Picture It
Drawing an image of a problem, issue, or organizational structure gives people a different way to express something that may be hard to put into words. Our experience has been that group members often surprise themselves by what they've been able to express in their pictures.
Imagine that your staff has been trying to figure out how parents, children,
teachers, staff members, and volunteers will work together on the problem
of bullying in your school. Divide your group into teams of 2-4 people.
Ask each group to create an image of all these groups coming together
to take on the issue of bullying. The image can be literal, figurative,
or metaphorical. Supply each group with paper (either a flipchart page
or a sheet of art paper) and a variety of watercolor markers. Review the
assignment and agree on an ending time.
It is important to reassure everyone that drawing talent doesn't matter: the point is to express ideas in a visual way.
Key Points To Take Away
--- Use "Picture It" during the idea generation portion of a discussion.
--- Use Picture It to look at an issue in a new way, to give group participants an opportunity to express feelings, or to help define a situation that is hard to put into words.
--- Remind the group that this is not an art project: when illustrating ideas, simple figures and symbols are fine
When the groups are done, display the "posters" so everyone can see each
one. Because this activity takes place during the idea generation phase
of the meeting, remind people that this isn't the time to critique; rather,
it is the time to understand.
Next, ask each group to explain its image. Sometimes the images are very different, and sometimes they are more similar. As facilitator, ask the group for themes, similarities, or differences they see in the posters.
Wrap up this portion of the meeting by talking about how the posters, and the ensuing discussion, has changed the group's view of the problem.
NEXT WEEK IN GREAT MEETINGS: Use SWOT as a tool for analyzing situations, problems.
About Great Meetings
Pam Plumb and Dee Kelsey are your facilitators in charge of
Education World's Great Meetings series. They are also authors
of the popular guide to meeting facilitation, Great Meetings!
Great Results. Together, Pam and Dee have more than 40 years'
experience facilitating change and training meeting leaders.
Generating Ideas: Picture It!