Meeting Planners Using Graphic Recording To Capture Meetings in Captivating Way

Nov. 1, 2010 - PRLog -- Meeting planners often overlook a key to a successful meeting: how to capture what was said so that participants can move ideas forward.  Murals drawn on rolls of paper in real time, or graphic recordings, provide a solution that is more engaging, relevant, useful, and impactful than traditional meeting capture media such as transcription or videography. When digital photos are taken of the murals they can be easily shared and posted on websites, be converted into postcards or used in   campaigns.

Graphic recording services are part of the larger field of meeting capture. After planning a conference, board meeting, or strategy session, how are people going to remember what was said or decided? “No one is really going to watch the whole video of an 8-hour meeting. Transcripts are tedious to read, too. What graphic recording offers is a way to keep the memory of the meeting alive. Digital photos of the murals can be distributed over the web and by email to reach participants and stakeholders almost instantly. The charts work as an executive summary, with key points presented in an engaging way,” says Diane Cline, President, Over The Horizon Consulting, LLC.

A graphic recorder is trained to transcribe aural expressions into visual masterpieces in real-time. How does a graphic recorder do that? Using symphonic listening skills and active listening, the graphic recorder writes down the key points of a conversation, transforming audio to visual. The mural is about three times larger than a flip chart sheet. Written words, drawn with pens and pastels, outline the  dialogue, which are skillfully framed with color and line to show connections and emphasize key points. Since most people are visual learners, the murals are a second way for participants to take in new information and ideas. The graphic recorder serves as a sense-maker and thinking partner, filtering the flow of spoken words into an essential distillation of key points.
   
At conferences and symposia, audience members enjoy watching the graphic recorder convert a plain sheet of paper into a finished mural. In more intimate meetings, having a graphic recorder stimulates engagement, as people want to see their own words on the mural and so speak up. In contentious situations such as town halls, graphic recording ensures that all viewpoints are represented. Graphic recording is also an effective tool for consultants who want  to help their clients remember what was said or agreed upon. The murals are often displayed back at headquarters, with the consultants name highlighted at the top of the chart, an added value.

“Consultants who try to draw their own flip charts are doing themselves a disservice. They are turning their backs to their clients and wasting time scribbling while they could be training or presenting.” says Diane Cline. By using a graphic recorder, the consultant or facilitator can focus 100% on their job, and leave the recording to a professional scribe. The handwriting is usually neater, and the final product appears much more polished when a graphic recorder is hired.

Cline notes that graphic recording is catching on in conferences and symposia, particularly among meeting planners in the health care field and associations. “Graphic recording is particularly generative when used with new meeting designs such as Appreciative Inquiry, world cafes, unconferences, and open space technology. The murals enliven the meeting space, transforming a dull hotel ballroom into an idea factory, making it more creative, colorful, and stimulating. Innovation becomes natural in such an environment.”  She also notes that many participants enjoy talking about the ideas on the murals at the breaks, and as they cluster around the murals, the ideas presented take on new life. “Why hold a meeting except to generate energy towards action?” Graphic recordings capture conversations, make stories visible, and meetings memorable.

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Over The Horizon Consulting, LLC is a graphic recording company based near Washington DC in Chevy Chase, MD. We provide meeting capture services by recording conversations on large murals using markers and pastels. Murals make meetings memorable. Located at the intersection of communications, organizational transformation, and the arts.