the diagrams book: 50 ways to solve any problem visually

VISUAL LEARNING: USING DIAGRAMS

TO INSPIRE STAFF

AND SHORTEN TRAINING TIME

1. TELLING AN INSPIRING STORY

(What are we trying to do here?)

2. INSPIRING STAFF FASTER

(Visual ways to shorten training time)

POSSIBLE AUDIENCES

1.You

2. Your boss

3. Your staff

1. TELLING AN INSPIRING STORY

(What are we trying to do here?)

Why Anyone Bothers To Work

• All three = ideal

• 2 out of 3 = okay

• 1 out of 3 = vulnerable

• 0 = disastrous

• They score themselves

• You or colleague scores

them independently

• Compare and discuss

differences

Explain Your Strategy Visually

• One diagram can be clearer than 10 pages

• Take 2 most important variables

• Variable X = Morale? Margin?

• Variable Y = Skills? Churn?

• Compare with competitors

• Show direction of travel if adopting your L&D strategy

• Plot progress over time

Explain Why It Is What It Is

• Tell an engaging story

• Start broad (10 options)

• Then reduce (3 options)

• Consider, then reject with authority after investigation

• One clear recommendation

• Explain what is feasible

• Tell story of your battles

Anchor The Theme

• Explain the central thought clearly – the shorter the better

• Sub ideas demonstrate fertility

• Map out how all the elements are interrelated

• Confirm relevance of each component

• “This bit works because it fits in with this bit…”

Pinpoint The Bravery Level

• How adventurous is the company culture?

• What standards are expected?

• How brave have we been in the past?

• How brave should we be now?

• Set appropriate expectations

Knock Down Barriers To Acceptance

• Budget holder or staff

• What are the likely objections to the plan?

• How many are there?

• How do we knock them down?

• One at a time?

• All at once?

• In what sequence?

How To Confuse Everybody

• Hubs within hubs

• Double-headed arrows

• Dotted lines

• Snake’s honeymoon

• Does anyone understand it?

• Simpler is better

How To Clarify Responsibility

• Simple and clear

• Nothing dotted, two-way or

sideways

• Everyone knows where

they stand

• Subordinates know

precisely who is in charge

of their development

Understand The Rhythm Of The Year

• Full year plans are usually unrealistic

• Decision windows: all the right decision makers present?

• Crisis bombs: same time every year?

• Can almost always predict when things will happen

• Realistic forecasting, fewer surprises

The Motivational Dip

• Honeymoon period always fun

• But it never lasts

• Learning & Understanding phase becomes vital

• Ends in success or tears

• Start by analyzing relationships retrospectively

• Use learning to predict

• Moment of dip can almost always be anticipated

Anticipating The Dips

• Plot morale for the year

• Map out intended initiatives

for the year

• Spread out evenly to keep

spirits as high as possible

• Anticipate by announcing

next thing before the next

low morale point

• Use to offset “What have the

Romans ever done for us?”

2. INSPIRING STAFF FASTER

(Visual ways to shorten training time)

The Priority Matrix

• Urgent + Important = do now

• Urgent + Not Important = delegate/do quickly

• Important + Not Urgent = Think, plan properly, and stick to it

• Neither = Ignore or cancel

The Growing Pane

• Old/good: confirm relevance

• New/good: inspire more

• Old/bad: ditch now

• New/bad: work out why, and

be aware of emotional and

financial commitment

Ditching The Essay Crisis Mentality

• Human nature to delay, but don’t

• It’s a student hangover

• Convene decision makers in first 24 hours

• Set direction, brief experts, course correct if necessary

• Allows for refinements

• Increases quality all round

The IF Triangle

• Essence of any negotiation

• They can have any two

• Too much pressure on all three = collapse

• Start all sentences with “If…”

• “If you require x, we require y in return...”

Plan Your Negotiations Properly

• Always plan a negotiation

• Must limit

• Intend level

• Wish list

• What matters to each side is usually different

• Understand trading variables and trade what you don’t need for what they want

How To Be A Sensitive Boss

• They’ve done it before: direct

• They haven’t: coach

• They have once or twice:

support

• They’re sick of doing it:

reinvigorate

• May need a different

approach for every person,

every task, every day

• Ask the subordinate first

Changing The Language Of Conflict

• When it has all become too

personal…

• Let’s deal with ‘it’

• Not ‘I’, ‘me’, or ‘you’

• “This problem is quite

tricky isn’t it? How can ‘we’

solve ‘it’?”

The Cone of Experience?

• Read > Hear > See > See &

Hear > Say > Say & Do

• Actively doing things is best

• Do a diagram on the spot

and apply it immediately

• Remote learning homework

more likely when it’s fun

• If you remember 50% of this

I’ll have done well

THE INTERACTIVE KIT BOX

• THE BOOK

• STARTER

TEMPLATES

• BLANKS

• SHARPIE PEN

• BE INSPIRED

& DESIGN

YOUR OWN

• PUZZLE

AND FINALLY, A PUZZLE FOR YOU...

Draw nine dots on a

blank page like this.

Now try to join all the

dots using no more

than four lines, and

without taking the pen

off the paper.

INTERNATIONAL DIAGRAMS

• KOREA

• GERMANY

• JAPAN

• CHINA

• TAIWAN

• THAILAND

• RUSSIA

• BRAZIL

• SPAIN

• USA

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