Author Archives: John Ashton

I work with you and your people to create images that start a conversation in your organisation. If you are an organisation going through change, starting something new or simply wanting to engage people with your idea or story, I can help. Using a combination of people development techniques, visual thinking approaches and graphic facilitation skills, I help organisations and individuals discuss, explore and visualise their thinking – increasing understanding, learning and collaboration in an increasingly complex and fast-changing world. So, if your organisation is going through change, starting something new or simply wanting to engage people with your story, please contact me using the contact details above or visit www.crackerjackvisualthinking.com to find out more.

Engage your people through visual thinking…

Are you wanting to engage more fully with your people and help them see that their organisation wants and values their thoughts, ideas and opinions?

Do you have an opportunity to meet with your people in the next few weeks (e.g. a meeting, conference or event)?

If so, Crackerjack Visual Thinking would be happy to have a (no obligation) discussion with you to explore how visual thinking tools and techniques can help you truly connect and engage with your people.

To contact Crackerjack, please click here.

We look forward to talking with you!

Visualising your achievements during 2012…

Next month sees the end of another year.

I’m sure that you’ve achieved a great deal during 2012 and it’s important to allow yourself to recognise this.

However, sometimes it’s not always easy to remember your own successes (and indeed learning’s) from the last year.

My suggestion is that you try visualising what you’ve done in 2012. Here’s one way of doing it:

  • Take a blank piece of paper (the bigger the better!) and use words, pictures, lines and arrows to create a picture of your past year.
  • Some people find using an analogy (e.g. a landscape or vehicle of some description) helps them structure their thinking more effectively.
  • Don’t worry about making mistakes or what your drawings look like!
  • The important thing is to get your memory’s down onto the paper in a way that makes sense to you.
  • Trust your brain to help you do this – it works most effectively when it’s not constrained by having to work in a linear list-driven manner and is able to work visually.

I hope this is helpful to you – do let me know how it works for you!!!

A thought for Monday morning – ‘Don’t make a To-Do LIST, make a To-Do DOODLE’…

Why not start your working week by ditching the ‘To-Do List’ and unleashing your creative side by drawing a ‘To-Do Doodle‘ on a blank piece of A4 (or bigger) paper.

You will find that using this approach can help you see things differently, generate new ideas and identify linkages between different tasks that would not have easily been spotted using the traditional linear text-based ‘to-do list’ approach.

Just start drawing as thoughts come into your head. There’s no right or wrong way to do this. Don’t worry if it’s messy or you have to cross things out and draw them again – it’s all part of the visual and creative process!

Please let Crackerjack know how this visual technique works for you this week?

Thanks!

#Visualthinking #ToDoDoodle

Ever not been able to get your idea across to someone?

Have you ever been trying to explain an idea to someone and not been able to get your concept across to them?

Have you then grabbed a piece of paper and drawn a quick picture to help them understand your thinking?

If so, you’ve already used a visual thinking technique!

Now think about how this visual approach used across your business could help improve communication and understanding in your organisation…

Graphic Recording can help engage people after your meeting or event…

In my experience, a graphic recording always creates interest and discussion when created in real-time during an event. However, in many ways the real power of graphic recording is in its ability to stimulate discussion back in the workplace after the event. Sharing a visual record of your meeting allows everyone to clearly and easily ‘see’ what happened during your event (including those who weren’t there) and can create valuable organisational conversations and debates. #graphicrecording

How can Visual Thinking help your organisation?

Someone asked me the other day how Visual Thinking can really help organisations? Here are three ways in which I think Visual Thinking and a visual approach to sharing information can benefit a business:

  • Communicating your thinking to colleagues quickly and effectively.
  • Supporting ‘pitches’ and tenders for work by helping potential clients ‘see’ your thoughts and ideas.
  • Communicating complex ideas to people who don’t have prior knowledge and understanding of a subject.

#Visualthinkingbusinessbenefit

The meaning of ‘Crackerjack’

Many people ask me why I called my business ‘Crackerjack’ People Development? The answer is that Crackerjack means ‘a person or thing of exceptional quality or ability‘ and that’s what I hope to help people and organisations become through my work…