Example Reflection - Visualization

Challenge and Selection

I used to work for a bigger tax consultancy firm working for larger multinational clients. I was working  as an account manager for one of the larger target clients, for which we had been trying to broaden  our relationship for some time already but had been only somewhat successful. We were sure there  must be more opportunities to grow the relationship with this client but did not feel we had been  able to get hold of this so far.

Past experience and, thus, data available for this specific client were only limited. The only positive  information we had was from relationships with other, somewhat similar clients, and from earlier  feedback interviews with this particular client, where we had learned a few things about what he did  not like but had not got much positive information as to what exactly he needed from his advisers.  What we had learned was that for this type of client, it was usually especially important to have trust  in his adviser, as he would engage him for specific, complex problems his own sophisticated tax  department could not resolve.

So based on the information we had, we were dealing with a human centered challenge, where we  needed to understand better what exactly our client needed and which topics specifically "kept him  up at night". On this basis, we decided to incorporate the structure and questions of the Design  Thinking approach into a workshop where the tax specialists responsible for the client in different  areas and different geographies came together to develop a new strategy for how to approach this.

Due to the participants' limited experience with such an approach, we decided to start out with just a  few "new" tools to test the acceptance of making the team work this way. We judged Visualization  could make a good start, i.e. the use of imagery to make an abstract idea more visible and  understandable to others, as described in the videos No. 4 and 6 of Module 1 in the course. We  thought for example simple sketchnotes / drawings / stick figures and maybe a few photos on our  flipcharts and whiteboards may already help the team develop a common understanding of the  problem and change their perspective to the client's point of view when reflecting on his needs.

Application

So we started out in the workshop by having everyone describe the current relationship and  problems in it - from the team's point of view. We had everyone put his input on the board on 1-3  sticky notes, and grouped the outcome.

Then we asked everyone to take a step back, turned to new boards and put up a few initial photos of  the client's logo, company, and a few of his current press announcements, which we had prepared.  We mixed this with a few initial simple sketches of our client contacts dealing with two or three  possible current scenarios and events, using stick figures and other simple elements in the drawings.

We shortly introduced our thoughts on the change in the approach to the team and explained how  we hoped to develop a new perspective for the situation in our relationship based on the actual  client's needs from his perspective. We then put up a few blank boards with only initial sketches of  the client (thinking/reflecting) and blank working space, asking the team to shortly discuss what we  had put up initially, and then to work in groups of 2-3 for 10 minutes to brainstorm for additional  current scenarios keeping the client busy and awake. Here, we used notes / sticky notes to capture  the results on the new boards, as we were also new to sketching and did not feel confident yet to  capture everything in sketches right away, or to have the participants sketch themselves.

We were hoping that our set-up may help the team members, who would every day successfully  tackle their work rather technically and analytically, to "walk in their client's shoes" and to open up  their minds to experience the situation from the client's point of view and from a more emotional  angle. We were thrilled as we saw how well it worked! The results included a large spectrum of  topics and situations we assumed were keeping our client busy. What was particularly interesting:  After a few hints and trigger questions to the groups working, they had also included personal  aspects unrelated to tax technical questions in their considerations. As a result, in the end we  planned to, among others, offer our client help with organizing the work in his department, which  was a great success. As a result, in the end and after engaging discussions with the client, we started  an initiative to develop IT solutions to support their work, working jointly with the client.

Insights & Approach

We were overwhelmed about the effect just the careful inclusion of the visual elements in our set-up  had on the way the team approached the challenge, and on the dynamics of the workshop  altogether. We were also surprised how positive the team's reaction was and regretted we had not  used related tools more extensively already this time.

I would like to train sketching to be able to use it "live" in the workshops, expanding its effect to the  work in progress and development of solutions. Also, our own experience when drawing the  prepared sketches was that the drawing itself already changed something in our perception. For next  time, we decided to incorporate both more sketching throughout all phases of a workshop, and to  even have the participants sketch in their reflections in their groups - even if they may not be obliged  to show the results to others, we think this may have a positive effect on opening up minds for new  perspectives.


Example Reflection - Visualization Challenge and Selection I used to work for a bigger tax consultancy firm working for larger multinational clients . I was working as an account manager for one of the larger target clients , for which we had been trying to broaden our relationship for some time already but had been only somewhat successful . We were sure there must be more opportunities to grow the relationship with this client but did not feel we had been able to get hold of this so far . Past experience and , thus , data available for this specific client were only limited . The only positive information we had was from relationships with other , somewhat similar clients , and from earlier feedback interviews with this particular client , where we had learned a few things about what he did not like but had not got much positive information as to what exactly he needed from his advisers . What we had learned was that for this type of client , it was usually especially important to have trust in his adviser , as he would engage him for specific , complex problems his own sophisticated tax department could not resolve . So based on the information we had , we were dealing with a human centered challenge , where we needed to understand better what exactly our client needed and which topics specifically " kept him up at night " . On this basis , we decided to incorporate the structure and questions of the Design Thinking approach into a workshop where the tax specialists responsible for the client in different areas and different geographies came together to develop a new strategy for how to approach this . Due to the participants ' limited experience with such an approach , we decided to start out with just a few " new " tools to test the acceptance of making the team work this way . We judged Visualization could make a good start , i.e. the use of imagery to make an abstract idea more visible and understandable to others , as described in the videos No . 4 and 6 of Module 1 in the course . We thought for example simple sketchnotes / drawings / stick figures and maybe a few photos on our flipcharts and whiteboards may already help the team develop a common understanding of the problem and change their perspective to the client 's point of view when reflecting on his needs . Application So we started out in the workshop by having everyone describe the current relationship and problems in it - from the team 's point of view . We had everyone put his input on the board on 1 - 3 sticky notes , and grouped the outcome . Then we asked everyone to take a step back , turned to new boards and put up a few initial photos of the client 's logo , company , and a few of his current press announcements , which we had prepared . We mixed this with a few initial simple sketches of our client contacts dealing with two or three possible current scenarios and events , using stick figures and other simple elements in the drawings . We shortly introduced our thoughts on the change in the approach to the team and explained how we hoped to develop a new perspective for the situation in our relationship based on the actual client 's needs from his perspective . We then put up a few blank boards with only initial sketches of the client ( thinking / reflecting ) and blank working space , asking the team to shortly discuss what we had put up initially , and then to work in groups of 2 - 3 for 10 minutes to brainstorm for additional current scenarios keeping the client busy and awake . Here , we used notes / sticky notes to capture the results on the new boards , as we were also new to sketching and did not feel confident yet to capture everything in sketches right away , or to have the participants sketch themselves . We were hoping that our set - up may help the team members , who would every day successfully tackle their work rather technically and analytically , to " walk in their client 's shoes " and to open up their minds to experience the situation from the client 's point of view and from a more emotional angle . We were thrilled as we saw how well it worked ! The results included a large spectrum of topics and situations we assumed were keeping our client busy . What was particularly interesting : After a few hints and trigger questions to the groups working , they had also included personal aspects unrelated to tax technical questions in their considerations . As a result , in the end we planned to , among others , offer our client help with organizing the work in his department , which was a great success . As a result , in the end and after engaging discussions with the client , we started an initiative to develop IT solutions to support their work , working jointly with the client . Insights & Approach We were overwhelmed about the effect just the careful inclusion of the visual elements in our set - up had on the way the team approached the challenge , and on the dynamics of the workshop altogether . We were also surprised how positive the team 's reaction was and regretted we had not used related tools more extensively already this time . I would like to train sketching to be able to use it " live " in the workshops , expanding its effect to the work in progress and development of solutions . Also , our own experience when drawing the prepared sketches was that the drawing itself already changed something in our perception . For next time , we decided to incorporate both more sketching throughout all phases of a workshop , and to even have the participants sketch in their reflections in their groups - even if they may not be obliged to show the results to others , we think this may have a positive effect on opening up minds for new perspectives .