My sister recently reminded me of how I used to write essays in school. While doing research, I’d write all my ideas down on Post-it notes. Then I’d take these notes and group them into big ideas. Then I’d take the big ideas and put them together into paragraphs.
I never wrote my introductory paragraph until I’d stitched all my Post-its into a cohesive essay body, then I’d decide what my thesis was and write my introduction. Then I’d go back and tweak the essay to fit.
The process looked chaotic, with these sticky paper squares completely surrounding me, sitting on my bedroom floor. Some of them stuck together in groups, others orphaned until I could figure out if I needed them. My dad would laugh at the sight, and make comments about my brain being filled with sticky notes.
Today, when I write on my office whiteboard, I see this come out in a different way. I don’t have Post-its stuck everywhere, but I see ideas stitched together and orphaned thoughts that I want to fit, but don’t. I have neat and tidy final drawings and ideas, and messily scratched words and thoughts that will be erased once I figure out how to expand on them and connect these ideas to the ones I’ve already decided to keep.
In a way, I’ve kept the same system, I just don’t use the post-its. I enjoy big thinking and stitching ideas together. I like making connections between unrelated things. I might have given up the process of writing with Post-it notes, but I haven’t given up on thinking the same way as when I used them. Over the next week, I’m going to pull out my post-its and see if they can’t help me advance my whiteboard thinking that has been stagnating recently.
Let’s see if this helps me… I’ll keep you posted. 😃
Years ago I thought of a commercial for an innovation company (doesn’t matter which) that hires someone who comes up with a good idea on their whiteboard. After they share their idea through the company and good things happen, this person is promoted. As they carry their box of belongings up to their new office, they pass by people with bigger desks and fancier decor. But when they walk into their new office they find none of these things. They find wall to wall whiteboard, and boxes and boxes of whiteboard markers.
“At ______ we have bigger white boards and more markers”
I think your process is invaluable. I think one of the ways we support our leaders is to give them tools and license to lead. I think your staff does great things and I think that their students profit.
Do you need any more markers?
I’ll take the whiteboard room, and markers… but maybe with a window too:)