation. Into the Heart of Meetings shows that this approach misses the point with regard to the communicative value and power of meetings.
The power of meetings depends on the human dynamics they are capable of unleashing. To accomplish that effectively requires a new paradigm for the way in which meeting programmes are conceived and executed. Meeting Design provides that new paradigm and the authors discuss all the basic knowledge a Meeting Designer needs to possess. Hence the book’s subtitle Basic Principles of Meeting Design.
The book combines a theoretical framework with a great many examples and practical tools. As a result, it is not only useful for professionals in the Meetings Industry, but also for managers and consultants who use meetings as a means to achieve their goals. Areas where the book’s subject matter is particularly pertinent include strategic and change management, Human Resources management, knowledge management, innovation and business communications.
Meanwhile the manuscript has received recognition for its innovative content. Prof. Hans Clevers MD PhD. President of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences commented: “As a frequent speaker at international scientific symposia, I have never questioned the ‘classical’ format of these meetings. This insightful book has opened my eyes to the power of ‘meeting design’, the art of matching the format of a meeting to its contents and aims.”
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