Objectives:
To think towards the future strategically
To work together as a team providing input
Could be used for branding, re-branding and cultural development or change management, future planning or scenario building
Overview:
Learners are encouraged to get into small teams and are asked to address a future orientated task â either related to their own development or if you are seeking a more discipline focused task, their subject, or industry/sector.
By spending time exploring the subject together they are invited to create a future, and depict this within visual mood boards.
(for example, a group may have an area of the business to create, address change and how they want it to look, or be asked to visualise 1, 3, 5 years down the line)
They are each given a board or flip chart and a series of magazines, materials, catalogues etc and asked to create a mood board (or visual reflection) to reflect how the future or âtaskâ will look.
Activity:
This activity requires preparation (souring materials, or subject relevant magazines or images or similar as well as pens, glue, paper etc) and then requires the tutor to allow time for the group to work through this challenge. Typically the group may be âstumpedâ by the future orientation of the task and may require prompts to help them explore their thinking and assumptions. It can be hugely personal to create an individual vision board of the future you wish you have and will take time, and equally considering industry trends or movement within the sector can require pre-research by the groups or time to explore specific elements of future change.
The minimum time for such an activity with a well organised group would be 1 hour but it is important that this work is displayed and that time is taken to showcase the activity.
Ideally the reflection will form a key part of the activity and that time for this important activity is given to the group as a whole, as well to those working as a group to consider their work in light of others as well as well they operated as a group.
Skill Development:
Reflection can draw out key learning from this task. With potential for subject learning, team work and reflection, this task can be powerful in terms of creativity as well as considering and evaluating opportunities or options.
It is important that as a group they understand the process that they undertook and review how well they worked to hear all the ideas, consider opportunities and move forward together in agreement. This process can be achieved through a few key reflective questions based on the process itself that can explored as a team and then discussed as the wider group. These may include:
â˘How did you get into groups? â did you consider skills and knowledge for the task or did you prioritise friendship groups (and team working) over task?
â˘How did you tackle the task? - was their a leader? How were ideas heard? Who developed ideas? How did you decide to move forward?
â˘Were you influenced by the activity in the room/other groups?
â˘What subject knowledge or prior experience did you bring to this?
â˘What issues of group work were apparent â time management; leadership; identifying strengths of team members
â˘How would you tackle it differently next time?
â˘What do you need to find out to improve on this? (setting actions)
Resources:
- Board for each team
- Selection of magazines, journals, glue, scissors, pens , access to internet and printers (optional).