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WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING!
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At
the completion of each CollaborWriting session, we conduct an
anonymous on-line evaluation. Participants express their reaction
to the work they just accomplished. The following are actual quotes
taken directly from evaluations that occurred on projects with
the following companies: Morgan Stanley, Merck, Glaxo SmithKline,
Deutsche Bank, Roche, Merrill Lynch, Sony, Nabisco, Lever Brothers,
Warner Lambert, Harley Davidson, NCQA, Blue Cross Blue Shield,
AT&T Wireless and others.
We can't make this stuff up!
COLLABORWRITING IS
MUCH FASTER THAN TRADITIONAL METHODS
"The last 24 hours have been my most productive in months."
"Extremely productive. Covered a miraculous amount of ground
in an almost impossibly short period."
"The medium is a tremendous productivity enhancement tool in
that it speeds up and streamlines the whole brainstorming and communication
process. It takes away the tedium in trying to consolidate all of
the comments, notes and sidebar discussions and distills it in defined
categories by goal/strategy/tactic."
"I can't remember the last time my brain worked this hard.
Fast and effective."
"We got through a lot - it would have taken at least 4 times
the time in a conventional manner."
"Very productive. I would never have believed that so much
could be done in the period. This was primarily due to the use of
the CollaborWriting which reduced the amount of 'round in circles'
conversation. It also made sure everyone contributed."
"A great way to download to Accenture - this would have taken
months in one-on-one sessions"
"The automatic documentation and linked rating, etc. automate
much of the time wasting work that often has to happen after the
meeting. In this environment it happens "instantly". "Positively
Invaluable!"
"The program produced an amazing number of ideas in a short
space of time."
"You get tons if input and feedback in one shot, more than
you could hope to get any other way."
"I am very impressed with CollaborWriting and am amazed at
the amount of information this very diverse group was able to review
and comment on."
"Great way for us to capture all our issues in a TIMELY manner."
"Extremely good for getting masses of information very quickly
into a public domain for discussion. We would never be able to do
this with post/it notes and flip charts."
"Productivity of the program was very high, a lot was accomplished
in a short period of time. The ability to focus without interruption
was extremely helpful."
"Excellent way of achieving a phenomenal amount in a short
period of time."
"Very productive! We accomplished far more in global understanding
of shared goals and challenges than I thought possible in the time
frame."
"A lot of ground was covered and the end result was better
than anticipated"
"Good technique of collecting, organizing, rating, & assessing
inputs & feedback - sure beats the old flip charts & post-its"
"Fun!" "It was great - no time wasted!!"
"Very… much work produced in a short period of time".
"Very productive. The volume of work was much improved with
the computer application."
"The PC tools allowed for large amounts of information to be
put forth in a very efficient manner."
"Very efficient and productive use of time. This process could
have taken several days if it were done the old-fashioned way."
{from a one day meeting}"
"You get more candid answers and the meeting is more time efficient."
"Generates lots of ideas fast!" "Printed reports
are important to see the perspective of other groups, and obtain
a more global outlook"
"I believe the method used made this process extremely quick
without jeopardizing quality results."
"Will make meetings more efficient"
"Once people agree to an idea there is no more debate so you
can quickly move on to the next idea"
"This was a good way to quickly get ideas out and see what
other people are thinking. I especially liked the immediate feedback."
"Very efficient use of time"
"Program was very productive. The interactive electronic format
is easy to use and impressively efficient."
"This approach to data gathering was unbelievably effective
and efficient which was evidenced by how bogged down we got during
some open discussions."
"One of the most productive meeting experiences that I have
ever had."
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POWERFUL PROCESSES DRIVE QUALITY OUTCOMES
"Very productive session. The use of technology mixed in with discussion kept the energy level high and also provided greater access to comments that may have not been made in an open forum."
"Absolutely, great concept. Good balance between technology and group discussions."
"Meeting was very productive and reinforced both CollaborWriting techniques along with group meetings and break out sessions. Great learning’s and information sharing. Thanks for the opportunity to both learn, and add value to the process. It is very exciting."
"Useful to make sure that the input is not lost or glossed over, it may take time to answer all points raised for an area but you can't forget or ignore them."
"Highly. got right people together; structure and facilitator enhanced efficiency and effectiveness"
"Very much so. I have attended similar efforts in the past and they have not been as effective as this
"Very effective way to gather ideas from all, stimulate thoughts and gain consensus"
"Seeing feedback from 40 people on each draft item was fascinating"
"The live, candid feedback on the strategies was excellent. It helped accomplish in a short time what cannot be done outside this type of forum."
"Receiving immediate feedback and then working that feedback right back into out strategies, discussions, etc."
"Everyone participated in each strategy. The groupware was a great enabler for this."
"The productive applied brainpower of 40 senior partners to define clear succinct strategic goals was incomparable!"
"Highly productive to get the live feedback and the ability to leverage off of other peoples feedback. It reduced redundancy, and increased the quality of comments."
"Great seeing feedback fast and in a recognizable and digestible structure enabling us to build upon it & NOT reinvent wheels in the refining sessions"
"This program was very intensive, but very effective. It got the job done. It's amazing how thoughts and ideas start to flow when collaboration is in the works. It's the classic snowball effect. It started out with 6 high level actions, and bam, you're looking at an intellectual explosion!"
"Tool and process was excellent. Very quickly gathered ideas, comment and constructive criticism"
"Using the computer to get a load of ideas down quickly. The verbal
discussion was also useful (and can never be dispensed with) but it was more constructive for having a starting point."
"The process is fabulous. It enabled me to contribute without using a lot of energy to get myself heard."
"The use of computers for feedback eliminated the redundancy that can arise from conversation and debate."
"The A.C.O.D.E. exercise was probably the most useful section of the two day offsite. This enabled each group to provide immediate feedback on individual strategies and tactics."
"The collaboration tool and ACODE. Its amazing how effective it is in developing and molding ideas with 20 people."
"The program was extremely productive. The structure enabled the attendees to comment on specific tactics in a discreet and uniform manner. This produced open dialogue at the highest levels."
"Instant feedback especially the ACODE process."
"This was a very useful process. The anonymity of the responses combined with the ability to view other participants’ responses is an effective combination."
"Very organized and less time consuming process than brainstorming on paper and allows those that are shy in coming forth with their ideas a chance to make their thoughts known."
"I enjoyed documenting my thoughts without being interpreted by a facilitator. This is a really good way to get people to express what they think."
"This is a very good process for getting people’s ideas and inputs in improving their work environment. People can feel comfortable in voicing their opinion in this type of setting."
"Excellent process, especially the use of technology to ensure complete anonymity and the resultant openness."
"This was an excellent tool, kept us interested, and made it easy to consolidate information"
"Immediate record of dialogue is a real plus!"
"CollaborWriting provided a great means for efficient brainstorming"
"This seems to be a good forum for presenting and working through ideas. The fact that all responses are captured and ranked (with anonymity) allows a more forthright presentation of issues."
"The rigor will enhance both quality and productivity"
"It was unique and actually promoted the input process. I think this should be the method for all their surveys."
"An excellent process! Confidentiality and ability to read other comments is a great idea!" "Good process to convey our ideas and feelings to upper management."
"I think this was great. It not only allows me to write down my thoughts quicker, I get to see how other people responded, and I get to see what the general consensus is."
"Useful tool to organize meetings on complex issues"
"The anonymous and open idea interchange process was superb"
"Nice approach. The anonymity contributed to a lot more continued feedback than would have been possible with "round table" discussions."
"It is an effective data gathering technique. Unlike previous efforts where it has been paper based, participants get to see group opinions instantly, and the hope for accurate follow up is much greater."
"Very interested in the feedback (report). Thought it was a great way for all to communicate."
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EXPERT FACILITATION
"I think we got a lot done and that is a credit to the organization of the facilitator and our dedication."
"BOB ZADEK - You have the patience of a saint and the loyalty of man's best friend."
"Facilitator (Robert) did a fine job of keeping us focused and on track."
"The facilitators understanding of our Management’s objectives provided us with a framework that kept us focused and driven toward that ultimate goal."
"Extremely Productive! Very good insight into meeting management."
"Very, very productive. The team did an outstanding job and Robert did a fine job of handling the crowd and issues."
"Provided focus and drive with a light touch - great"
"Excellent, the right level of interaction."
"Organization was evident and excellent. Group leadership was a major contributor to positive outcome."
"Excellent organization and group leadership. Preparation for exercise (pre-meeting materials, screens) greatly facilitated group focus and effective use of time."
"Skilled facilitation. Clear explicit directions. Nice Job!"
"Very organized and focused"
"I really appreciate the opportunity to participate in this process. Facilitator is perfect."
"This is a great way of getting ideas from participants. It gives them more freedom and ease in raising their opinions. The facilitator has conducted the seminar very well."
"This was an excellent concept and the facilitator was equally good."
"Excellent way to communicate ideas anonymously but thoroughly to management. Facilitation was very well done."
"The technology is good, and the facilitator made sure that everyone understood the process and answered questions well."
"Completeness, technology, and facilitator are all good."
"It was very good at promoting openness, whilst at the same time privacy. The technology is great, well facilitated also."
"Robert {facilitator} did an excellent job of focusing the group’s efforts and explaining use of the program."
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COLLABORWRITING BUILDS TEAMS
"This was very good team building opportunity. "
"Good for getting ideas down quickly, getting input from quieter group members and allowing more controversial statements to be made. "
"Excellent way to bring about all the different ideas. Much more productive than the traditional way of doing these sessions "
"Seeing all the feedback from everyone real time. "
"It was good for me to meet people I hadn't worked with before, from both the UK and US, and I learnt a lot from them."
"Having the opportunity to contribute and have views heard (this technology enables you to make comments and have them focused upon) has been very valuable."
"Very productive exercise. The ideas created were inspiring."
"What I liked best was the group dynamic and the ability to freely express ideas, concerns, problems and opportunities."
"Very good. I liked the mechanism for getting input (ie. via the PCs) - it prevents a few people dominating and the rest just sitting there"
"Sharing of views from a broad range of people"
"Meeting new colleagues, sharing ideas, etc "
"Very productive. Multiple points of view were helpful in crafting objectives and tasks. "
"Having just joined the organization I found this very productive as it gave me an insight into how people want to take the organization forward "
"The anonymous nature of the system allows for a lot of free thinking to be actively brought up. Good for bringing up a lot of good ideas that people are usually too afraid to say, but feel strongly about. "
"The interactive approach encourages people to think and the anonymous approach really get people to speak. "
"I thought the process was extremely helpful in getting feedback from everyone."
"Excellent. Great way to find out what people really think, and to express one’s own opinions."
"This is a great method to reduce the political issues that slow progress."
"The environment is non-threatening and will make even the least participative person become an active meeting participant"
"Puts all participants at the same level"
"Excellent. Great opportunity to express your thoughts and learn about everybody else’s."
"Excellent – should be an ongoing forum to enable everyone to influence the progress of our group."
"The use of the computer made it much more interesting and I felt I had a good opportunity to contribute as well as learn."
"Tremendous advantage to capture ideas from a widespread audience"
"Excellent way to efficiently gather all thoughts from participants"
"This interactive forum is highly effective and efficient in developing a successful brainstorming session."
"This method is the only way to get honest uninhibited feedback."
"This was great. There is no concern about who else is in the group, if there will be any hurt feelings or repercussions for expressing our true opinions."
"Reduced inhibitions of those attending to present unusual or controversial ideas"
"Anonymity is key to getting feedback from all and making it inclusive - prevents people being dominant"
"The CollaborWriting session was very worthwhile and generated thought provoking ideas"
"Will solicit more ideas from introverts"
"Removes bias due to anonymous nature"
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EASY TO USE TECHNOLOGY
"Loved the CollaborWriting tool. This is a great way to get an even contribution from everyone in the group. "
"The technology was very helpful and made the format and collection of information possible, especially considering the cross-section nature of opinion coverage. "
"I thought the technology was key. I don't think we would have such useful and detailed output otherwise. I would like to see this kind of tech at all offsites, round table discussions. "
"Technology was useful to allow on-line and real time discussion of issues. "
"This simple tool really works! "
"The groupware was great! Made the entire experience that much better... "
"Should be available internally so we could use it real-time as part of our jobs. "
"Could not have accomplished this without this software. I see great potential in using this for all goal setting and info sharing.
"Excellent tool --- wish I could use it back in the office. "
"An excellent tool for brainstorming. No loss of thought and everything gets registered somewhere for future review. "
"This was an effective way to solicit feedback."
Great tool; simple and not over-engineered.... "
Initially I was extremely skeptical (I thought it would degenerate into a techie party), but I changed my mind by the end of the first exercise - I'm a convert... "
"Best and most powerful brainstorming tool!"
"Very easy to understand, use and apply"
"Easy and fun. I’d recommend it as a tool back at the plan {office}."
"This is one of the best ways of soliciting feedback."
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