Cough up that complexity furball

Go on ! *cough cough* Get it up... and out !

That furball of complexity that's lodged in your team's throat is disengaging, dull and not getting through to people across the business. 

But when you've got so much detailed information to get across to so many people - and you need to do it quickly, or you've lost them - it's no wonder we try for pages and pages and packs and packs and more and more... 

*cough*

I worked with a team recently, actually, four teams. They wondered how to present their four complex projects of work from the past months (and for some, years) of effort. 

How do you do that without losing some of the essence, the detail and depth that sits behind their key points?

These four visual storyboards did the trick!

*cough*

I created them on an ipad (using the app Brushes and my finger as a stylus). I have no artistic training by the way. It's about the thinking, not the drawing. The images were able to be printed out and laminated and 'spoken to' by the leaders of the projects. They could just as easily be projected on a screen.

Engaging, made-by-a-human, told-by-a-human and a sweet-as change from the hardcore digital stuff the leadership team had been pounded with up until now.

Now these visuals will go on a story tour around the business' offices and sites to share the message and the vision and so much more. 

• Sort through your thinking and your story.
• What does this audience really need to know?
• How can you deliver that in an engaging way? 
• And a final tip: you don't need a big-bucks agency to help you get closer to being a real human. 

 *cough*

Three short whistles for 'up'

There's a large crane onsite at a housing construction site nearby today. 

While the set-up and set-down of concrete slabs and wooden piles can be a visual distraction, it's the auditory, the sounds, that are getting my attention. 

There's great deal of trust, communication, cooperation, focus and engagement that's required among the team - all conveyed via hand signals and ... a little silver whistle!

One long whistle... 'lower'

One short whistle... 'stop'

Three short whistles ... 'up'

With this quick visual guide I was off and running, watching what was happening, learning quickly from the visuals on the guide and confirming via the sounds I was hearing.  

What auditory or sound signals do you give the people in your team? (applause, cheers, verbal confirmation or encouragement, verbal rewards...)

What quick visual guides do you use so that people are up to speed quickly on what to do, when, and how? (noticeboards, flyers, post-it notes, big picture visions, the visual storyboard, process maps, status or kanban boards...)

Keep it simple. No need for big bucks, fancy design and a mega-production with massive timelines! 

What simple tools can you use to convey information and engage quickly and clearly today?

One long, two short whistles ... slew (or veer) right!

What's your story?

I've just returned from some travels in far north Australia, to the 'pointy bit', the most northerly tip of the country - Cape York.

The main image above I took at the Split Rock Aboriginal Art Galleries near the town of Laura in far north Australia. The history in the area goes back 40,000 years and there are many stories and milestones recorded in these rock art galleries. It's an important way for the culture to survive. The images capture information, convey ideas and tell significant stories. They're like a storyboard of what was happening at the time.

Last century, Walt Disney used storyboards to capture his innovative thoughts and map out the flow of his productions. In current day, it's mainly the advertising industry that makes use of this tool.

What delierate tools do you use to engage and connect with others - to capture your thinking, to convey information, to collaborate? 

A rough storyboard can map out the stages of a project, the desired outcomes, the key people involved, the timelines. A corporate product team I recently worked with created this storyboard and many others around the room. The team was highly engaged, transfixed on the images, contributing throughout the day. 

Help people see the possibilities, identify opportunities and collaborate. I believe we all have 'visual mojo'; we had it when we were younger children, happy to bring our thoughts, stories and ideas to life and put them on show for passers by. 
Where did it go? Get your visual mojo back.  For trainers, speakers, facilitators and project leaders who need to unite a team to a vision or gather group input, storyboarding is engaging and captivating - and it need only last a few weeks or months - not 40,000 years.