visualsOrganizations can also create through visual communication and the use of symbol, pictograph, sigil, mural and cave painting. They may use whatever tools they have on hand: ink, stone, textile, television, or Instagram.
The visual medium might allow us to do many things – solemnly reflect and contemplate in a hushed “gallery” setting, gain mutual understanding of the game plan devised on the locker room whiteboard, rally beneath the flag or behind the crested shield of our warring tribe, or identify teams by the marks and colors they wear. The practices of graphic recording and graphic facilitation allow us to use the blank walls of our workspace as a canvas – providing visual feedback in real-time as we brainstorm, collaborate, make decisions, tell stories, or develop strategies.
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CREATIVITYIn Matthew Fox’s Creation Spirituality model, the via negativa is directly followed by the via creativa. It would stand to reason that an organization experiencing an intense period of grieving or “storming” (think industry disruption, bankruptcy, merger/acquisition, global pandemic, etc.) would eventually find itself on the path of birthing and creativity. Together, this group would begin the work of synthesis, recovery, language- and process-building, and begin to create something new. This collaborative work would take them to a new level of meaning-making that transcends and includes its previous iterations (values, culture, systems).
When groups of people make meaning together, they are opening themselves to one another in brave and important ways. They are sharing the white hot spark that flickers inside each of them. They are pointing the mirror of the self at one another in an effort to be seen as a reflection of the whole. When groups embark on this creative path together, we can see how that spark is amplified into an all-consuming flame – a vision or mission that ignites the group with a positive, healthy obsession and provides a new Guiding Star to which they can navigate. It’s been three years and one pandemic in the making. I am so proud to finally announce the release of this fully-illustrated, definitive resource on how to facilitate groups and design collaboration. It presents a holistic view of facilitation – based on Integral Theory – and includes an array of contributions from expert voices, including co-author Geoffrey Nelson, David Sibbet, Lauren Green, Brian Tarallo, Jim Kalbach, Mark Tippin, Natalie Nixon, akasha, and Michelle Royal. If you (or your team) want to get better at guiding conversations, making decisions, surfacing opportunities, or driving outcomes, you must grab a copy today. They even come in hardcover! Inside you'll find:
Here’s What People are Saying About the Book“Whether you're a seasoned veteran or brand new to facilitating meetings and group processes, Facilitation is required reading. Everything in it is essential to the design and delivery of facilitation. And yet somehow in all 272 pages, nothing is superfluous. I tried to highlight everything that every facilitator should know; it would have been faster to have dipped the entire book in yellow ink.”
- Brian Tarallo, Lizard Brain, author of Surviving the Horror of Online Meetings: How to Facilitate Good Virtual Meetings & Manage Meeting Monsters “Facilitation is packed with essential knowledge and practical tips. This book is the perfect tool for group facilitators looking to feel more confident and capable in today's complex world. It’s an exciting and hopeful guide that delves into the underlying dynamics of group collaboration and places human experience at the center of the process.” - Rebecca Ejo Colwell, MBA; Founder Ten Directions, Co-Founder Integral Facilitator® In complex business environments, leadership cannot be off-boarded or outsourced. As leaders and executives, sometimes we blame the bad things happening around us on others, or the market, or circumstance.
Things like ineffective meetings, staff turnover, teams not hitting their goals, people holding back, lack of work/life balance, and not sticking to the strategy. These have nothing to do with other people and everything to do with the way you show up as a leader. It’s been said that “people don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad managers.” The opposite is also true. People don’t follow ideas, they follow other people. Is your mission confusing and convoluted? Are there too many initiatives to remember? Have you made your vision of the future (and their role in it) crystal clear for the team? If not, chances are they will burn out. If they stop believing in your capacity to lead, you will no longer be their leader. No amount of bonuses or self-care days will undo it. Executives and leaders experiencing complexity and overwhelm can do two things to establish leadership in complex environments:
This alignment will look more like group storytelling than strategy. It will involve all of your people and involve them in visualizing things like retrospectives, journey maps, and cones of plausibility. Consider how the diversity of voices, perspectives and competencies you convene and empower today will impact, amplify, drive, or disrupt your work in the future. Visionary leaders prepare for this long tail and are able to manage the business along multiple horizons. The emotional benefits for leaders who can do this include:
Some measurable results we have seen in leaders and businesses that can enable this kind of thinking and behavior in those around them include:
As mentioned in our book, Visionary Leadership, these types of leaders are able to do three things well:
Raise more visual leaders. Celebrate them. Watch them shine. |
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ABOUT THE AuthorJoran Slane Oppelt is an international speaker, author and consultant with certifications in coaching, storytelling, design thinking and virtual facilitation. Archives
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