Catch a Wave and you're sittin' on top of the world...
or at least the world of great online collaboration!
Google Wave isn't a brand new tool, but it's still in that super elite, gotta-have-an-invite-to-use-it phase of Google development, much the way that Gmail was upon its initial launch, so if you haven't been invited to try it or want to see what all the hubbub is about it, click here and apply for an invitation. If you don't know what Wave is/does, check out this short video. I'd give one of my allotted invites, but they've now been reserved for members of my apartment association, the Washington Multi Family Housing Association, here in beautiful Seattle!
That's right, I'm doing everything in my power to get WMFHA to catch the wave! So just why do I think that my apartment association should be utilizing Google Wave?
Google Wave isn't a brand new tool, but it's still in that super elite, gotta-have-an-invite-to-use-it phase of Google development, much the way that Gmail was upon its initial launch, so if you haven't been invited to try it or want to see what all the hubbub is about it, click here and apply for an invitation. If you don't know what Wave is/does, check out this short video. I'd give one of my allotted invites, but they've now been reserved for members of my apartment association, the Washington Multi Family Housing Association, here in beautiful Seattle!
That's right, I'm doing everything in my power to get WMFHA to catch the wave! So just why do I think that my apartment association should be utilizing Google Wave?
- It's a natural tool for committees that have too much to do, not enough communication and people who can't make every meeting. Posting a proposed meeting agenda to Wave before the meeting allows for instant
changes and for committee members to add ideas, or even discuss some of those ideas before they are added to the agenda if they do not really need to take time out of the meeting. Additionally, running Wave during the meeting while hosting absent members through either the Google Voice or Google Video apps makes the likelihood of attendance higher on some of those crazy meeting days
- Wave allows for two people who are spearheading a project to work on it, and still have the committee chair or director/board members watch the feed to know what's going on if they need to. Wave's ability to respond to conversations in thread format allows board members or association directors to clarify points, redirect progress and to answer questions in a forum that does not allow for a misinterpretation of the answer given.
- Constant status feeds of the progress (or lack there of) let leaders know if the projects are moving forward or if they've stymied, as so many do. This information might also be exceptionally helpful for catching those small roadblocks and finding ways around them before they completely stop a project and people lose interest and wander off
- Since studies have shown that Gen Y works excellently in a collaborative environment, why not use a tool that will encourage participation from those "leaders of tomorrow" that we need to tap before all of our baby boomers retire?
- It's FREE, whereas for many online collaboration software solutions, you'll be laying down some serious cash. Free fits in any budget.






changes and for committee members to add ideas, or even discuss some of those ideas before they are added to the agenda if they do not really need to take time out of the meeting. Additionally, running Wave during the meeting while hosting absent members through either the Google Voice or Google Video apps makes the likelihood of attendance higher on some of those crazy meeting days

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