This graphic recording map on Resiliency and Energy Management was captured live on a 4 foot by 8 foot sheet. The content was from a half-day session of a three day management course given to members of a branch of the Federal government. The class was attended by approximately 40 managers in a conference center on the east coast.
Taking care of one’s self is a hot topic right now in many large organizations. It was especially important for this group of managers to be operating at peak performance and be able to manage their stress appropriately.
So how to start? I began with the map title, choosing energetic colors to resonate with the words. I drew the content (delivered by instructors and video clips) sequentially so participants could watch the map build as they were introduced to each topic. During breaks, participants often come over to the map-in-progress and may discuss certain aspects. What could be better than participants discussing the content of their training class with each other during a break! It’s an instructor’s dream!
If you’re familiar with a World Café style, the topics under PRACTICES were set up in a table-by-table format with group brainstorming to create the content for this section. Since most of us really know what good habits are (but may not necessarily follow them) we asked the participants to contribute their own content and I drew their input. This makes for a real personalized class map!
The finished graphic recording displays all the key elements of this topic. This class uses smaller placemat sized copies of the large graphic recording in their next leadership class. They will spend almost a half a day reviewing the content of the maps created during this experience. This one-page illustrated summary is a powerful content retention tool.
