Storyboarding Techniques To Make Smart Decisions

 

If you’re tired of going in circles, tearing your hair out as your team takes forever to solve problems…. and you are starting to wonder if there is a better way to help your team make fast decisions, here is your #1 solution to make faster and better choices: Organize Information in Storyboards. 

According to Stanford research, groups make decisions 36% faster with visual displays. The storyboard is a low-effort, high rewards visual display technique.

In addition, 3M research shows the brain processes images 60,000 times faster than words! Why are so many people still relying on words-only tools for group problem solving? Groups see patterns and make instant connections with visual storyboarding.

Imagine what’s possible…

• How much time could you save in your strategic planning sessions?
• How much more effective would your team be?
• How much could you do if it your team made faster and better choices? 

Wouldn’t you like to find out?

The technique of storyboarding is easy to learn. And, don’t worry, you don’t have to be an artist, consider yourself creative or even believe that you are a visual thinker. Storyboarding is a technique that everyone can learn…in minutes.

 

The point of storyboarding is to capture key ideas. Organize your ideas in a series of horizontal frames. If you are working on your own, you can create a series of frames just using note cards. As a fast alternative, write your ideas on sticky-notes and spread them on your desk or on a wall.

Once you have all your key ideas on cards, start to sort them to create the most interesting and logical sequence. If it’s a strategic storyboard, organize your plan by starting at the end. Where do you want to end up? Now work backwards to plan each step leading up to your target.

If you are storyboarding a story or presentation, start with the ideas that are most interesting. Capture your audiences’ attention right at the start. Then keep weaving your story and making sure that each frame shows a natural and believable relationship to the one before…and leads to the next one.

When you’re working with a team, it’s best to work large and post on charts on the wall…so everyone can see. The fastest way is to use note cards or Post-Itsä so that as the group works to find the best sequence, it’s easy to move the cards around.

“Top Three How To Techniques To Storyboard Your Next Meeting”

#1 Tip: Write just the few key words to define each idea. Write so anyone can read the idea—print key words and stay on a horizontal level. If you squish in extra ideas, write upside down and create sloppy notes, 

#2 Tip: Use color to highlight ideas. Highlight your top ideas in yellow. Bright yellow makes ideas pop out with this easy-to-see color.

If you want to further organize the details of your storyboard, use the same color to mark related ideas. For example, use green to mark the ideas that are related to money. Blue for ideas related to systems. Use red for areas that are alert zones, danger zones or potential problem areas.

#3 Tip: In addition to color, use shapes to mark ideas and identify patterns. Use shapes to mark different concepts—such as “stars” for critical issues. Make your storyboard memorable with just these two methods: color and shapes.

Your storyboard charts encourage wide participation, manage comments, record opinions and guide group decision-making.

If you’re wondering where you could use a storyboard process…here’s a few places to get you going:

Powerful strategy gets people talking:

• Engage your team with focus on what’s the project scope

• Brainstorm the nature of your core business

• Facilitate feedback on your business value reason

• Promote live discussion with customers you serve

• Identify principles and values guiding business operation

 

Get fast results with long range planning:

• Define steps for carrying out your mission, vision and strategy

• Focus on specific milestones to achieve future goals

• Navigate responses to changing conditions

• Identify major categories for project deliverables

• Prioritize and make tough decisions

• Analyze strengths, threats, opportunities and problems

Jump into performance and tactical planning:

• Anchor key learnings as your project progresses

• Map participant implementation issues

• Navigate nitty-gritty concerns and resolve conflicts

• Promote participatory decision-making

• Spot patterns and trends

• Make faster decisions

Yes, it’s true. Storyboards help groups solve problems, have shorter meetings and make smarter decisions. Your team can get more done using this interactive visual technique.

Storyboarding involves every person on the team, at every stage of the project. From start to finish. From concept to review.

“What’s The Fastest Way To Go From Idea to Action?”

Use storyboarding to shorten your idea-to-action time. Use it when you’ve got ideas that you need to communicate. Show exactly how you will bring a product to market. Map out a strategy you want to sell to your boss. Organize your thoughts and plans for sharing strategy with investors.

This tool can help you simplify your ideas and communicate them effectively to any audience. The actual board makes your idea believable and tangible. You can use your storyboards to get people to care about your ideas and jump in whole-heartedly to your plan.

The stronger your story, the more people are inspired to act on your idea. It all starts with using the fast, easy technique of storyboarding. No more wondering how to make better choices and faster decisions in your next planning meeting.

Use this method to record and show discussion… and you’ll find team members saying exactly the words that are music to your ears, “I see what you mean!”