by Lisa | Oct 31, 2018 | Entrepreneur, Leadership, Productivity
At the start of each year, I determine a word that will be the focus of my months ahead. Others may make resolutions, but I decided to ditch those ideas and just stick to one – my word. Even if you are more of a resolution person, I bet your goals all have one central idea.
Time may have gotten away from you this year. Deadlines shifted, budgets adjusted and team roles have changed. While all of that is normal in the workplace, there is still time in your year to get back on track. It is not too late!
Some action steps to help you finish out the year strong:
- Determine or rediscover your word for the year.
- Write your word down. Use our word of the year template!
- Put your word it on display. Where will you see it every day? Put it there!
- Share your word with a friend. This will help keep you accountable and excited about your word.
Get your word back into focus for the rest of the year! Staying motivated is a huge key to accomplishing your goal. Your word of the year provides a guide for each task and activity that you work to complete. You have something that gives you clarity for next steps and ideas. If your idea/goal does not line up with your word, just know that it may be a waste of your time to follow through with it. Consider your word as a filter for the goals that you may have throughout the rest of the year.
Another key factor is to make your word as appealing as possible. Having your word displayed in an eye-changing way can help keep your word top of mind as well. So make sure to use our word of the year template or if you want something more custom to share, contact us!
by Lisa | Sep 19, 2018 | Entrepreneur, Graphic Recording, Leadership, Productivity
Now is the time to set priorities, plan out the remaining months of the year and get the team on track with a plan. Use a visual strategic planning session and graphic recording to reiterate team values, goals and motivations. Check out our top components of a strategic planning session to set up your company for success!
- Restate the company’s mission – Before looking ahead, state your company’s mission. Begin the discussion sharing the company’s values and principles. This will provide a steady mindset for the strategic planning, keeping everything and everyone in line with your company’s basics.
- Assess the current status – “Where are we?” Take some time to review your company’s current standings. Have team members gather statistics and updates about their areas of business. This will provide an internal understanding of what is going on and what might need some attention.
- Identity the important areas – What is a top priority? What area has the most impact? Work together with your co-workers to recognize those sections.
- Point out those pressure points – Review those trouble areas. How can you overcome this problem in this new season? Recognize your team’s strong skills and partner-specific people with the problems that they can tackle. Delegate and execute.
- Define what must be accomplished – Set expectations during your strategic planning. Provide direction on tasks and goals that need to be completed. Review the calendar if needed. Give due dates and benchmarks for the upcoming months.
- Review and review again – Check for gaps in your plan. Look for areas that might have been overlooked. Add more details. Rework deadlines as needed. Ensure each team member has time to thoroughly review the plan.
- Implementation – After the strategic plan has been reviewed and finalized, it is time for implementation! Engage in periodic conversations to check in with your team. Make sure that they feel confident about their responsibilities. Provide assistance as needed.
Let our team help you visualize your strategic planning. We offer graphic recording services for Think Tanks, strategy sessions, visioning sessions, and more! Learn more through our services page here.
by Lisa | Jan 16, 2017 | Business, Community, Leadership
On Sunday, January 15th I created this 4’x8′ chart in real-time for the AFL-CIO. The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil & Human Rights Awards took place at the Hamilton in Washington, DC. There were 8 award recipients, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren and actor Jussie Smollett.
Graphic recording by Lisa Nelson for #1uMLK. The Hamilton, Washington, DC
I enjoyed working on this project for so many reasons. One reason is because I come from a family of union workers. When award recipient, Carmen Perez, mentioned the 1199 union it made me smile.
Another reason I enjoyed this project was because of the program itself. It was so rich with stories of ordinary people doing amazing things.
I love this quote that was printed on the program. It speaks to the labor movement and matched the occasion perfectly.
“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”
— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I used pieces from the music selection, video segments, and stories from the honorees to make the chart a collage.
Click here to see a 15 second video of the complete chart.
by Lisa | Aug 12, 2012 | Business, Leadership, Uncategorized
All I can say is “Wow”. I had to share my visual notes from the 2012 Global Leadership Summit (WCGLS). Let me say it again, “Wow”.
This was my first summit with WCGLS and I can’t wait till the next one. I attended the summit at my local church (First Baptist Church of Glenarden), which was a host site for the event. The theme of the summit was “Lead Where You Are” and it applies to so many areas of life. It doesn’t matter if you are a church leader, business owner, student, or volunteer. We can all lead where we are.
I was so impressed with Bill Hybels. Not only for delivering a powerful message but also for DOODLING. That’s right. In front of over 160,000 people, he illustrated “sowing more seeds” and made us laugh while doing it. He drew a stick man, dots for seeds, and a scribbly tree on his flip chart. Bill Hybels understands the power of visual thinking…Yay! Gotta love that.
Look below and you will find my visual notes from Day 1 of Bill Hybels, Jim Collins, and Craig Groeschel.
Double Click to View Larger Size
Double click for Larger Size
Don’t miss my post Visual Quotes from the Global Leadership Summit – Day 2.
Resources & Affiliates
Too Busy Not to Pray
“Too Busy Not to Pray” by Bill Hybels was a part of my mother’s book collection and it’s one of my favorites on prayer.
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t
“Good to Great..” by Jim Collins gives sound business advice based on his research of great companies. This was a good read and I recommend it for any business owner.
What’s your biggest takeaway? What are you going to put into action? Leave a comment below.
by Lisa | Aug 12, 2012 | Business, Leadership, Uncategorized
Visual quotes from day 2 at the 2012 Global Leadership Summit (WCGLS).
On day 2, I tried something different. Instead of visual notes, I am calling these visual quotes! Here’s why. I created images by choosing one powerful quote from 4 different sessions. These words really resonated with me. I even noticed the same quotes being tweeted (#wcgls, #wcagls) on Twitter. So, I’m not the only one who found these gold nuggets. Below are my visual quotes from Geoffrey Canada, Bill Hybels, and Pranitha Timothy. Click the image to view larger size.
Wondering how I made these images? I created all images for Day 1 and Day 2 using my iPAD 2 and the Brushes drawing application. For Day 1 images I used a Pogo stylus to draw. For day 2, I skipped the stylus and just let my fingers do the drawing 😀
Don’t miss my post Visual Notes from the Global Leadership Summit – Day 1.
Resources & Affiliates
Too Busy Not to Pray
“Too Busy Not to Pray” by Bill Hybels was a part of my mother’s book collection and it’s one of my favorites on prayer.
Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada’s Quest to Change Harlem and America
Geoffrey Canada’s story of changing neighborhoods one block at time is amazing. He was so inspiring at the Global Leadership Summit and this book about his story is on my reading list.
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
“Getting to Yes…” co-authored by William Ury shows you how to handle conflict and negotiate successfully.
Which of these powerful quotes resonate with you? Comment below.
