Give Me Some Space (part 1)
August 26, 2008 · Print This Article
Posted by Mark Bennardo
People need space. Taking in new ideas, concepts or information requires the brain to not only receive, but also to process. And process requires space.
When it comes to creating events or conferences, attendees need a little bit of time and (dare I say) quiet to be able to process what they are taking in.
Time after time, I encounter event sponsors who want to schedule every possible minute of every day of an event, in order to maximize the amount of information they can pass on to their attendees. Conventional Wisdom and the bean counters argue, “So much money has been spent on travel, lodging, registration, food, etc. We need to get our money’s worth out of this event. Let’s fill up the schedule with lots and lots and lots of sessions, breakouts, activities, seminars and meetings”. In so doing, they cut out any “free time” that may not appear to have value.
Granted, organizations spend a lot of money to train, educate and motivate their people. But quantity of information does not equal quality. In actuality, the opposite is true. The law of diminishing returns is in full play when we throw too much information or stimulation at people. After a while, the more we pour into their “learning” buckets, even more leaks out.
Which is more useful, for people to vaguely retain two out of ten watered-down points, or to fully embrace four out of four critical points?
Less is more.
(part 2 click here)