Visual brainstorming - Visualization      Challenge     I worked as an intern consultant for a company, which was facing a very difficult moment. My  challenge was to facilitate the re-building of a department concerning the teamwork,  motivation and engagement.      Selection    One of the approaches used during the workshop was what I call “visual brainstorming” – the  question was: “how is the company of your dreams?”. All colleagues attending the workshop  had only one blank flip chart paper to draw together the company of their dreams. I chose this  technique because it strengthens the teamwork.      Application    First I asked them the question above and gave them some time to think about it. After I told  them that the idea was to draw the future we dream together.   Technique rules:

1. every one participates   2. one per time  3. no conversation / dialogue allowed  4. just “small” draws per time  5. until a “big” draw made together is done

Insight & Approach    By the end of this exercise, we had an inspiring draw and all colleagues had the chance to say  how they felt doing it – it was really interesting listening to them, especially when they were  explaining what they had in mind in the beginning, which was changing along the exercise in  order to build only one draw together with the others.     This exercise showed me that when an idea is built together with others, all of them feel part of  it, consequently we have more engagement, in spite of the final result looks different from the  individual initial idea.

