Whiteboards for office – A Low-Tech Solution In A High-Tech World
For thousands of years, people have been writing on surfaces to convey messages or map out solutions.
Of course, nowadays stone tablets have been replaced by digital ones – yet sharing ideas and information in written form is far from obsolete.
In fact, in our high-tech age where easier + quicker = better, something as low-tech as a whiteboard is still an essential tool in an office environment.
Whiteboards for office are easy to use
More and more workplaces are having to deal with ‘fear of technology’.
The digital age has created an office world where the number of online platforms and apps available is increasing exponentially.
It can be difficult for even the most avid techie to keep up with everything new – imagine how hard it is for the technologically-challenged?
Office managers can reduce the fear of technology and the friction it can cause by implementing a policy of using whiteboards as a primary communication tool.
It won’t run out of batteries and it won’t crash.
No one needs to learn a new program. No one needs to update their software. No fear of any disconnect.
Office Whiteboards are a quick presentation device
Imagine this scenario.
Your boss has asked you to give a presentation to staff from all over the state about important OH&S issues. She was supposed to be in charge of the meeting but now has to deal with an urgent matter offsite.
As the 2IC at head office, it’s now your responsibility. The problem is that the meeting is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at 2 pm and the day and time can’t be changed. Some out of town staff are already on their way.
There’s no way you can put together a powerpoint presentation, or any other kind of electronic presentation for that matter, in the time available.
You have all the requisite knowledge – but how to get across that knowledge in the most effective way?
A light-bulb moment – use the office whiteboard.
Yes, you might have to brush up a bit on your neatness and writing legibility but there’s no reason why you can’t use the office whiteboard as a great visual aid.
As you sketch out your plan on paper, you quickly see how you can use bullet points to demonstrate procedures and processes, and use diagrams to explain concepts and get your message across.
You can map out everything you need to on the office whiteboard – problem solved and you’ve saved the day!
White board for office = Better communication
Working in an office can mean being at your desk hours on end, with your communication with other colleagues being limited mainly to emails.
The problem with inter-office emails is that often people’s writing skills are not as good as their speaking skills. This means that attempting to work out reasonably minor issues can sometimes escalate unnecessarily.
A simple request by email to a colleague can be misinterpreted easily – the tone of the writing is perceived by the receiving party as ‘disrespectful’ or ‘aggressive’.
Then a not so friendly ‘game’ of ‘email ping-pong’ develops where the ‘players’ get more and more antagonistic, upper-management is cced into the dispute, and you quickly find you have a major brouhaha on your hands.
If the original email writer had asked the email recipient to meet in the conference room and used the office whiteboard to map out their concerns, the chances of reaching a better outcome would have been much higher.
The colleague would have seen by the tone of voice and body language that there was no disrespect or aggression intended and they could have more easily discussed how to find a mutually agreeable solution. This is why whiteboards for office are so important.
The bottom line
For any office with more than 2 staff, office whiteboards have a proven track record in being the most effective way to brainstorm – much better than a notebook or mind map software.
Having staff being able to collaborate with an office whiteboard to share and generate ideas while being able to see other people’s input can lead to creating something special.
Some of the worlds multi-million dollar big ideas have come from an office whiteboard brain-storming session.
Whiteboards for office are still an office staple. They’re reliable, multi-purpose and – most importantly – they play a fundamental role in creating and maintaining a positive and successful office environment.
Why choose a JustBoards whiteboard?
JustBoards will help you find the best solutions and advice. We offer Australia wide delivery to your door. Contact us today on 1800 654 917 or at info@justboards.com.au
