Strategic Storyboarding

Everyone wants to get published. You see it day in and day out, in meetings, strategic planning sessions and project work groups. People like to not only contribute ideas…they like to see their ideas recorded.

They want to get published.

It’s a natural human response. It works with internal teams. It works when interacting with customers. It works when getting feedback from potential clients.

Maybe we’re all at the core just egotistical. Maybe we want to have our ideas and input respected. Maybe “getting published� is a deep core need in each person.

The good news is that it’s easy and fast to do.

You just have to plan for capturing conversation.

If you are working with a group, set up the room with easel charts. If you have the wall space, roll out butcher paper or poster paper. Paper the room like a big bandage…wrapping the room with a horizontal band of paper.

If you don’t have that, work on a whiteboard.

Get all your tools lined up. Markers. Sticky notes. Colors. Pens.

Capture the essence of participant comments. Don’t change their words. Just select the critical few. If you’re not sure, check with the contributor to make sure you “got it right.�

It’s surprising and even alarming how many meetings do not make time or room for active listening. Listening is not a one-directional activity. When you listen and write down key comments, you are demonstrating active listening.

And it may not seem like such a big deal. But in fact, it is a huge deal.

Your audience knows that the level of interaction and authentic communication just soared. The lion’s share of meetings does not have this. It’s pitiful but true.

You’ll find that participants in your planning sessions will be more than happy to be actively involved. They will gladly donate new marketing strategies, customer insights, innovative product ideas and new solutions that can completely transform your business.

And it all starts with this little foundational secret. We all love getting our ideas, comments and insights—not just hear. Recorded in public. We want to get published.

How are you going to use this secret in your next meeting?

Drop me a line and let me know how it’s going.

Conventional: text with separate diagrams had 45% correct answers

Integrated text and diagrams: 64% correct

You’ve got an inspiring business vision. A winning strategy. And surefire tactics. What could possibly derail your plans?
I hate to break this one to you. And if you were in the room, you’d probably come flying over to grab me by the throat. I’ll risk it.
The one thing that can kill your strategy isn’t on the wall. It’s not in your storyboards…you have to look somewhere else entirely.
You have to look in the mirror.
If you’re micromanaging…if you have to know before anyone goes into action…if you have to make sure things go your way…then, you are micromanaging.
I just got off the phone with a Director of Training who was happily telling me that his new boss didn’t insist on looking at his slide deck before his presentation. Must have really trusted him.
That’s swell.
But what about the other folks? Each one had to have their new boss previewing. Yikes. This new boss is off the chart micromanaging even ‘tho my friend got off the hook.

So here’s the deal.

I know how you feel. No one, and I mean no one, does it as perfectly as you do. They don’t understand the vision. They don’t get the strategy and they certainly can’t do it right when it comes time to implement the plan.
That’s why you’re so insistent. Right?
Forget it. If you’re on the micromanaging path, it’s a thinly disguised martyr tactic. Nothing pretty about this. And don’t even think about calling this tight control a form of leadership.

It’s a big ‘ole trap.

If you need to micromanage, go fold your socks. A well-organized sock drawer is satisfying. You can color coordinate. Fold precisely so every pair matches perfectly. It feels good.
But don’t try to keep this level of control if you truly want to facilitate and lead your team.
Take a look in the mirror.
You’ll see the killer problem staring you right in the face.

Of course, the flip side is this is the one area where you have a profound and powerful influence. You don’t have to work on the vision, strategy, leadership team or project group.

You have to let go and let your team take ideas into action. Be a great leader. Let go.

It all starts with you.

“The world is in a crisis of trust. With this loss of authenticity and trust, it becomes increasingly incumbent on leaders to present ideas clearly and re-engage people.

When you have these tools you can be a truly facilitative leader — creating the environment for people to step forward and become better leaders.”
—Todd Harrison
Director for Associate Leadership Development, Wellpoint

What’s the big deal about winning trust?
Whether it’s your marriage or your team, people want to be included. They want to share their opinions. And they want to know you are listening.

If you have an important title or not, you can be win trust by being a truly facilitative leader. Right where you are. Training. Presenting. Running a pre-shift meeting. When you invite input and listen closely, you inspire trust.

It seems like a little thing. But faciliating takes practice and skill.

To be successful you need to know these three potential pitfalls. Once you know them–you can avoid them.

Trap One: Logic Above All

Sure, business needs a logical and left-brained approach. More customers. More profits. More on time and on budget deliverables.

But what about the people side? Personal issues, emotions, feelings, and creative insights. It’s really about people working with people.

Remember the ‘human’ in Human ‘resources’?
Oh, yeah. It’s about humans.

Trap Two: Bring Me The Money

Of course you’re in business to make money. Otherwise–why not just go for a hike? You need to make money. Shave costs. Eliminate fluff. Be real about recession proofing your business. But if you keep a hard-nosed focus on money, money, money–I bet you’re leaving a lot of opportunity on the table.

Opportunity for new idea. Opportunity for abundance. Opportunity for win-win creativity and innovation. A chance for people to get involved. A fighting chance for sustainable profits.

Trap Three: Working With You Is A Drag

You’ve seen the data. People will stay in a low-paying job, with lousy conditions just because of a great relationship with their immediate supervisor. Don’t get me started on this one.

If you are a drag to work with…look no further than the mirror. You’ll find the true reason for 100% turnover in your department.

I bet you’re not like this in everything you do or with everyone in your life. How can you be more open and engaging as a leader at work? Explore this and make simple changes high on your priority ‘to-do’ list.

With these three traps in mind, jump in and start learning more about facilitating. Ask open-ended questions. Invite input. Listen to responses. Capture responses on interactive storyboards.

Let me know how this helps you win great results. You deserve it.

There’s a myth that a lot of people have and you’ve probably heard:

Anyone can be in business.

In fact, you may have this false idea yourself.

Just this week, I ran into an old friend. “V” has a carpet cleaning business and is barely eeking by. He looked at me and in characteristic fashion declared, “I could do what you do. Anyone could!”

In the past, I would have gotten pissed off. But I’ve learned. Now I just smiled and said, “Really? Go knock yourself out.”

You see, I’ve realized a lot of people don’t have a clue about thinking strategically. They haven’t the foggiest about innovating. And they don’t understand how much persistence you really need.

They just see the tip of the iceberg. The limo picking me up…my easygoing attitude…the smile on my face. Bottom line– I’m happy!

And I make it look so easy.

It’s like this. Professional athletes make it look so easy–you think–hey, I could do that. Sure you could. With training, coaching and non-stop dedication.

No successful athlete turns training on and off. They focus constantly to achieve great performance. And you need to do the same.

Doing business is not a ‘grab-n-go’ thing anyone can do.

Your business is not a sprint. It’s a marathon. You have to pace yourself, keep drinking water and working your vision. And for phenomenal results, you have to nourish yourself and your team. And you have to continually ask tough questions.

Strategic business IQ is a living thing. Here’s how to take a pulse on your strategic intelligence. Do a quick tally. Check if you’ve asked yourself these questions in the last 30 days:

• Why am I in business?
• What is my business vision for my business?
• What are my strategic milestones for 2008?
• How did I do in the first quarter?
• What will I do differently in the next quarter?
• How am I sharing all this with my team?

Are you asking these questions? If you are asking all of them–great!
Some of them…well, that’s a good start.

Or none?

Then…there’s plenty of room for improvement.

The fastest way to increase your strategic business IQ is to storyboard your vision. Map out your mission. Use an interactive and visible process to identify milestones with your team…and track progress.

You’ll find storyboarding becomes an essential part of part of how you succeed in business. And, the best news is, with visual maps you’ll be able to do the three most important things every leader wants to do:
1. Simplify complex strategy
2. Explain tactics and big picture
3. Engage everyone on your team

How can you strengthen your strategic business IQ?
Ask tough questions. Storyboard your answers. Share the process

Just discovered a tiny, utterly delightful Italian restaurant in San Francisco. And sorry, I won’t reveal the location.

But it was the most delicious Gorgonzola pasta this side of Tuscany. And a charming, low-key atmosphere that makes me want to jump in the car and head back over there again. And again.

Yet, this is not a wine-and-dine post. This is a post about strategic storyboarding–and how you can grow your repeat business using this principle in multiple ways.

And I’ll start at the end of my meal so you get what I mean. After we’d had a yummy meal and polished off every last bite, the owner came over to confirm that we were happy.

I told him I was and would be coming back again soon. For sure.

He promptly returned with the bill. After he’d picked up my payment, he put down 2 spoons. How interesting. I’d already paid.

But he held my attention with that small yet deliberate move.

Naturally when a light and creamy taste treat emerged at the table…covered in fresh strawberries. Well…let’s just say my decision to return was sealed with a kiss.

You may not be running a restaurant. In fact, your business or project is likely to be a lot more focused on profits, deliverables and cost cutting.

(Hmmm…sounds a lot like most restaurants.)

So how can you thrill your clients? Give them the equivalent of a surprise treat. It may not be an edible one. Perhaps it’s a taste of a different product. A new service. A coaching call. A test-run of a pilot course.

Think of it as your special dessert. It’s the frosting on the cake. In addition to one they’ve already experienced.

By the way–this is the exact opposite of the ‘free’ dessert when everything has gone wrong with your meal or customer experience. I never get this one. Why would you want a free dessert on top of a rotten experience?

Back to the delectable route and how to super thrill your customers.

Brainstorm all the ways you can go over the top. Storyboard exactly how to exceed what your customers expect. Then, go out and do it. Have fun putting a smile on their face. You just never know how this will snowball. All the way to your next repeat business. And raving fan.

That’s how storyboarding can really make your business sweeter and much more profitable.

From Dog and Pony Show To A Million in Sales

I just got off the phone with a high-powered consultant who is hot on using strategic storyboarding with her clients. Now I know why.

She has so much business these days, she doesn’t even have time to add new clients. So, I can’t give her full name. Let’s just call her “E” since she’s up to her eyeballs in clients and made me swear I’d keep her identity secret.

E does high-level HR consulting and works with all kinds of clients to plan how their packages can best serve their employees. She took pity on her poor client work group–you know the ones who have to sit through endless consultant presentations.

Once you start talking numbers…Benefits, retirement packages, compensation options…you just watch folks’ eyes glaze over.

E was tired of doing things in the usual boring way.

She took a risk and departed from typical consulting techniques of discovery, needs analysis and endless show-and-tell case studies.

Instead, she pulled out the paper and invited her clients to gather ’round for an old-fashioned brainstorming session. As ideas started rolling, she captured thoughts and suggestions right on the spot.

In a colorful visual map. A strategic storyboard of options.

More ideas kept flying. She put those ideas on the map. And guess what happened? Not only did this group have a wall full of powerful and specific ideas. She is building an incredibly powerful relationship with these people.

A relationship that’s produced over $1 million in communication revenue.

As she told me about this, I got goose bumps. That’s a lot of profitable work. And it all came from going the road less traveled.

The road of engaging instead of preaching. The road of valuing your client’s input. Stepping out from the tedious ‘dog and pony’ business development meeting.

Yes, she took a risk–but WOW did it pay off.

If you and I were sitting side-by-side now, I’d put up a map on the wall. And we could plan together. Plan precisely how you can use visual maps to grow your business.

Where can you engage your clients, build strong relationships and grow your profits?

Pick from this short list to get started today:

• Business development meeting
• Performance management meeting
• Mentoring team members
• Guiding executive visioning retreats
• Clarifying marketing competitive edge
• Planning new product launches

Or perhaps your work is not in meetings these days. If that’s the case, meet with yourself. With strategic storyboards, you’ll find it’s easy and fast to clarify thinking, focus actions and measure results.

Pick from this short list to use storyboarding in your own meetings–to get your ideas rolling about projects, products and profits.

• Organize a project plan
• Structure fitness and self-care strategy
• Write a report or article
• Strategize client outreach
• Plan a marketing campaign
• Project-manage a family reunion or holiday get-together

Whether you’re in front of people or working at a distance, step out of the tedium of “same-old-same-old” meetings. Use visual maps and storyboards to get more done…and have more fun doing it!

Visual Language has a proven effectiveness

Research from John Sweller and his associations found 10-150% greater speed in understanding of visual language documents and from 20-50 percent fewer errors–or better learning scores. Results from Sweller’s research showed that text where visuals where tightly integrated with diagrams improved problem solving and promoted better scores.

Notes from Visual Language: Global communication for the 21st centuryby Robert E. Horn

DO use a large sheet of unlined paper
DO write your key topic in the center
DO write the word first
DO draw the icon around the word
DO keep the icon simple
DO use one icon to depict several different topics
DO practice topics that you use frequently
DO use colors, shapes and pictures to add meaning
DO summarize by using key words and phrases
DO write down all your thoughts and ideas

DON’T draw an icon without a word
DON’T draw the icon first
DON’T draw the icon so small that it’s hard to see
DON’T make very detailed or complex icons
DON’T attempt to illustrate every word
DON’T write in full sentences
DON’T be afraid to get creative
DON’T work slowly
DON’T crowd your writing and drawing

Visuals are clearly a highly beneficial and effective aid to any presentation, session, or meeting, and flip charts are without a doubt a simple, cost-effective, and convenient form of visual aid you can use. If this is the case, why are flip charts often neglected and underused? In spite of all their benefits, there are many objections and barriers to using whiteboards and to overall whiteboard success.

One common objection that people use is that they don’t have time to use whiteboards or develop flip chart skills. These people find it “easier� to simply plan a prepared speech, write down the main points, and present it orally without any visual aids. These are also the people who say they can’t draw and don’t have the time to learn.

Another barrier to using whiteboards is assuming one’s material is far too technical and complicated, and just won’t “work� on a whiteboard. A final common objection to learning whiteboard skills is that it’s been tried before with perceived bad results. Perhaps a chart came out looking confusing, you’re concerned no one can read your writing, or you don’t think you can draw.

However, keep in mind that a presentation with visuals will be uninteresting, uninspiring, and unmotivational, and you will likely lose your audience, who will come away from the meeting without having retained much.

It first of all really is not that time-consuming to learn and practice visual language skills on a whiteboard. You simply need the desire and drive and take a little bit of effort, and even 15 minutes a week can help you incorporate visual aids into your presentations and drastically improve your sessions and meetings.

In addition, learning how to simplify and draw out your “complicated� or “too-technical� data on a flip chart can actually help your audience understand your content better than through other methods—especially oral-only presentations. Focus on showing them the big picture using simple phrases, symbols, and diagrams. Also, the key to avoiding confusing charts, unreadable writing, and “bad� drawing is to learn how to develop your flip chart skills.

But why not just use PowerPoint or a dry-erase whiteboard? PowerPoint, while convenient and useful, loses some effectiveness in that it’s not interactive. People learn better when they can watch the words being written and the diagrams being drawn (such as on a flip chart or whiteboard), which helps them to better absorb the information, and also gives them time to ask questions. While white boards do have this interactive feature, they don’t have the permanent feature; you have to erase to move on to the next point.