Visual Facilitation: An OD tool, a systems tool, and support on the doctoral path

Below is a short article I wrote for a Fielding Graduate University newsletter for doctoral students in the Human Organization Development Phd program.

Visual Facilitation: An OD tool, a systems tool, and support on the doctoral path

Visual Facilitation is a tool that is used in many ways by OD practitioners, coaches, facilitators, trainers, educators and individuals to support big picture thinking, engage different ways of knowing and enhance creativity and innovation. Fielding has been a leader in OD and continues to push the edges of our practice. One of these is the inclusion of Visual Facilitation in their continuing education graduate courses. Fielding is the first academic institution to offer a full credit course in Visual Facilitation and it is entirely virtual. The course engages the learner in visual methods as well as integrating the tools of Visual Facilitation into one’s practice.

Whether you have the time to take the course or not, there are many ways you can begin using some Visual Facilitation techniques to support your doctoral work and your journey along the Fielding path. I have worked with a few doctoral candidates, using visual maps to explore the research questions, build visual models of the findings, define a timeline and order for the learning journey and as one way of data collection.

One misconception with the use of tools like Visual Facilitation is that one needs to have artistic skills. This is mistaking the product for the process. The most powerful quality about using these visual tools is not the map or document that is created by you or by the group, but rather the enhanced engagement that happened as a result of working this way. With a simple mind map structure, you could explore the connections between your literature as part of building the Literature Review. Using a wall to plot out your topics, will allow you to see the connections between content that may be more challenging at first, in a linear, written format.

Using post-its to identify the bigger topics within each KA and see all of the KAs together will provide an opportunity to see patterns and connections. Making a large mind map of the whole dissertation structure, with an arm for each chapter, and branching out the needs and requirements for each section can offer a view of the whole project that may be difficult to see in traditional formats.

Besides the dissertation and research itself, there is a tremendous amount of information from different areas about navigating the path through Fielding to complete your PhD. These multiple streams of requirements and deadlines can be complex. Creating a visual timeline, plotting these dates and deadlines, including your own goals and objectives, and your personal and family timelines can allow you to see opportunities and prepare for challenges with greater foresight.

Though the Fielding course, “Leading Change that Matters with Visual Facilitation” may not be on your learning path, you could also consider the resources of fellow Fielding students who are interested in using Visual Facilitation and looking for opportunities to expand their skill and knowledge. Perhaps partnering with one of these students for some part of your work could be mutually beneficial. In addition, Regina Rowland and I are co-facilitating the course and are resources if you want to consider engaging Visual Facilitation in some part of your work or learning journey.

The twelve week course begins September 26. Registration opens in July!

Below is a link for more information about the course:

http://www.fielding.edu/programs/ProfessionalDevelopment/development

Feel free to contact me with questions:

Jgieseke@fielding.edu

Visual Facilitation will be required by law.

Visual Facilitation will be required by law.

I have had this idea for two years now. It came about through the work I currently do as a Visual Facilitator and as a result of the work I have done as an Audio Describer.

First, let's define Visual Facilitation. My description is that is the process of capturing in real-time, a conversation or dialogue with a group or individual, using images, words and symbols to create a mural sized map. These maps are used to facilitate whatever process of engagement that these people are in, by literally reflecting back to the group or individual what has been said, in a visual way.

This field has been developed into a profession for the last thirty years. It still remains a novelty for many people, though it is used extensively and internationally in business and education contexts. It is but one of many ways in which we humans can be intentional about how we gather and commune. My friend Ken refers to a wonderful description of the roots of the word conversation: Turning together. Visual Facilitation would be a picture of what that dance looks like.

Often Visual Facilitation is perceived as 'eye candy' and can be relegated to meeting that have the budget for 'art.' Sadly it's full potential is often not utilized, even when a Visual Facilitator has been hired. So how is it that this practice may in the near future, be required by law?

Let me first go back to my work as an Audio Describer. This is the process of providing audio descriptions of what is happening visually, so that the visually impaired may enjoy the same experiences as the sighted in media, theater and art. An Audio Describer will view a performance for example, multiple times, creating a descriptive script that will give a visually impaired person more information from which to experience the presentation. During the live performance, the describer broadcasts in real time, their descriptions, so as not to step on lines etc. to members of the audience who have one earphone tuned into their broadcast. Many times, in theater for example, there is much information that is conveyed visually that moves the plot line forward. Someone enters a scene, in a certain way, postures, gags, surprises etc. often involve many visual cues that non-sighted members of the audience would not have the opportunity to 'see.'

Did you even know this was a service? It is, and most of the work I did in San Francisco was for the major theater houses that showed the 'Best of Broadway' productions. These big houses were required to offer one performance per run that had audio description for the visually impaired. The reason was not out of goodwill, but rather compliance. The American's with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that this service be offered, much like an interpreter for the deaf. The reason you don't see this offered in EVERY theater in town is basically that someone needs to ask for it. Just like the wheelchair ramps, that took a huge movement to get compliance from public meeting places to offer accessible ramps.

So how does Visual Facilitation come to be required by law? The ADA in January of this year, 2009, expanded their definition of diabled to include challlenges with thinking and concentrating. There is already included in the definition, certain learning disabilities. What this says to me is that there is an expanding awareness for different ways of knowing, different ways of learning. Visual Facilitation is an interpretive service on multiple levels, but certainly for those people in the room who are inclined to be more visual and kinesthetic learners. The presence of Visual Facilitation can be incredibly helpful to an individual's ability to track the conversation, focus on the content, and understand what is being said. In other words, Visual Facilitation increases accessibility, just like a ramp in a doorway increases the accessibility for individuals to enter that space.

When people's accessibility needs are taken into consideration, accomodations are made, usually via compliance to some larger system. This is why it seems that in the not too distant future, Visual Facilitation will be required by law, in schools and business meetings, to serve the needs of those people who benefit or even need this process as a way to access information that many people take for granted.