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Images of Organisations™
Images of Organisations Case Study
Images of Organisations
RSVP Designers created these metaphors for experiences of working in teams and organisations from real conversations they had had with real people over many years of working in consulting and training assignments inside both large and small organisations.
"It's a constant juggling act ...and we've got too many balls in the air!"
"I feel like I'm being kept in a box...I need to see some daylight"
"We're at a crossroads and we aren't sure who can read a map!"
Whilst working with large groups, the use of a corporate cartoonist proves to be a very useful way of capturing the emotions and feelings that people have about their team or organisation by listening to people talk, and immediately creating some visual imagery from the words used and experiences described. However when a corporate cartoonist is not available then working with Images of Organisations provides an alternative way to explore underlying feelings, themes, emotions and experiences.
This toolbox contains multiple copies of 16 carefully designed and selected images that have been drawn in an attractive cartoon style. The images represent a range of experiences and emotions, many of which will be familiar to anyone working in an organisation, sitting on a committee or attending regular meetings!
The images include strong, negative emotions, eg: frustration, confusion and isolation, balanced with very positive shared experiences, eg: the successful achievement of a challenging task, the satisfaction of working in a skilled and specialist team or the motivation of working in a competitive and stimulating environment.
The images are designed to be metaphors through which individuals and teams can explore organisational issues. The cartoon style is accessible and people at all levels in organisations relate to the images and experiences depicted. This allows a 'door' to be opened into dialogue that might otherwise be too risky or challenging to be tackled directly. For many, talking about the pictures is a safe way of expressing feelings and hopes that may have been considered too personal to be discussed.
These images can be used as a very powerful icebreaker at the start of a conference, as a means of identifying people's different perceptions of the same work situation, as a way of giving 'sensitive' feedback or as a creative method of visualising the future and setting goals.
What do I get?
A carefully researched and designed pack of versatile 'organisational images'. There are 16 different images, each copied three times. Each image has been drawn from descriptions given to us by clients working in organisations, when asked to describe their feelings about their current working environment. The images are 'graded' to represent a scale of negative to positive experience. Each pack comes with a manual of suggestions for ways of using the images to achieve different results.
How does it work?
There is no single way of working with these resources. They can be used individually, in small groups or in a large group. Creative facilitators use the images to trigger discussions around many different topics in a wide variety of contexts. We know from experience that the images provoke interest, debate and a wide range of responses. Individuals interpret them differently and, as they share those interpretations, develop their understanding of themselves and others.
What are the business benefits of this resource?
The images offer a 'safe' way into sensitive discussions. Line managers have found the images have been particularly successful with operational staff, for example in manufacturing businesses, who have found them a valuable way of articulating strong feelings they may not have expressed otherwise. Problems surface that may have been 'swept under the carpet' if the imagery had not allowed free, non-judgmental dialogue. The images are very cost effective and can be used in different contexts.
Give me an example of how it is used.
A Human Resources team within a manufacturing business in the UK had received a significant amount of poor feedback from their internal clients. They felt 'bruised and battered' and needed to explore ways of improving their own morale and self-esteem. They also wanted to improve their service and their image in the wider organisation. Using these cards, they explored the current situation in an open and honest way. They were able to offer each other feedback and discuss problems relating to changes in the team's leadership and focus. They identified the image they wanted to present in future and were able to clarify this and begin a planning process to achieve it.
