Revolutionizing Meetings: Designing Time, Not Just Managing It

The Art of Designing Time

Ruud introduced a fundamental distinction: event management versus event design. While management focuses on execution, design is about crafting meaningful experiences that create value over time. At the heart of Ruud’s philosophy is the belief that time is a finite, shared resource—a currency that must be invested wisely.

To quantify and celebrate this value, Ruud employs the Event Canvas, a tool akin to sheet music for events. The canvas captures the perspectives of multiple stakeholders and focuses on creating behavioral changes. These principles, while traditionally applied to large-scale events, are equally relevant for routine organizational meetings.

Meetings as Petri Dishes of Culture

Ruud emphasized a powerful analogy: meetings are Petri dishes of organizational culture. Every meeting, big or small, is a reflection of an organization’s values, communication norms, and decision-making processes. Good leaders, he noted, use events to prototype cultural changes, testing new behaviors in a controlled environment.

This perspective aligns with the recurring challenges many executives face: the perception that meetings waste time. The solution lies in intentional design—ensuring every participant’s time is well spent and contributes to progress.

Empathy and Stakeholder Perspectives

A key theme of our discussion was empathy mapping, a tool Ruud uses to understand stakeholder perspectives. Whether designing the opening of the Olympics or a weekly team meeting, success hinges on aligning the diverse expectations, pains, and gains of all participants. By stepping into the shoes of each stakeholder, organizations can craft meetings that resonate deeply with their audiences.

Education for the Next Generation

One of the most exciting developments Ruud shared is the spread of the Event Design Certificate Program, now taught in 35 universities worldwide. This initiative equips the next generation of professionals with the tools to rethink and redesign meetings and events, fostering a culture of intentional collaboration and innovation.

Why It Matters: A Call to Action

At the core of Ruud’s message is a simple yet profound question: Why do people take part in meetings and events? Understanding the "why" unlocks the potential to craft experiences that not only meet immediate objectives but also create lasting value for participants and organizations alike.

As Ruud concluded, “Show me an organization’s meetings, and I’ll tell you about its culture.” The challenge for leaders is clear: treat meetings and events not as mundane obligations but as opportunities to design transformative experiences.

We invite you to reflect on your own meeting culture. Are your meetings a window into a vibrant, collaborative organization, or do they highlight inefficiencies and disengagement? Let’s rethink how we design the time we spend together—because, as Ruud reminded us, time is the ultimate currency.

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