How visual thinking can help entrepreneurs solve problems

Published 12:00 am Monday, May 18, 2009

How would you rate your problem-solving skills in running your business?

Your answer to this question is important. Many successful entrepreneurs have developed a keen sense for what it takes to effectively solve problems in their business — whether this is dealing with employee issues, handling customer complaints or resolving marketing or manufacturing challenges.

Improving your business problem-solving skills is especially significant in today’s economic environment as the challenges the average small business faces are much more difficult.

How do you improve these skills?

The first place to start is by adding a book to your summer reading list: “The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures” by Dan Roam.

Roam is a management consultant who “helps business executives solve complex problems through visual thinking.” He has assisted some well-known companies such as Google, eBay, Wells Fargo, HBO and Wal-Mart. We believe the “visual thinking” skills that he writes about in his book can also help any small-­business owner.

The premise of his book is that business problems can be better solved and then more effectively communicated using pictures — a “simple picture” on the back of a napkin is more valuable than using PowerPoint.

Roam explains in the book that “visual thinking means taking advantage of our innate ability to see — both with our eyes and our mind’s eye — in order to discover ideas that are otherwise invisible, develop those ideas quickly and intuitively, and then share those ideas with other people in a way that they simply ‘get.’ ”

Roam also emphasizes that you don’t need to have any artistic ability to be successful using the tools he outlines in the book. In fact, if you can draw his basic items as we have done below (aren’t we good!) — then you can pick up his techniques.

The book is divided into four sections. In the first section, Roam lays out his reasons for using visual thinking. He tells the story of how he discovered the power of pictures when he had to fill in at the last minute for a colleague and give their presentation. The colleague never sent him the presentation materials, so out of desperation he ended up drawing pictures. Immediately, he discovered the impact the hand-drawn pictures had with his audience.

In section two, Roam covers the “tools and rules for good visual thinking.” He provides numerous examples which help drive home the points he is trying to make. In the third section, he focuses on the use of the tools to solve common, everyday problems such as “Who are my customers?” “When can we fix things?” and “How can we improve our business?”

In the final section, Roam outlines how to take your problem-solving ideas and sell them to others by “focusing on pictures instead of the usual bullet points.”

Many great business ideas had their start on the back of a napkin. This book will help you think of a different way to conquer problems and sell your solutions. After reading this book, you may never use PowerPoint again.

Pat Sisneros is the vice president of college services at Everett Community College. Lynne Munoz is director for the School of Business Design. Please send your comments to entrepreneurship@everettcc.edu.