Beyond Meeting Rooms…
Listed on March 14, 2014 in Blogs!One of the strange things about publishing a blog, or anything for that matter, is that you never know who is going to read it. An author friend of mine says don’t worry about it. His mantra is ‘publish and be damned’, I suppose. Of course, in my position that isn’t quite how it works. Unlike the confessional, I may never be forgiven! Anyway, something that has always been in my mind whilst working at Dillington has been the way in which the physical environment affects our thinking – for positive or worse. Holidays away from our everyday environments (if they are truly that) allow us to reflect on the big things and we return to ordinary life resolved to bring about change in some way. At Dillington I have never been in doubt that the place has real value for both the individual and the group. How often do people have the occasion to spend time in such a beautiful place, to be inspired by the surroundings, the landscape, the art and the architecture? When it comes to corporate meetings or indeed being on a conference or course as an individual, the physical and emotional context is important. Yes, there have to be four walls, a floor and a roof. Tables and chairs are useful too. But we know that our experience of being together, sharing ideas and learning from each other is much more than the basics. The value is always in the intangible and not in the things. Why do I say this? Well, because in recent years there has been a real focus of making things cheap, arguably more affordable in an age of austerity. But this approach is not really sustainable and it doesn’t engender the creation of those intangible elements that are so important. It is difficult to argue with the view that you ultimately get what you pay for. If you want quality then you can’t really avoid having to pay for it. Real quality costs and we all need to decide whether the investment is important or not. There, I’ve said it and I’m now ducking for cover.
