Visualization

Challenge & selection

I assume that one of my own concerns might be one for other people as well. If I am right, finding a solution might create a new business opportunities and maybe a new market. But, first of all, I must explore the current reality in order to understand it properly and to get in mind a big picture with as much detail as possible. Then I need to share my view with some stakeholders. This step (sharing) is paramount in the thinking process for at least 2 reasons:

1. The starting point of the project is just a personal impression. It must be shared to be confirmed

and generalized (or not)

2. The main goal of this project is breakthrough innovation. It couldn’t be reached if we cannot

pinpoint the current reality.

Therefore, I use the tool of visualization to achieved a shared understanding of the current situation among a group of carefully selected 5 stakeholders before attempting to identify and define possible solutions to the problem.

Application

I started the process by creating a sketch of my own understanding of the situation. Actually, I drew my own situation and tried to explain my own problem. I am not a good drawer at all but I repeated myself that it wasn’t art I was trying to do. I especially wanted my sketch represents clearly my context, my situation and my problems. I also wanted my sketch was easy to understand and could motivate other to create their own sketch describing their own context, situation and problems. I had to keep in mind that one of the main purpose of this sketch is being large and accurate in the same time to be shared and understood.

When I was satisfied with my own sketch, I completed it with a diagram. In it, I was allowed to add some written texts. This diagram described the process an the activities associated  to my sketch. This diagram was not to be shared at first. But I felt that it was useful in my mind process, I assumed it would be a great plus after some first sharing meetings.

When I was satisfied with my sketch and my diagram, the time to share was arrived. I was afraid of having forgotten something but I remembered that it was just the first round of an iterative process and it would be possible and  surely necessary to add and modify it during the next rounds. So I shared my sketch with all stakeholders asking them to get inspired by it to build their own situation. I insisted on the fact that this first sketch should be personal and that we would then have time to discuss together our different points of view. I explained that it was possible to add details in a diagram which would complete their sketch. I schedule the first discussion meeting 3 weeks later.

3 weeks later, the first step of the first meeting was dedicated to the presentation of each diagram. I started in explaining, at last, my diagram with my words. It was pretty well understood by the all the stakeholders and they didn’t have exactly the same experience so their sketch wasn’t exactly like mine. Each of them couldn’t wait to share his own point of view. When all diagrams was shared, we tried to create together, a unique diagram gathering all the points of view, all the experiences. We spent several meetings to achieve this task but at the end, we was felling that the last sketch satisfied everyone. The job was done.

Insight & perspective

My best takeaway from conducting this project is the tool of visualization is useful in many ways.

Firstly, I used it to describe as well as possible what I had in my mind. Doing it, I ordered my ideas and made them clearer, even for myself.

Then I used it to give instructions to the stakeholders. They received an example of what it was expected. They could criticize it, complete it or make it hem own according to their point of view,

The same sketch was also the means and the object of several workshops. Every stakeholders used with it as a tool and as a work in progress.

Finally, the sketch and all its working versions became the outcome, the main product of this first part of the project.

It is not common that a tool is a product in the same time. From now on, I won’t never do without at least sketch or a diagram during the projects That I lead.

