A Safe Place For Dangerous Truths

lthough many people think drawing is only for the artistically talented or the mentally deficient, the exercise of creating pictures is a sophisticated tool for analyzing complex situations. It enables a group to see context at the same time as content. Unlike overhead slides with bullet points, drawings are not limited to sequential representation. They can show relational aspects, reveal irrational interactions and describe emotions. Dressed in metaphor, dangerous truths are much safer than naked truths. If you want to use this exercise with your work group, here are a few steps that will help.

• Create trust.
  Your group will intuitively know that this is a self-disclosure process that can be abused. Let them see you are interested in a mutually beneficial discovery process-not a manipulation process.
• Stimulate hope.
  Tell a few dangerous truths of your own that will demonstrate how serious you are. Talk about what your group could accomplish if everyone really worked together.
• Preempt blame and feelings of defensiveness.
  Talk about how blame and negative feelings are natural reactions to stress and uncertainty. Acknowledge that too few resources and too many priorities are bound to result in feelings of frustration. Help the group anticipate that most people will be blaming someone else for their problems.
• Make it safe.
  Make agreements on such issues as confidentiality and respect for all points of view to make the exercise safe. You may even need to agree to shred the pictures after
  the meeting.
• Instill confidence with clear directions.
  Ask participants to draw pictures that are metaphors for their organization-at least one level bigger than their day-to-day interactions. Explain that their drawing is going to be a piece of the puzzle that only they can see. Give them lots of ideas for metaphors: bridges, walls, gardens, cityscapes, ships, islands, golf courses, whatever. Then let them draw whatever they want, without judgment.
• Give everyone a chance to tell his or her story.
  Assure participants that they don't have to talk about their drawings if they don't want to. Ask the most willing to show their pictures to the group and describe their metaphors without making judgments or naming names. Humor is your ally. There are always funny pictures. Encourage a sense of fun. Invite questions of clarity only. Ensure questions stay within the safety of the metaphor.
• Let the increased understanding do its work.
  Don't try to solve dangerous truths in one session. The benefit comes not from traditional solutions or action plans, but from increased understanding. This is the sort of thing that needs time to seep in. It may be two weeks before people really "get it."