Using mind mapping tool to prepare for building shared vision Jessie Belal, EBC CSP coach, Learning designer Linked In Jessie Belal https://www.kramer.info/wp-content/category/bloghome.php

The challenge Working as an (organizational development) coach I use design thinking tools in an integrated way  in team and group development, sometimes also with individuals.  Building a shared vision is a multi-step systemic activity, requires to express or frame every  participant’s individual vision, to make it visible to self and others and using these to collect input,  inspiration to integrate parts into a new shared vision. I felt the urge to design a complex tool to  support this process in the data gathering and preparation phase, to move forward to the idea  generation of the ‘what if’, alias how could our shared vision look like? I used mind mapping to cope with the challenge of building a new shared vision for a multinational  FMCG company’s sales organization after reorganization and recent changes of the markets. The  group size was 70 participants. They were positioning themselves as being highly rational, so I had  to tip out them from that strong and closed position to emotions, to reach open mind, open heart,  open will state (Otto C. Scharmer: THeory U) to be able to co-create. I also had to reach a kind of  slowing down to be able to self-reﬂect and listen to their inner worlds, what is emerging.

The selection of the tool It is said that a picture worths more than 1000 words. Absolutely agree. I especially enjoy using  visual tools, knowing the cone of learning’s principles, that we gain the majority of the information  through our eyes. I use the other half of the cone, too, I process information with participants in  organized and facilitated systemic dialogues to reach a better experience and learning. I witnessed  the power of well captured drawings before, reﬂecting on or expressing the inner world. Mind  mapping is an excellent systemic tool to organize information into inspiring and consumable ways,  showing interdependencies between participants, patterns, facts, ideas, etc. Rocio Diaz interprets in her video lecture on Mind mapping as ‘an engaging alternative to that  giant report we might otherwise have written to sum up and communicate in prose and charts and  spreadsheets.’ In workshop or team coaching setting with limited available time I needed a tool with the instant  data gathering and insight providing superpower - mind mapping.

Application Learning systemic coaching the ﬁrst tool we used was The river of my life. This is a mind mapping  tool, but also has the elements of storytelling and visualization. Participants has the task to draw  their own rivers, from birth to the future, using symbols to express major events. The shape and  stages, objects of their river with the surroundings carries enormously big amount of information of  their thinking, their past, personalities, values. We can recognize the patterns, ﬁlters and beliefs  they bring in to the process.  I designed a 3+1 step tool to build a shared vision. The ﬁrst 3 steps is the preparation, usin mind  mapping. Shared vision, I mean a good one is like a genom of a community, every member’s  genes are represented somehow in the genom. Every drop counts, speaking of the water  language. First step is to draw individual rivers on A3 sheets and share them in small groups of maximum 8.  Second step is to draw a common river of the group on giant sheets or wallpaper/white board, the  well of the river is the ‘oldest’ member of the group (working for the company/project the longer)  the ending point is the present. Participants have to agree what to bring in from individual rivers  and in the design of the common river. Depending on the community size, after the second step small groups have to join and integrate  small groups’ rivers into a larger one, where all the participants’ stories are represented. Third step is to add to the present river an extension of the future. Where and how the common  river is ﬂowing? Does it ﬂow at all? How does it look like in the future? Where is the end of the

river? Having the entire common river from the past to the future is the starting point for the  organized and facilitated stakeholder dialogue to build the shared vision.

Insights Whether working with top dogs’ teams in IT, nurses and pedetricians from a children cancer  hospital, leadership team of a music school, we had AHA moments together. I’m moved every time  by the emotions and empathy is emerging. That happened with the sales organization’s members  as well. Pouring out their lives in structured, focused way, participants had AHA and WOW. To see  their lives until now is extermely powerful and moving. Summarizing tens of years in a complex  drawing has the superpower to help answer such questions like who we are, what are our values,  what makes us to move forward and reach out. Sharing the rivers, explaining symbols creates a  special ‘safe container’ to work in and co-create. Empathy rises and making the way to generative  dialogues. Facilitator (me) is also involved, knowing better the participants. We are working ‘in the  zone’ from now on (FLOW - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi) Moving forward to the second step, the AHA also appears when participants realize their individual  lives and values in the common river. They can recognize their role, strengths, weaknesses,  opportunities and threats for their community. The ‘WE’ state of minds appears through empathy,  listening, later, in the third step generative stakeholder dialogue helps to co-create in this ‘safe  container’. With the common river, from its origin to its future we have the ﬁrst visual and systemic sense of  the shared vision, which is evolved in the following steps.

Approach Next time using this tool for the same purpose I’d use more of the storytelling tool, integrated or  better to say used togethether with mind mapping. I believe new qualities and insights would  appear using them consciously together in sharing and organized dialogues.


Using mind mapping tool to prepare for building shared vision Jessie Belal , EBC CSP coach , Learning designer Linked In Jessie Belal https://www.kramer.info/wp-content/category/bloghome.php The challenge Working as an ( organizational development ) coach I use design thinking tools in an integrated way in team and group development , sometimes also with individuals . Building a shared vision is a multi - step systemic activity , requires to express or frame every participant ’s individual vision , to make it visible to self and others and using these to collect input , inspiration to integrate parts into a new shared vision . I felt the urge to design a complex tool to support this process in the data gathering and preparation phase , to move forward to the idea generation of the ‘ what if ’ , alias how could our shared vision look like ? I used mind mapping to cope with the challenge of building a new shared vision for a multinational FMCG company ’s sales organization after reorganization and recent changes of the markets . The group size was 70 participants . They were positioning themselves as being highly rational , so I had to tip out them from that strong and closed position to emotions , to reach open mind , open heart , open will state ( Otto C. Scharmer : THeory U ) to be able to co - create . I also had to reach a kind of slowing down to be able to self - reﬂect and listen to their inner worlds , what is emerging . The selection of the tool It is said that a picture worths more than 1000 words . Absolutely agree . I especially enjoy using visual tools , knowing the cone of learning ’s principles , that we gain the majority of the information through our eyes . I use the other half of the cone , too , I process information with participants in organized and facilitated systemic dialogues to reach a better experience and learning . I witnessed the power of well captured drawings before , reﬂecting on or expressing the inner world . Mind mapping is an excellent systemic tool to organize information into inspiring and consumable ways , showing interdependencies between participants , patterns , facts , ideas , etc . Rocio Diaz interprets in her video lecture on Mind mapping as ‘ an engaging alternative to that giant report we might otherwise have written to sum up and communicate in prose and charts and spreadsheets . ’ In workshop or team coaching setting with limited available time I needed a tool with the instant data gathering and insight providing superpower - mind mapping . Application Learning systemic coaching the ﬁrst tool we used was The river of my life . This is a mind mapping tool , but also has the elements of storytelling and visualization . Participants has the task to draw their own rivers , from birth to the future , using symbols to express major events . The shape and stages , objects of their river with the surroundings carries enormously big amount of information of their thinking , their past , personalities , values . We can recognize the patterns , ﬁlters and beliefs they bring in to the process . I designed a 3 + 1 step tool to build a shared vision . The ﬁrst 3 steps is the preparation , usin mind mapping . Shared vision , I mean a good one is like a genom of a community , every member ’s genes are represented somehow in the genom . Every drop counts , speaking of the water language . First step is to draw individual rivers on A3 sheets and share them in small groups of maximum 8 . Second step is to draw a common river of the group on giant sheets or wallpaper / white board , the well of the river is the ‘ oldest ’ member of the group ( working for the company / project the longer ) the ending point is the present . Participants have to agree what to bring in from individual rivers and in the design of the common river . Depending on the community size , after the second step small groups have to join and integrate small groups ’ rivers into a larger one , where all the participants ’ stories are represented . Third step is to add to the present river an extension of the future . Where and how the common river is ﬂowing ? Does it ﬂow at all ? How does it look like in the future ? Where is the end of the river ? Having the entire common river from the past to the future is the starting point for the organized and facilitated stakeholder dialogue to build the shared vision . Insights Whether working with top dogs ’ teams in IT , nurses and pedetricians from a children cancer hospital , leadership team of a music school , we had AHA moments together . I ’m moved every time by the emotions and empathy is emerging . That happened with the sales organization ’s members as well . Pouring out their lives in structured , focused way , participants had AHA and WOW . To see their lives until now is extermely powerful and moving . Summarizing tens of years in a complex drawing has the superpower to help answer such questions like who we are , what are our values , what makes us to move forward and reach out . Sharing the rivers , explaining symbols creates a special ‘ safe container ’ to work in and co - create . Empathy rises and making the way to generative dialogues . Facilitator ( me ) is also involved , knowing better the participants . We are working ‘ in the zone ’ from now on ( FLOW - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi ) Moving forward to the second step , the AHA also appears when participants realize their individual lives and values in the common river . They can recognize their role , strengths , weaknesses , opportunities and threats for their community . The ‘ WE ’ state of minds appears through empathy , listening , later , in the third step generative stakeholder dialogue helps to co - create in this ‘ safe container ’ . With the common river , from its origin to its future we have the ﬁrst visual and systemic sense of the shared vision , which is evolved in the following steps . Approach Next time using this tool for the same purpose I ’d use more of the storytelling tool , integrated or better to say used togethether with mind mapping . I believe new qualities and insights would appear using them consciously together in sharing and organized dialogues .