The Converge Concept

The Converge platform (startconverge.com) is developed/supported by Converge LLC and is based on more than 25 years of experience by Douglas Griffen and the Advanced Strategy Center in conducting group-based sessions using collaborative technologies. In that regard, Converge as a concept is not new; the fundamental concept of group-base brainstorming with technology support was a result of a research project between IBM and the University of Arizona back in the 1980’s. The University of Arizona’s Center for Management Information (CMI) was led by Jay Nunamaker and the research project resulted the launch of the Ventana Company and their GroupSystems commercial product; IBM implemented the platform in hundreds of internal locations as the TeamFocus platform. It was often referred to as decision support technology and was initially implemented in decision support rooms with 20-25 desktop computers networked in a U shape conference table configuration. Over time, the technology changed to laptop computers, mobile labs and then the logical extension to running the platform online for virtual sessions. While the technology has changed, the principles remain the same: simultaneous response (everyone can speak digitally at the same time and be heard) and anonymous input (the merit and candor of the idea, free from organizational levels/political judgement).

The original decision support technology brought people together in physical rooms in traditional organizations; there is nothing traditional about our organizations and workflows today; most people work remotely, organizations have countless partnerships/alliances, new competitors can appear out of nowhere, their workforces are like free agents that can enter the workforce transfer portal at a moment’s notice. These organizations need to be agile and operate with a new decision velocity. They need to engage their employees and stakeholders (customers/clients/partners/influencers) to gain input and insights and create a sense of a collective journey. In short, they need to converge the people and insights on the issues and initiatives that matter—that’s the premise of the Converge platform.

Converge is taking the base principles of collaboration to the next level by implementing advanced technology and techniques. Cloud hosting, smart devices, AI analytics, dynamic language translation, larger group sizes—these are all components that can be leveraged by leaders for a new level of engagement and insight development. But these real-time collaborations sessions do not run themselves; we believe that the role of a facilitator is a critical success factor to get the real value for your organization and create a powerful experience for your participants. Converge is committed to making the role of facilitation easier and more intuitive, but your role makes a difference.