At a conference a few years ago, a colleague of mine gave us an assignment: Prepare a list of fifty Declarations that we absolutely know to be true. As a marketing tool, each of these could then turn into a blog post, book chapter, or newsletter article. I add to my list regularly, and have […]
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I started my Fourth of July festivities by running the 10 kilometer (6.2 mile) Kenwood Footrace. My finish time was a bit slower than usual, as I haven’t been running much; instead, I’ve been doing long, fully-laden hikes in preparation for a 240-mile backpacking trip. During a race, I get obsessed with those mile […]
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I’m in the process of planning this summer’s Sierra backpacking trip. Maps, guidebooks, and random bits of equipment are heaped all around my house. Along with testing gear, dehydrating food, and packing, I’m plotting out my itinerary. One crucial bit of information I am researching and marking on all my maps: potential bail-out points. If […]
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I recently received an email from a nonprofit community, asking me to facilitate a three-day retreat for the whopping rate of $500. The other benefits I was offered included “exposure,” a “cool venue,” and a chance to be “creative.” My standard day rate is $3000 plus expenses; for nonprofits I’ll generally discount to $2000. I’ve […]
In my last post, I began to answer the question “What happens with all those charts after the meeting?” Some specific examples will help you visualize how the use of graphics has helped other organizations do their work better. (Names are fictitious and images edited to protect the privacy of my clients.) TIE ONE ON: […]
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I’ve been graphically recording sessions at the California Society of Association Executives’ annual conference. Attendees rush up afterwards to take photos and shower me with compliments, then rush off to their next session. I rarely get a chance to answer two important questions: What happens to these pictures afterwards? How might this work be useful […]
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A quick visual exercise can utterly transform how a group understands itself. I recently worked with a Board that perceived themselves as very divided. One camp was supposedly dedicated solely to the organization’s Program H and placed an extremely low value on Program C; the other camp reversed these values. They told this story over […]
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I once worked with a cohousing community on revising their decision-making policy, with which many members were frustrated. It was seven pages long and I found it difficult to understand despite multiple readings; each community member I asked described it differently. Some bemoaned the fact that they could never get anything done because the process […]
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One of the things I love to do as I run my local rural roads is to observe the animals I pass by. I am especially interested in the variety of their responses to me. Cows strike me as curious critters. They turn and watch my progress. If I stop to tie my shoe or […]
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I recently gave a tour of FrogSong, my cohousing community, to a group of local university students. During my talk I shared this story about the power of consensus decision-making. Even though this event happened fifteen years ago, I still choke up in the telling. Quick background: Consensus, as we practice it, draws heavily on […]
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