Place Matters
Location's Effect on Productivity
by Barbara Joyce Frank, Ph.D.

Published in Reston Chamber of Commerce Business Update,
July 26, 2000 pp. 5, 6.

"Where should we hold the meeting?" is a question often asked and frequently answered with the easiest logistical solution: the same old conference room down the hall or at the same old hotel. Under these conditions, it is no wonder participants show up with the same old attitude.

Although it is not intentional, the subliminal message
is that it is just another meeting, i.e., business as usual.
The same old conference room may even trigger
memories of past unsuccessful meetings, hardly the
right setting for positive new and creative thinking. Participants often sensing that another meeting may
place new demands on their already hectic schedules, approach meetings held in the same old locations with
less than an enthusiastic attitude.

When a meeting is critical for the success of the team
or organization, taking into account where the meeting
is held is an extremely important factor. Indeed,
location is an often-neglected strategic variable
that needs to be given higher priority. Place matters.
If it is essential that participants focus on a particular
matter, than it is necessary to have the meeting off-site, where office diversions and conflicting job demands
are removed. Even hotels have their distractions,
especially when other groups with different agendas
are sharing common space. Every effort should be
made to minimize interruptions to guarantee privacy
for your group. Ideally the meeting site should have
the right ambiance, a comfortable and yet stimulating environment, which will aid rather than hinder the
creative thinking process of the meeting participants.

Participants deserve to be pampered when they are
being asked to make a greater effort or change the way
they have been doing things. Therefore, their needs
should be taken into account in selecting a site with
the emphasis on minimum hassle in terms of travel
time, parking and dining. Taking care of these
basic concerns for your participants will free them up
to deal with the issue at hand. If it is within the budget, catering the event has the effect that participants
feel appreciated and become more cooperative.

In addition, valuable time is saved rather than lost at
a critical time of the day. If people have trouble getting
to or from their lunch location, they are often less
agreeable to tackle the important closure process of
the afternoon. Keeping the participants on-site and
taking care of their dining needs, often allows
for the possibility of further dialogue through the
lunch hour and creates a willingness to see the process through conclusion in the afternoon.

One needs to think strategically about meetings as they
are at the core of the success of the organization.
Choosing the right location is a critical factor to
ensure a successful productive meeting and must
be given full consideration when planning the meeting.

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Dr. Barbara Frank is an experienced meeting facilitator
and creator of Meeting Oasis a firm specializing in
meetings and team performance enhancement
 in metropolitan Washington.