Birthdays call for flowers!

Sheri Kennedy • June 17, 2022

The Art of Applied Visual Thinking

The official newsletter of Applied Visual Thinking SUPERHEROES. Vol. 3 No. 11 June 3, 2022

Isn’t it interesting how we humans love to mark occasions? It's almost the mid point in the year, which also happens to be when my birthday falls. In the last AVT Newsletter Vol. 3 No. 11, Deb guided us through a "3 Word Mid Year Check In." If you missed it, you can read that article here.

Since I work for myself and am located in New England where the weather changes dramatically, I am more attuned to the natural cycles that correspond with the seasons than a company calendar, but sometimes the two coincide. The turning of the calendar year and mid-point are two times that give me pause and prompt me to step back and reflect on my goals and VISION.

Be more responsive to customers
Be more innovative
Manage projects more effectively
Make processes more repeatable
Spend less
Focus on what's most important

Build in more agility
Streamline
Boost efficiency
Plan better
Communicate more clearly

BUT HOW?

These are some of the directives that pop up in business books and magazines as essential skills for successful professionals and businesses. I’ve also had similar fuzzy mandates pop up on performance reviews. "But how?" I and my colleagues have asked again and again. Training and practice are generally the answer, but which training and how do I get practice before I can list the skill on my resume?

Looking at the whole and breaking things down into small chunks is a tried and true method for making progress on any goal or vision.

For example, I think of growing the skills I need to do my work as flowers in a garden. Not every flower will grow in my garden, nor do I want every flower. That would be chaotic. When I select plants for my garden, I think about the conditions of the location and amount of sunlight first. Is the location in a high traffic area or out of the way? Is the soil rocky, sandy or rich? How much sun hits the spot over the course of the day? Are there compatible plants nearby?

I love roses, and I recently planted a rose bush in my front garden where passersby can share in the luscious scent. I love drawing roses, too, but this has always been a challenge for me. Until I put on my AVT goggles and realized I can take a hint from our own playbook. What if I draw the overall shape first, then break the inside forms into simple shapes?

Here is what I came up with for a drawing of a rose. Read on for a downloadable freebie on how to draw more flowers. The rose happens to be one of the flowers corresponding with my birth month according to U.S. tradition. What's yours? .

Here is a list of birth month flowers according to the Farmers' Almanac.

January	Carnation	Snowdrop
February	Violet	Primrose
March	Daffodil	Jonquil
April	Daisy	Sweet Pea
May	Lilly of the Valley	Hawthorn
June	Rose	Honeysuckle
July	Larkspur	Water Lily
August	Gladiolus	Poppy
September	Aster	Morning Glory
October	Marigold	Cosmos
November	Chrysanthemum
December	Narcissus	Holly

Taking this same idea of looking at the shape of the whole and then looking for simple shapes and patterns within is an approach that "has legs" in any number of arenas. Coming back to my mid year check-in, I can look at any one of the broad goals listed above and identify an AVT course that gives both a simplified overview and hands on practice with these skills.

For example, AVT for INNOVATION can you help look at your current products, services or solutions with fresh eyes. AVT for PROJECT MANAGEMENT can help you and your team get on the same page quickly and generate a simple plan that is easy to create, easy to iterate and easy to communicate. Oh, and AVT for CUSTOMER JOURNEY MAPPING can help you quickly get a better grasp of your customer pain points so you can innovate how you work with them.

Starting simple can build confidence and create a path to clarity about what the next step should be.

What course will you sign up for next? Click here to see your current options, or click here to sign up for emails when new courses are released, including our next offering, AVT for VISIONING.