Jo'Anne Langham’s Post

View profile for Jo'Anne Langham, graphic

Executive using collaboration and evidence for making change

I have spent my career creating these kinds of visuals to facilitate conversations about wicked problems. Finally there is research showing why this enhances not only communication, but also cognitive processing, making it an essential tool for strategic decision making. Yes, it should be taught in business schools - its not something that should be relegated to visual design. This is not about aesthetics, it is about improving cognitive search, exploration and decision making. Well done @Felipe A. Csaszar, @Nicole Hinrichs, @Mana Heshmati. #design #informationdesign #strategicthinking #strategicdoing #strategicdecisionmaking Ed Morrison Mani Vannan Doug Smith Jane Rogan Beatrice McAlister Stuart Middleton Tyler Okimoto Neil Paulsen Charmine Hartel (FASSA, FCAHR, FAHRI, FANZAM, FAIM) Brad Beach Dr. Stuart Hamilton Nina Terrey John Body Holly N. O'Driscoll Christi Zuber Virginia Hamilton Chrystia Chudczak Margy Vilé Mary E. Moreland

View profile for Rob Briner, graphic

Prof of Organizational Psychology, Queen Mary Uni of London; Visiting Prof, Birkbeck Uni of London; Prof, Oslo Nye Høyskole; Cofounder & Ex-Scientific Director CEBMa; Director, Research, Corporate Research Forum

𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆'𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀 The use of visuals in strategic decision-making and management more generally is widespread. Imagine what #LinkedIn would look like without them. At the same time, their use is under-analyzed and almost taken for granted. The general assumption seems to be that such visuals are useful - and not harmful or limiting in any way. This new #openaccess paper from Felipe Csaszar, Dr. Nicole Hinrichs and Mana Heshmati explores some of the issues around their use - https://lnkd.in/ekf7GFRC. This is an academic paper which sets out a number of testable propositions. There are also many important practical considerations which are discussed at the end of the paper. My guess is that there are costs as well as benefits to using such visuals and that sometimes they simply add no value at all. 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚? 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙙𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥? 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙙𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧? 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙙𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙣𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚? 𝘌𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘴, 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯-𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘏𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦. 𝘉𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩, 𝘸𝘦 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯-𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯-𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘞𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘒𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘞𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘺, 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩. .

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Neil Davidson

Systems Lens & Poet at And Now What

1mo

As you say in the "Implications for users: The powers and perils of external representations External representations are powerful thinking tools that can enhance managers' cognitive capabilities and aid in developing high-quality strategies. However, as with all powerful tools, external representations have a potential for misuse." I won't repeat your words here for brevity though some relate to politics, some to external realities. These tools are great for assisting 'business as usual'... unfortunately the external bigger picture context is one (now) of 'social-ecological systems collapse due to ecological overshoot and deliberate social undershoot' - so BAU is no longer viable... I would suggest that all these 'efficiency-improving/ strategic decision-making tools' could benefit from another visual... and an investigation of the worldviews and perspectives of decision-makers. Most of our 'growth-strategies' are accelerating collapse. Perhaps it's a case of 'great ladders/ wrong walls'? AndNowWhat https://andnowwhat.be/services/

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Ed Morrison

Developer, Strategic Doing; Founder, Strategic Doing Institute; Co-CEO Strategic Doing Networks; Senior Research Fellow, The Conference Board; Co-author, Strategic Doing (Wiley)

1mo

Yes, well done. Jo, let me add my voice to the importance of visuals. In developing Strategic Doing, a strategy discipline for open loosely connected networks, we took a critical step in the 1990s by developing a visual language. Kim Mitchell, a professional architect, guided me as we developed this language. Jo, you are providing masterful guidance to the Strategic Doing Institute as our Chief Design Officer. In over 30 years of doing this work, you are the best design professional I have encountered who can translate complex ideas into stunning and powerful visuals. You are a master and I thank you for the contributions you are making to the global growth of Strategic Doing.

Ivan Tarter

Learning Product Designer | Performance Improvement for Customer-Facing Teams | MBA emlyon

1mo

What is the reason for the display choice of the second visual? Seems like that information might be better shown in other ways.

Denis Jenkins

Director and Researcher: Australian Cognitive Testing and Research Pty Ltd and Learning As It Should Be International Pty Ltd. Co-lead Project - Mutuality - The Future of Trust

1mo

Visualisation is a very important part of conceptualisation and graphics help that process. It also helps in making connections that may not be discovered purely held abstractly in the mind. Graphics also help to show relationships between ideas in your mind as you share with others. Shape discrimination, orientation and sequencing are all exercised in graphic interpretation. Basic cognitive functions, such as these, are most necessary for communication that leads to mutual understanding.

Margy Vilé

Service Designer Service Management Operations and Transformation

1mo

As a designer and story teller my work without visuals would have less impact. Visuals are key to helping decision makers understand.

Lisa Woodall

Global Head of Discovery & Design (IT) @ WPP | Chartered IT Professional

1mo

Four box grids and Venn diagrams can’t beat them

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