Though it is easy to see only the MAPTALK™ software and think there is not much too it that is clearly a mistake. Equally important is the support required when preparing the meeting in which MAPTALK™ will be used, having a knowledgeable facilitator to guide the meeting to a successful conclusion and have adequate technical help at hand.

Set up a Group Decision Room
MAPTALK™ is typically used in a Group Decision Room (GDR) that supports all the needed facilities, included networked computers, beamer(s), possibly a smartboard, digital camera, Post-Its, etc. The application needs to be installed on all computers and requires a permanent network connection between the systems to assure correct operation. Companies either have their own GDR or can rent one, i.e. from WING or Centrum Landschap (Alterra).

Group decision room

Prepare the Meeting
To be able to deal with the complexity of interactions invoked by a MAPTALK™ meeting and to conclude the discussion within a set time frame good preparation of the meeting is essential. This involves thinking through the complete meeting in advance, setting achievable goals, deciding what to do at which time and who should be involved and writing it all down in a story board. Except for very small and simple meetings this is not an easy task and it is typically taken care of by a process facilitator. Either provided by your company or hired, i.e. from WING (www.wing.wur.nl). Another important preparation job is to decide on what kind of maps are required for the meeting, gathering and processing them and resolving possible license issues. Sample meeting result

Guide the Meeting
Using the story board created in the preparation phase of the meeting the process facilitator directs the meeting assuring that set goals are met when the event is over. For large meetings the process facilitator can be assisted by a technical facilitator whose job is to operate the MAPTALK™ software and provide on-the-spot help for the participants and someone able to directly put the proceedings of the meeting in writing.

Sample Meeting Result

Get Technical
For some meetings it might be preferred to have a dedicated technical facilitator next to the process facilitator. When a process facilitator gains more experience with using MAPTALK™ he or she can take care of both tasks but until that moment it is best to separate the work. The technical facilitator can also be tasked with setting up the GDR, perhaps even on location (for mobile GDR configurations).

Setting up a GDR