Meeting Planning Innovation

Three decades, a half dozen summonses, and I've managed to sidestep this civic duty every time. My employer would send a letter and I would be excused.

A few weeks ago, the next summons arrived, but now I'm a solo-preneur. I'm sorely tempted to write a letter. I'm incredibly busy (who isn't?), but then, my conscience kicks in. Looks like this is my time to serve.

Then it hit me. Why not look at this experience through the lens of an event planner?

The Invitation

• As a taxpayer, I appreciate the thrifty white paper copies.
• No slick logo, just the facts, ma'am. Where to report, what to wear, and what to expect. Jack Webb (Dragnet) would be proud.
   

The Welcome

• A stroll through the metal detector, then onto the jury reporting room.
• Drab decor. Looks like a doctors' waiting room/bus terminal mash-up. Portraits of Abraham Lincoln and Sandra Day O'Connor hint at theme for the day.
• Speedy registration and distribution of parking passes. Done in 90 seconds. 
• Cramped seating for about 75 folks. Looks like we're 2 seats short. 
• Free tokens for coffee. Free phone, too. What? No wi-fi? I scan the room and guess that few are bothered by this.
   

The Experience

• While we wait, a "what to expect" video plays on two TVs mounted high in corners. It captures about as many eyes as the flight passenger safety videos. 
• As luck would have it, I only had to report one of the five days. On that day, I was out the door in less than two hours.
   

One "Aha" Moment

On the one day I reported, two large groups were called to court rooms. There were about 25 of us left, when a judge entered our waiting room. She smiled, introduced herself, and thanked us for being there. She told us we came very close to being called up for a complex drug smuggling case. As she shared more details, I felt like I was watching an episode of Dateline. She went on to explain that having a room full of potential jurors, ready for action, was likely a big factor in getting this defendant to settle.

WOW! A judge actually took time to explain the WHY behind jury duty. I have no idea if this is standard protocol, but it should be. It made me feel better about stepping up.

If Only They Hired an Event Planner

Many courts are having a tough time getting people to serve on juries. As I scanned the web, I  found lots of "How to Get Excused" materials, but little in the way of positive, jury duty commentary. 

I'm going wild here, but imagine if we had budget to hire a few event planners to enhance the experience:

• Sponsors? You definitely have a captive (and bored) audience here.  We need to tread the impartial line softly, but there must be a few safe options.
• Networking? You're already collecting demographic data. Collect a little more and distribute color-coded badges or lanyards, so like-minded folks could chat while they're waiting. Blue for business, Red for Grandmas, Yellow for Gen X'ers. Green for sports fans, etc.
• Education? While we're waiting, how about a panel discussion about local trends in court cases? Are there more cases this year or fewer? Or maybe "A Day in the Life of a Judge." Do you really want Judge Judy to represent your world to the masses? Make me care more, so next time I get that jury summons, I won't be tempted to dodge it. 
• Parting Gifts? Volunteer Upsell? Many of us are coming in from the suburbs. If you're going to dismiss us, how about a "While You're Here" list of local shops, restaurants, and tourist destinations? If you release me early, how about reminding me that the Red Cross is right down the street and they need blood.  Or the food pantry could use some help with distribution?

I know, a little crazy -- but when we entertain the crazy ideas, somewhere along the way, we find the brilliant ones!