Strategic Storyboarding

“Why didn’t you show me THAT sooner?”

“You can talk to me until you’re blue in the face, but show me a big picture and I’ll get it!” Thousands of people have told us the same thing. And once they do see the overview chart, they want to know, “why didn’t you show me that sooner?” “Show me the big picture!” This request arises in every session—from coaching strategy sessions to problem solving to personal transitions. Transitions can be the pits. Everything is changing. Life is uncertain. Familiar habits, beliefs and attitudes don’t work anymore. And the new has not taken shape yet. If you’re coaching yourself or coaching a client, these times of radical change call for practical skills. Visual mapping skills can help you do three things right away: minimize overwhelm, identify do-able steps and see the progress you’re making. Overview charts help individuals and groups tackle highly complex issues such as re-designing a business, developing marketing strategy and communicating among worldwide locations. In addition, visual charts are valuable to gather input and promote discussion and collaboration to develop new processes. Transition maps help individuals envision what’s possible. Three dimensional design prototypes make ideas more tangible. Maps and prototypes help people invent and create solutions for major life changes. Maps are flexible in both content, stage of a process and specific design. You can use the diagramming methods to map change in wildly diverse situations from charts to identify a new career, focus creative expression, start a business of your own or plan a move. Let me ask you a question. Is there an area of your life that you’d like to change? I don’t know where you are at this moment in your life, but the majority of us would answer,”YES!” so I bet that’s your answer too. Now that we’ve established that, What can you do to get started? ONE: Minimize overwhelm: Gather and Chunk Gather Get all your ideas out in one place. It could be a wall map. A brain dump on notecards. A mindmap. A series of clusters with some areas linked and some questions remaining. You may feel more comfortable with writing longhand or writing on your computer until you’ve got it all out of your head and onto paper. Chunk Once you have all the ideas out, it’s time to categorize into sections that make the most sense to you. This could be in three to four frames, as in storyboarding. Or it could be in chunks with labels such as: now, next and after that. If you are heading for a project or a performance, your categories can be: before/during and after; or getting ready; performing; appraising. In any of these framing techniques you may have ideas, actions, and questions that belong in the “don’t know yet” bucket. This is not high-level physics, but it is separating fact from fiction; idea from attachment. In fact, once you get started, you are no longer overwhelmed. Instead you’re involved in thinking differently. You’re thinking about the process of going from idea into action. That’s a great start and you’re ready to move to step number three: TWO: Identify do-able steps If you have no idea where to start, go with that. Start anywhere. If you have a sense of where to start, great. Break this down into small units that you can actually do. Guide your thinking by how you ask questions: What is the next thing I can do to move this forward? What is one step I can take to move this idea into action? This may lead you to do more research, talk to someone, incubate, compare options, talk with your coach, experiment with a pilot test. Keep jogging your thinking into action with, “ The next thing I can do is…” THREE: See progress Next to making progress, I believe that one of the most rewarding feelings is to see the progress you’re making. This is really what’s behind financial reports, executive presentations with charts and diagrams, the stock index, numerical tables, pie charts, diagrams, gant charts, radar charts…It’s all about the visual recognition of where you’ve been and where you are now. Past, present and future comparisons: what has been, what is and what will be. While we rely on this for information in the public domain and as pulses of business success, seeing progress for yourself is still an underutilized territory. When you are starting a new venture, in the middle of changing a habit, or engaged with experimenting for new solutions, often these charts are your most immediate documents of progress. Recording your efforts will help you stay on top of your goals. You’ll see what is an idea, and what you’re putting into action steps. You’ll find out which alternatives bring you the results you want. And based on your own findings, what you want to do more of and what you want to refine. A measurement system should meet these criteria: Easy to use Quick to record Information is designed the way you think It’s portable or easy to find when and where you want it You can see patterns at a glance You can design a measurement system of your own my making a daily or weekly map or chart. Pick 3-7 criteria that you define, that represent specific actions you are tracking. These actions are neutral indicators of behaviors you choose. A calendar chart is a handy recording tool for seeing your progress on these indicators over time. Put your criteria along the left hand side, and your days of the week along the top. Use color or a check mark to show that you took an action step in the categories you’re measuring. Keep in mind that this is a living process. If you find that the charting is not reflecting results, experiment with what you are measuring. Are you trying to track too many categories? Would you have more fun if your used a series of circles instead of squares in a grid? Keep adjusting your process so you can see the progress you’re making. You’ll find that every step counts. Each action you take heads you in the direction you envision. “Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is aimless. Vision with action will achieve.” Anonymous You’ll find visual maps to support every stage of your transition at www.coachmaps.com and especially  be sure to ook at Design Yourself. Be sure to learn more tips and techniques to use visual mapping to support taking your ideas into action at www.visual-learning-magazine.com