Other, 2009,
HRDQ.
Support: Leader's Guide, Photographs, Carrying case.
Review by Lee Smedley
Rating:
In a hurry?
Recommendation
Untitled Document
Hands-on activities like creating a picture of the future get participants engaged and involved. But sometimes the preparation and logistics just weigh you down. Props, flipcharts, markers, paper, tape, scissors, and magazines--it's just too much.
Sadly, we may choose not to use an experiential activity for the sake of logistical simplicity, sacrificing whole-brain approaches especially helpful to visual and tactile learners. HRDQ, which specializes in experiential, ready-to-train materials, now provides an offering that adds value to and limits prep time for the tried and true "create a picture of" activity.
DESCRIPTION
VisualsSpeak is designed to help individuals and groups of up to 30 create a visual representation of an idea, situation, or possibility and then reflect on the meaning of their choices.
The emphasis of the process, say the authors, "is on self-discovery, not on creating a pretty picture." They suggest using a carefully selected open-ended question (e.g., What do you bring to your role at work?) for a single-frame activity or two or more questions (e.g., Where have you been? Where do you want to be?) for multiple-frame approaches.
The design permits a single-frame activity as short as 15 minutes. Multi-frame activities and in-depth debriefs may require significantly more time.
The product contains 200 photos, a user manual, and a nylon carrying bag. The photos range in size from about 3"x5" to 8.25"x10" and have color coding (people, life, things, nature) and categories (three for each color) to aid in selection and sorting.
The user manual provides an overview, preview of the process, a guide to facilitating VisualsSpeak sessions, and suggestions for using the process in five typical applications:
- Team Building
- Strategic Visioning/Goal-Setting
- Conflict Resolution
- Career/Life Coaching
- Intercultural Communications
Additional background, downloads of handouts, and information for ordering supplemental materials is available at www.VisualsSpeak.com.
Options for capturing the arrangement and specifics of the visuals created include use of a digital camera (not included).
EVALUATION
This product is very well designed. Since its purpose is to help facilitators focus in on the selection process and debrief, it saves considerable prep time. It can also make participants feel more comfortable in the "make a picture of" activity since the logistics are simple and no one needs to be an artist or even handy with scissors. The user manual provides specific suggestions for setting up the activity, managing it, and debriefing it.
The range of pictures is intentionally wide. Christine Martell, principal of VisualsSpeak, brings her academic background and experience in visual communication to bear here and has paid special attention to a broad representation of subjects and individuals. This is especially helpful for intercultural communications discussions. Using the selection as a guide, you can add additional photos to the set by purchase or by adding prints of your own photos.
While some facilitators may use a more active "guide towards the goal" style in debriefing the VisualsSpeak activity, the user manual suggests that the facilitator "never… interpret the meaning of any patterns or behaviors for participants." This is good advice, especially for novices, since it focuses on helping participants define their own insights and learning.
References to the website within the user manual could have been improved by adding the address for a specific screen. Thanks to HRDQ for hearing my concerns and for some modifications addressing those concerns as I was reviewing the product.
What will keep some facilitators from purchasing this product is its price, $425. In an informal survey of my peers in training and development, no one was willing to pay more than $250 for it. Of course, that is not a scientific survey.
Recommendation
If you use "make a picture of" activities in your sessions regularly, VisualsSpeak is a good investment and highly recommended.
If you are on a tight budget and use these kinds of activities only occasionally, it may be just a bit too pricey for the return you'll receive on your investment. Put up with the flipcharts, markers, scissors, and magazines until the budget thaws.
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