Visual Thinking – Meetup# Takeaways

Working with symbols, how to draw and be in? That was a special MeetUp from the “Agile Kitchen” series on the topic of visual thinking. A topic that is an excellent complement for agile and team coaching. It was a full-day workshop held on the premises of the company SEMrush. The workshop was facilitated by an agile coach from Portugal, João Reis.

The workshop topics were:

1. The power of collective drawing

2. Collaboration and basic rituals

3. Visual tools

4. Connecting parts together

5. Tasting the parts

6. Creating a new tool
   

Everybody can draw picture

At the beginning of the workshop, we did a short introduction, but it was not standard. Everyone first had to draw a doodle (just scribbling). Afterwards, the doodle had to be turned into a bird (which was harder, because when you don’t know that you’ll be turning a scribble into a piece of art…). The introduction was then based on the piece I created on a Post-it and stuck onto the flipchart.

Take Away #1: An interesting way of the introduction process and its effect. The whole activity took just a few minutes and happened naturally, without force. There was no tension felt, rather a fun form. The group was enjoying it. As a way of introducing people in a group, it is very strong and effective.

Take Away #2: During the workshop, João mentioned a company that deals with the topic of visualizing ideas (Liberating structures http://www.liberatingstructures.com/ and Troika consulting http://www.liberatingstructures.com/8-troika-consulting ). In both cases, there is interesting information. I did not know either company. By the way, I installed the “Liberating Structures App,” which contains various team exercises. Simply great - I applied something in practice almost immediately.

Take Away #3: What are the key rules for visual thinking (in a group)

1. The picture must be drawn quickly and be simple

2. Content is key – “Content is King”

3. The process of creating the picture itself is more important than the result

4. The process includes:

   • look at what you want to draw,

   • I see what I want to draw,

   • I think about how to draw it,

   • I draw

5. I use simple basic symbols (BIKABLO basic shapes https://bikablo.com/)

6. I apply individual elements:

• Containers

• Connectors

• Symbols

• Bullets

• Characters

• Letters

7. I create visual metaphors

• In the picture I realize various transformations from one part to another

• In the picture I show the path—how and where I am going

8. How I do it, what the prerequisites are:

• I actively listen (I pay attention, ask questions, visualize what was said)

• I do not judge other people’s pictures (all ideas must be on paper)

• Everyone draws pictures

9. The formula of collective drawing

• Start with bait (almost everyone is afraid at the beginning; drawing from childhood creates barriers for some people—school influence, environment, family…)

• Use simple pictures

• Do not invite the team to a special event focused on drawing (like “visual retro today…”)

• Do not forget that the drawing process and team interaction are much more important than the result

  
  

Take Away #4: How to turn a metaphor into a symbol? (note: coaches sense how important this part is, but I deliberately left out my input about the subconscious…)

Actually, at this workshop I connected some things together, shortly after I saw the effect it had on people in the group

Metaphor: Kristina is beautiful like a flower… can be beautifully translated into a simple symbol.

Metaphors

From Cristina and a Flower to metaphoric symbol

Take Away #5: A retrospective without a single word. At the workshop, we demonstrated how to do a retrospective without a single word. It turned out that even if you don’t know the language, you can do a retrospective in a group and completely win the team over. You remove disturbing influences of words, ambiguities, various anxieties… During the discussion, I felt that this is a truly powerful tool. It immediately flashed through my mind (P = V – i) and inner game…

Conclusion:

Overall, this workshop was very effective and useful. Thanks for the facilities and top-level organization to SEMrush CZ, the organizers Tatiane Solovjove, João Reis, and the whole group of enthusiastic agilists. By the way, I still wonder why events like this are not packed—it’s free and the main purpose is to support the community. Thanks for that.

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