Perspectives  Dallas Chapter of ASTD Membership Newsletter  -  February 2007  << Table of Contents <<

Seeing is Believing:  A Trainer Learns

by Bill Bancroft

 

A trainer learns.  So it was with me when I worked with 16 Dallas chapter ASTD members teaching a four-hour course in graphic facilitation this January.  It was a pleasant surprise.

 

The trainees started with the basics.  They drew vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines.  And circles, lots of circles.  Then they went on to drawing objects - houses and office buildings, and people - all different kinds of people.  They took in tips including how to hang big sheets of paper, how different kinds of walls make a difference for drawing, which markers are best, and how to use chalk to highlight ideas and images.  Then they began to put all of the elements together.

 

The learning for me was to see how creatively and imaginatively each put the elements together.  They did so when, working in pairs, each did a graphic rendition of the other’s biography.  Then again when one group of eight trainees brainstormed fun things to do in Dallas on the weekend while the other recorded – each individually on their own 4 ft. by 4 ft. sheet of paper.  And then when the groups switched sides, the first group brainstormed the elements in the orientation for a new job while the second recorded.

An example of Bill Bancroft's graphics

After the biography and brainstorming sessions, I led all of the trainees on gallery walks to take in what they had done.  So many ideas were there to see, including a good number I would not have thought to draw were I the one with the markers and the chalk in my hands.  And interestingly, after just three hours, much of the drawing came with sophistication.  

 

One trainee duo stacked their two biographies on top of one another so the rest of us could see what each was doing year-by-year in relation to the other.  That added a dimension others had not thought about.  In recording a company’s orientation sequence, one used a mandela with a variety of  

graphic formats from lists to charts connected to the center.                                        

Whether with the biographies, fun things to do in Dallas, or the orientation of a new worker, all the trainees captured the essence of the story.                        

 

Barb Ashbaugh utilizes graphic facilitation

Story-telling – make that communication – to make a point, sell an idea, explain a process or send some other message is what graphic facilitation and graphic recording are meant to help with.  Some statistics gathered by the San Francisco-based Grove Consultants International, a pioneer in the use of graphics and where I am an Associate, show:

         1.  People retain 60% more of what they see vs. 15% of what they hear. The use of graphic language promotes lasting images and retention of concepts.

           2.  Solution rate for problems goes up to 64% vs. 45% without visual language.  

        3.  Visual language shortens meetings by as much as 24% - saving valuable time,
human resources and dollars. Busy people like shorter meetings where things
get done.

   4. 79% of groups reach consensus with visual language vs. only 58% of groups who reach it without. It helps for groups to see the gaps and common themes on one page.

         5.  People are persuaded 17% more often in presentations using visuals/graphics vs. presentations without.  That means presenters who use meaningful visuals are perceived as being more effective and get their points across much more successfully.

Bill Bancroft

6.  Students who offered visuals in testing improved scores by 22% in 13% less time.

Additional benefits come with the use of visuals, graphics, and drawings:

         1.  Eye-catching visuals help communication throughout a company, organization or community.  Visuals are easier and more effective for communicating what happened.

            2.  Graphic language enhances group memory - a plus in any meeting.                                                                                                      

         3.  When people SEE what they are saying, they feel acknowledged.

          4.  Mapping information on big displays facilitates understanding complex systems.  Powerful images are key to mindshare and memory. 

For me, there was additional learning at a more basic level.  I now know I can trust my trainees to enrich the experience for their peers.  It’s not so much about me teaching as about us all learning together.

About the Author:  Bill Bancroft is Founder and Principal at the Dallas-based consulting firm Conbrio.  He helps companies, organizations and communities visualize change, envision scenarios, set strategy, put people on the same page, pull teams together, change cultures and execute implementation plans. Bill can be reached at 214-941-8199 or at bbancroft@conbrioamericas.com.  His web site is www.conbrioamericas.com.