Reflecting on Values: a Visual Approach

As a new and emergent practice, it’s time for Mindful Maps to think about values. What we value can shift and evolve over time, but it can be hard to stand for what you believe in when it isn’t articulated yet. Getting something affirmative down on paper gives a point of reference, a ‘check-list’ which can be used against potential opportunities and pathways – to say “this aligns with my values, bring it on”, “this mostly aligns with my values, let’s go for it but be mindful of xxx” or “this totally contradicts with my values, thank you but next please”.

After a few weeks reflection, some mind-blowing conversations, a couple of sessions with Be Amazing Today and a rather special and thought-provoking weekend, this popped out of the sketchbook (click the image to zoom):

I shall explain. Starting at the centre, Mindful Maps is a heart-led practice (for more background read this journal entry). This isn’t fluffy girl-talk, far from it. Did you know that etymologically the word courage comes from the Latin cor which means heart? The heart remains a metaphor for inner strength in many guises, including this one. Heart-led practice takes guts.

Coming outwards from this heart-led approach are the four core values:

1. Nurture & Nourish: take a nurturing approach to our practice and ourselves, always aspiring to health in people and our creations.
2. Practice What You Preach: use our creative tools on ourselves as well as others, live what we advocate, respect collaborators and ourselves.
3. Lighthearted Wisdom: focus on learning and knowledge, but enjoy it and help others to do the same.
4. Quality not Quantity: with focused attention, put craft and care into what we create.

Running through the core vales as a constant thread is a human/social and environment/ecology emphasis; a constant awareness for Mindful Maps.

Now moving to the top of the diagram you’ll see a magnifying glass and a signpost. These are not so much values, but things connected to them that keep us motivated and moving forward. The magnifying glass signifies a creative learning focus, and the signpost a reminder to explore eternally and never get bored.

Looking back down to the trunk of the tree, all these things sustain our ability to respond, to the world, other people and ourselves. This enables us to be authentic, and vice versa. These values are all rooted in authenticity, from which everything grows and at the same time creates deeper roots. At all times we must practice and advocate authenticity – in communication, relationships, actions and the things we create.

That’s it for now, these values may evolve over time and I’m sure more posts will follow about this. There were a few other things I wanted to incorporate that couldn’t find a natural home yet, but will pop up somewhere in the future. Maybe they’re guiding principles rather than values?

• Collaboration and Co-operation, not Competition
• Small is Beautiful, Sustainable and Successful
• Design with Empathy

If you like this visual approach to articulating values, get in touch and book a 1-1 session to map out yours.

Drawing on Leadership

Photo by Haley Madden

In March I was invited to attend the launch of the 2011 London Leaders programme at City Hall and capture some of the key ideas and contribution which emerged about leadership. London Leaders is a programme which launched in 2007 and runs annually to catalyse change by supporting a group of individuals involved in socially and environmentally responsive projects across London. The participants were also invited to come and talk with me after the main presentations to visualise their thoughts on leadership.