Graphic facilitation at the service of management and learning

Talentis likes to surround itself with innovative jobs and new talents on a daily basis and during large-scale projects. Focus today on the graphic facilitation : for almost ten years, Talentis has been working with Guillaume Lagane, graphic facilitator, who surprises and seduces with each intervention with his accuracy and talent.

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For neophytes, what is your definition of graphic facilitation?

“Graphic facilitation means using all the possible tools of visualizing at the service of interactions. Graphic facilitation occurs in a particular context which is that of interactions: this process is therefore used in order to work, record, synthesize, give meaning to the discussion, and contribute to collective intelligence.”

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Is it an alternative or complementary process to mindmapping?

“The Mindmapping is a technique for taking notes, summarizing, visualizing, and personal development. It is also useful in serving groups. I often use it for graphic facilitation.”

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Why did you choose to be a graphic facilitator? What is your background?

“I graduated from ESSCA Business School in 2007. I completed my final internship at CapGemini ASE (Accelerating Solutions Environment) for eight months: a place and new ways of working and collaborating that CapGemini offered to its customers for develop collective intelligence and speed up decision-making. Eight months that allowed me to attend around thirty events and to discover collaborative methods.

So I chased the idea of becoming a consultant and I started. I have returned to the service of the network of freelancers, a service provider of Capgemini ASE. Within this network, I was able to discover all the facilitation levers. I chose the graphic facilitation.

Then, in 2009, I created my business (Graphic Facilitation). I work mainly at the service of freelance networks, consulting companies, coaching companies and communication companies. I work in all sectors of activity, from 6 to 1000 people. In terms of figures, I am present at around fifty events during the year, 10% of which with Talentis.”

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‍In what contexts do you operate?

“On the interaction playground, I most often intervene before/during/after collaborative sessions. Seminars, workshops in particular. Meetings, conventions, creative brainstormings, world café, etc. From banking information systems to NGO strategies, to politics, including soccer clubs or clinics, decision-makers find solutions every day Reasons to gather.”

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In management or leadership seminars, what is the added value of this process?

“To put it simply, I show what is being said. Sometimes there is real complexity to decode ideas and interactions when a group of people chat. I must therefore make sure to take into account the key messages of the exchange, model the issues who come out of it and the goals to set. All this while avoiding a comic drawing, a caricature or falling into typing.

From a more cerebral perspective, I'm actually going to stimulate our part of the brain that understands, attracts interest, and remembers for the long term. And since things are well done, This part of the brain remembers drawings better.”

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In your opinion, is graphic facilitation a new form of learning? If so, what challenges does it address?

“Graphic facilitation is a Real lever that facilitates any type of learning. By itself it does not exist, it only exists through exchanges. Content is certainly not provided by this process, but it is also not just a matter of form. Her aim is not to be pretty. A good graphic designer can create a great work, but if the client finds it just aesthetic, he is missing out on his mission. On the other hand, if the graphic facilitator illustrates, makes you think and highlights the right questions, there he succeeded. At the end of the day, the participants have to say to each other, that's what we said to each other, and I remember it better that way.”

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Can facilitation become a daily tool for managers or does it remain occasional (project, seminar, workshop... etc.)?

“Whatever the meeting, the size of the teams, graphic facilitation makes it possible to gain in efficiency. I would think it would be pretty great if one person took notes for the others in every meeting. The participants co-building live a support/a basis for moving forward or reaching an agreement. Each meeting would be faster, more effective.”

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Can everyone be a graphic facilitator?

“Yes in a way. You just have to know how to select what people say that's important to each other and write it down on the Flipchart.

To become a good graphic facilitator, you must then be able to simultaneously manipulate the “I hear” and “I listen/I capture” switch. In a discussion thread, you should identify the formulas that precede a key message, then the idea to remember (small alarm in the brain to identify it) and don't forget the tone to help us Understand the meaning. Beyond this analysis, if you are confronted with a flow of details among the important messages, with a monotonous flow, the secret is to identify the time spent on a subject. If we talk about X for 20 minutes, X is becoming a key topic.

Basically anyone can become a graphic facilitator, the main thing is to wanting to be of service.”

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What does graphic facilitation training consist of?

“It's a 1 to 3-day course where participants are made aware of both shape and on the contents. We learn to be relevant When you can capture what is significant for people.

There is an initial work on the form. We have to tame the tools that are felt-tip pens. Learn the posture “Standing, writing and drawing while standing on a vertical support”. And let's not forget that it is a service that we provide, so you must have a minimum of neatness in visual vocabulary, typography, links, containers, templates, etc.

We then look at what we call visual grammar, modeling, space management, the metaphors used, which add a additional reading level.”

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“To conclude in a few words, I love my job ! And if you want to become aware of graphic facilitation, I recommend Two books : Say it in pictures by Eyrolles editions, published in 2013 (G.Lagane/B.Lebelle) and Visual encyclopedia: 1400 drawings, sketches, pictos, crobards at the service of your ideas by Eyrolles editions, published in 2015 (G.Lagane/B.Lebelle/N.Gros).”

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To see: “La Nuit des Talents - Guillaume Lagane, Graphic Facilitator”