Although technology has brought us some incredible innovations that we can use in our day-to-day activities, keeping some old habits alive is an excellent idea as well. Motivational experts often speak about how having big visible charts can serve as an information radiator that helps individuals keep track of their tasks, teams, progress, or lack of it.
In other words, computers and tablets are unable to replace whiteboards because they don’t offer constant visual stimulation and accountability for one’s actions. There are, of course, many other reasons, and we will explore them in this article.
One thing to bear in mind, however, is that you don’t need to settle for a dull and boring whiteboard or hammering nails into walls. Instead, you can opt for artistic designs such as the ReMARKable white board, which can be applied to nearly any painted surface within your home or business office.
1. The Giant Elephant In The Room
As previously mentioned, one of the primary and most essential reasons for which whiteboards are more useful than tablets is that they are in the room with you at all times. You won’t need to click a button and then sip through files. With a digital tool, you need to go and find it, on the web, on the intranet, or other similar sources.
By contrast, the whiteboard will sit as a reminder of what you need to do. You may even call it your visible conscience, which can have its disadvantages once you’re demotivated.
2. Added flexibility
Although everything can be changed using a tablet, things are even easier with a whiteboard. Simply put, you only need to leave the comfort of your chair and then use your hands to re-order, add notes, and erase things –without hassle or fuss.
3. Improve work culture
An increasing number of organizations lack team culture. By having a board and encouraging your colleagues to get up and make changes, you are integrating others into the project you are working on.
It is also easier to keep a clean and accurate order when using a whiteboard, without needing to make sure that others have the technical knowledge to deal with the tasks.
Plus, you can make everything more fun and colourful, adding drawings that will create a deeper bond with others.
4. The icebreaker
Speaking of bonds, you can start conversations by using a whiteboard. With a tablet, things can get complicated without internet connectivity, faulty devices, and other technical issues. By contrast, you can gather people around a whiteboard and discuss plans or ideas.
5. The Collaboration Tool
Another interesting and exciting aspect of a whiteboard is that when owners, stakeholders, and third parties visit your workspace, they can see exactly what you have been working on. This eliminates the worry that the ones high up are not going to know the busy bees that genuinely make a company great. Who knows, you might even start a conversation with them!
Bearing this in mind, we suggest that whiteboards should have wheels because in this way you can move them from room to room. You won’t need to look down into your screen, nor will you be tempted to check social media when a whiteboard is right in front of you.
Moreover, gone are the days of having to log in, experiencing technical issues, or having to share the same tablet with your co-workers. Just take your whiteboard and your pen.
6. The Doodle Principle
We all have different learning styles, and a tablet may not be the tool suited to all. Nor is a whiteboard for that matter.
However, by using this latter option, you can sketch, doodle, or find alternative ways to explain a scenario visually. This is particularly useful in development roles where you might be describing a class structure or the company architecture.
7. Change The Norm
A considerable number of organizations nowadays are using tools and processes instead of individuals and interactions. Humans are social beings, and a whiteboard features the flexibility and versatility that most of us wish for. In other words, don’t commit to a tool which defines the organizational process for you. Instead, find a way to adapt to your colleague’s needs.
By using a whiteboard, the structure can be changed incredibly easily. For example: do you need a new column? Do you need to erase a mistake, or to add a funny doodle? Do you need a different colored line? No need to configure a tablet, and no need to install programs or updates.
8. Things Change
Sometimes you need to start over. Using your two hands can be easy: wipe the board and start fresh. It will be easy to redraw your columns and start from fresh. In fact, it may even be cathartic.