When Simple Tools Change Everything

Something interesting happened in my client meeting last week.

Eight people. All in the same room. Physically present, same conference table, same four walls.

But instead of spreading papers everywhere and covering the walls with Post-it notes like we used to do …we were all staring at our laptops.

We were collaborating on a digital whiteboard called Miro, building out their strategic plan in real time. Even though there was an actual whiteboard right behind us.

At first, it felt a little strange.

Here we were, gathered in person, doing all our work digitally.

Then something clicked.

Ideas started flowing faster. People were building on each other’s thoughts without interrupting. We rearranged concepts with a few clicks instead of erasing and redrawing. Everyone contributed simultaneously instead of waiting for their turn at the marker.

By the end of the session, we’d accomplished more in two hours than similar meetings used to take all day.

One of the executives,  someone normally pretty skeptical about new technology,  looked around the room and said:

“Why haven’t we been doing this all along?”

That question stayed with me.

We talk a lot about remote work versus in-person collaboration, as if we have to choose sides in some grand workplace battle.

But that’s not really the point, is it?

The point is finding what actually works best for what you’re trying to accomplish.

Sometimes that’s gathering everyone in the same room. Sometimes it’s connecting virtually across time zones. And sometimes, like in our meeting, it’s being together physically but using digital tools to think better collectively.

I’ve noticed this pattern in a lot of organizations.

Teams stay attached to doing things a certain way — not because it’s the most effective approach, but because it’s how they’ve always done it.

The planning sessions with papers everywhere.

The meetings where only one person talks at a time.

The processes that made perfect sense ten years ago but haven’t been questioned since.

It’s not about chasing every new tool that comes along.

It’s about being honest: Is your current approach actually serving you?

That client team went back to their organization and started experimenting. Not with everything at once… just small changes to see what worked better.

Some experiments failed. Others transformed how they worked together.

The key was being willing to try something different, even when the old way wasn’t necessarily broken.

What processes in your organization could benefit from a fresh look?

Not because they’re wrong, but because there might be a better way waiting to be discovered.

The Future is now

Jesus (Jes) Vargas is the Principal at DPMG Corp in Sacramento, CA. Jes and his team consult, coach and mentor business leaders in areas such as strategic planning, leadership development and Lean Thinking deployment. If you are concerned that there is not enough long-term strategic thinking going on in your organization, Jes can help. Call Jes at 916 712 6145. Or you can email him here.