Visual Management Workshop

This workshop guides teams in creating or improving their visual board, such as a Kanban or Scrum board. The goal is to increase task transparency and improve workflow, fostering better collaboration and communication. Participants will learn to choose and implement visual tools that make work immediately understandable.

Walkthrough

1. 1

   Introduction to Visual Management

   15 min

   The facilitator presents the key concepts of visual management, emphasising the importance of the relevance of displayed information. They explain that the goal is to make workflow, issues, and performance visible. Participants discuss their current experiences with visual tools.

   Tip — Use concrete examples of successful and failed boards to illustrate your points.

2. 2

   Identifying Team Needs

   20 min

   Participants reflect on their team's priority needs: visibility of workflow, issues, or performance. The facilitator guides a discussion to help clarify these needs and choose an initial focus for the visual board.

   Tip — Encourage participants to focus on one need at a time to avoid creating an overloaded board.

3. 3

   Designing the Visual Board

   30 min

   In small groups, participants design a visual board that meets the identified needs. The facilitator reminds them of pitfalls to avoid, such as excessive columns or unnecessary indicators. Groups sketch their board on paper or a whiteboard.

   Tip — Provide examples of best practices and allow space for the groups' creativity.

4. 4

   Implementation and Testing of the Board

   25 min

   Each group presents their board and explains their choices. The facilitator and other participants provide constructive feedback. Then, participants reflect on the practical implementation of the board in their work environment.

   Tip — Encourage participants to plan regular review points to adjust their board based on feedback.

5. 5

   Planning Updates and Maintenance

   20 min

   Participants discuss the frequency and responsibility for updating the board. The facilitator emphasises the importance of integrating updates into work routines to prevent them from becoming a chore.

   Tip — Suggest solutions to automate certain updates if possible.

Variants

• Organise the workshop online using digital tools like Miro or Trello for board design.
• Add a review session after a few weeks to assess the effectiveness of the implemented board.
• Invite a visual management expert to provide feedback on the boards designed by participants.