3 Questions to Explore With the Constellation System of Visual Thinking
We believe that most business and team questions can be explored using our Constellation System of visual thinking. The framework of ‘We Have ~ We Do ~ So That’ can be applied to the biggest questions and most important topics within your organization (WHY do we do what we do?) and to the most detail-oriented, short-term questions you are working on (is our client intake process efficient?).
Clients often bring us in for one on one sessions when they are working on bigger, systems-level questions. But we offer workshops and we are developing courses for you to learn this way of visual thinking to apply to your day-to-day work - making your work more creative and easier to communicate to others on your team.
So let’s think about how 3 business questions could be explored using the Constellation System of Visual Thinking - around short-term goals, maximizing resources, and change management communication.
Question 1: How are we going to meet our goals for next quarter?
The open-minded curiosity of “how” is so important in this question. Keeping in mind there are several ways to accomplish goals, it is helpful to think about your goals for the next quarter in a few ways.
Think about how the quarterly goal you have set is moving you toward your big picture goals, or your WHY for your department or organization. When your goals are in alignment, you are able to make better use of your resources and better lead your team with integrity and purpose.
The next thing to examine is your resources. We call that the “We Have”. If you want to know HOW you are going to meet your goals (your SO THAT), you then need to evaluate what you have available and what you may need. What staff do you have available? What other resources do you have available?
Then, think about all the possible HOWs, which we call “WE DO” to keep the focus on actions. Say your goal is to bring in 3 new key clients next quarter, which you have already determined is in line with your company’s goals for the year and ultimately aligns well with your purpose for your company. How you bring in those clients could be through investments in marketing, increased sales efforts, strengthening relationships with past clients, or any number of other methods.
But once you start mapping it out, you realize that your organization has the most resources available in marketing and you are best positioned to grow your marketing efforts to meet your goals.
Now, this way of thinking isn’t completely new. But it puts things into a logical order and, by mapping it out visually, you are able to ‘show your work’. You have examined the options, you have mapped out how they would work, and you made a decision that you are able to communicate to your team.
Question 2: Are we utilizing our resources effectively?
Yes! This is a great question to explore! There are so many layers to this question but an important starting point is to decide what you mean by resources. You have your physical resources (equipment, space, etc). You have technology. And you have your people, who bring skills, experiences, expertise, networks, and more.
Often mapping out resources is an area where clients are surprised to see the extent of what they actually have available to them to grow their department or business. This may be in part because it is easy to focus on what we don’t have and what we need to get things done effectively.
Once you create a visual map of your “We Haves” in the Constellation System, you can start to evaluate how you are using them. Create your “We Do” section and start mapping out what it is that you do. This can be done at an individual level, a department level, or an organization level. Of course, there are varying levels of complexity for each, but the more narrow you look, the more detailed you can get. The broader you look, the more you can see the big picture and how things fit together.
Then, draw some connections. What resources are you utilizing for each of the areas in the “We Do” section? Where are the gaps? Where is there an abundance of resources?
Now, imagine. What do you want to do? Why? What is needed to make that happen? Then start connecting the dots.
Finally, question what you see. Is everything that you have mapped out necessary? Is everything helping you meet your goals?
Notice that we have offered a lot of questions. The point of this visual thinking exercise in the Constellation System is to question everything, but with a means to take action. You can definitely analyze the questions of how effectively you are using your resources with the Constellation System. By visualizing it, you will likely even notice connections and opportunities you hadn’t considered before.
Question 3: How can my organization better communicate change?
Communication is easy to talk about and easy to assume everyone means the same thing when they say it. But what is communication and what kinds of communication do people need to be successful on a team?
Have you ever talked about a planned change with someone on your team (or even your manager or director) and left the meeting feeling like you were definitely on the same page...only to hear from someone else on the team a very different version of the conversation? These breakdowns in communication are super common. We often talk without deeply listening and make assumptions without clarification.
In our busy days filled with client expectations, deadlines, and more, it makes sense to try to be efficient with communication about change, or to only communicate the change that we deem relevant to certain team members. But hearing about those differences in communication can be disorienting. It can call into question how you are working with your team, manager, or director. It can make it challenging to know where to focus your attention.
But it doesn’t have to be like that.
Despite busy schedules and that annoying constant of change in your organization, people want to know where the department or organization is going, they want to know why, and they want to know how they fit into the bigger picture. And getting everyone on the same page takes clear and compelling communication (forgive the alliteration!).
The Constellation System provides a visual map with everything pointing toward your “SO THAT”, your where, and why. Communication and change management is a hot topic because it is so often applicable. We experience planned change and unplanned change in our organizations regularly.
Creating a visual like the Constellation System, especially when it is done collaboratively, ensures that everyone is on the same page, and it serves as a North Star as you take action on your “SO THAT”.
Here is a sample process for using the Constellation System to communicate change:
Leaders or decision-makers discuss and develop their own Constellation, mapping out where they are going and why.
Bring together the team (depending on the size of the team, this can be done in several sessions or as a large group) to share the Constellation, asking for input and questions from the team.
Finalize the Constellation graphic and share it widely. This can be done by creating a finalized infographic and sharing digitally, creating a video that shows the Constellation, or even putting the graphic up in the office (when you are working in person) and asking for written feedback directly on the graphic.
Making the Constellation System part of your change management process provides a variety of ways to communicate about change and brings everyone into the conversation using easy-to-understand visuals.
Key Takeaways
The Constellation System is an engaging, collaborative way to explore business problems, from big picture problems to resource and activity alignment, to change management communication. The system brings visual mapping and deep listening together to provide a powerful tool for your business to move forward.
What kinds of questions would you like to explore with the Constellation System?
