VISUALIZATION

CHALLENGE

I work in an institution of higher learning where there are fellows of all caliber from all over  Africa. In addition, we also have guests who visit the Centre during meetings and workshops. In  the establishment, we do have an annex (an extra office space) which is sometimes used by a  section of the staff or people visiting the Centre who wish to have a separate meeting or function.   We also have guest rooms where we host our fellows and other guests who wish to spend time at  the Centre while they undertake their research and other academic work.  My challenge is to  ensure that we get more value out of the extra office space as well as the guest rooms that are  available.  These can be used to help the Centre earn the much needed extra income. I would like  the stakeholders to understand and appreciate the bigger picture of what we are trying to achieve  with these new thoughts. The stakeholders in this case would be the following: the visiting  fellows, my colleagues from the various department and management.

SELECTION

Visualization or Visual Thinking tool has been selected to help the stakeholders interact with  possible ideas that they have not thought about during their stay at the Centre. Being an  institution of higher learning, we are all used to writing and documenting of our thoughts and  ideas mainly using words. The visualization tool will be very effective in presenting this now  idea because it is different from what the academics are used to.  This will activate their part of  the brain that they are not used to using to allow them to think very creatively as they follow the  broad concepts that are presented to them. Angela Meyer a designer of Design Thinking explains  that visualization helps one to “think about possibilities that we haven’t yet seen”.  This is very  important for the academics (my stakeholders) who may not necessarily view themselves as  artistic without knowing that its not necessarily about drawing, it is about thinking (which is  what they are used to) but thinking in a different way i.e a visual way.

APPLICATION

I called for an in-house half day workshop for all the stakeholders. I then segmented the  stakeholders into 3 main groups i.e. the clients (visiting fellows), the staff (employees of the  Centre) & Management (The decision makers at the Centre.).

On a white board, I drew 3 rectangular shapes representing the stakeholders on one side (the left  side) and 2 rectangular shapes on the other side (the right side) representing the 2 buildings  (annex and guest rooms)  that we wish to create more value out of.  I then explained the  relationship between the 3 circles and the 2 circles bringing out the possible value that would be  derived by the stakeholders from the changes we wish to make to the two buildings as follows:

I will then give each

I then gave each group a flipchart and requested them to draw what came into their minds as I  explained the concepts around the proposed changes for the annex and the guest rooms and the  potential value that will emanate from these changes. I found it easier to group them into  segments where they have a common understanding of their relationship with the Centre.  This  way it was easier to get a pattern of how each group was thinking about this idea.

INSIGHT

What I have learnt from the visualization design tool is the art of inclusivity in design thinking.  Having all stakeholders at the decision making table and seeing how the various ideas from the  various segments merge to meet at a common point (new ideas that are representative of the 3  segments).  This way, as the ideas are implemented all the stakeholders will be onboard knowing  that they were part of this process from the onset.

APPROACH

This tool has also taught me how to be a corporate entrepreneur and how to think creatively at  the place of work. Ordinarily, I would have used the traditional brainstorming method which  would not necessarily bring out the ideas that each of the stakeholder segments had.  Visualization or Visual Thinking tool is the best tool in this scenario because of the ability to  interact with that part of the brain that only thinks in words and figures (given that these are  intellectuals/academics) and begin visualizing the possibility of having options of using the 2  buildings (annex and guest rooms) to create greater value for all the 3 stakeholders.

Fellows (representing users)

Staff (representing implementers)

Management (Representing Decision

Makers)

Annex

Guest rooms

New ideas that

are representative

of the 3

stakeholders


VISUALIZATION CHALLENGE I work in an institution of higher learning where there are fellows of all caliber from all over Africa . In addition , we also have guests who visit the Centre during meetings and workshops . In the establishment , we do have an annex ( an extra office space ) which is sometimes used by a section of the staff or people visiting the Centre who wish to have a separate meeting or function . We also have guest rooms where we host our fellows and other guests who wish to spend time at the Centre while they undertake their research and other academic work . My challenge is to ensure that we get more value out of the extra office space as well as the guest rooms that are available . These can be used to help the Centre earn the much needed extra income . I would like the stakeholders to understand and appreciate the bigger picture of what we are trying to achieve with these new thoughts . The stakeholders in this case would be the following : the visiting fellows , my colleagues from the various department and management . SELECTION Visualization or Visual Thinking tool has been selected to help the stakeholders interact with possible ideas that they have not thought about during their stay at the Centre . Being an institution of higher learning , we are all used to writing and documenting of our thoughts and ideas mainly using words . The visualization tool will be very effective in presenting this now idea because it is different from what the academics are used to . This will activate their part of the brain that they are not used to using to allow them to think very creatively as they follow the broad concepts that are presented to them . Angela Meyer a designer of Design Thinking explains that visualization helps one to “ think about possibilities that we have n’t yet seen ” . This is very important for the academics ( my stakeholders ) who may not necessarily view themselves as artistic without knowing that its not necessarily about drawing , it is about thinking ( which is what they are used to ) but thinking in a different way i.e a visual way . APPLICATION I called for an in - house half day workshop for all the stakeholders . I then segmented the stakeholders into 3 main groups i.e. the clients ( visiting fellows ) , the staff ( employees of the Centre ) & Management ( The decision makers at the Centre . ) . On a white board , I drew 3 rectangular shapes representing the stakeholders on one side ( the left side ) and 2 rectangular shapes on the other side ( the right side ) representing the 2 buildings ( annex and guest rooms ) that we wish to create more value out of . I then explained the relationship between the 3 circles and the 2 circles bringing out the possible value that would be derived by the stakeholders from the changes we wish to make to the two buildings as follows : I will then give each I then gave each group a flipchart and requested them to draw what came into their minds as I explained the concepts around the proposed changes for the annex and the guest rooms and the potential value that will emanate from these changes . I found it easier to group them into segments where they have a common understanding of their relationship with the Centre . This way it was easier to get a pattern of how each group was thinking about this idea . INSIGHT What I have learnt from the visualization design tool is the art of inclusivity in design thinking . Having all stakeholders at the decision making table and seeing how the various ideas from the various segments merge to meet at a common point ( new ideas that are representative of the 3 segments ) . This way , as the ideas are implemented all the stakeholders will be onboard knowing that they were part of this process from the onset . APPROACH This tool has also taught me how to be a corporate entrepreneur and how to think creatively at the place of work . Ordinarily , I would have used the traditional brainstorming method which would not necessarily bring out the ideas that each of the stakeholder segments had . Visualization or Visual Thinking tool is the best tool in this scenario because of the ability to interact with that part of the brain that only thinks in words and figures ( given that these are intellectuals / academics ) and begin visualizing the possibility of having options of using the 2 buildings ( annex and guest rooms ) to create greater value for all the 3 stakeholders . Fellows ( representing users ) Staff ( representing implementers ) Management ( Representing Decision Makers ) Annex Guest rooms New ideas that are representative of the 3 stakeholders