Columnists

Squirrel Spotting: Whiteboarding—A Love Affair

ColumnistsMar 22, 2022

Squirrel Spotting: Whiteboarding—A Love Affair

Peter Smith shares how a whiteboard can transform a team.

2021_Peter Smith.jpg
Peter Smith is an industry consultant, speaker, sales trainer and author. He can be reached via email at TheRetailSmiths@gmail.com.
I am a self-proclaimed whiteboarding addict.

I’m not embarrassed to say that working remotely during COVID made life just a little less interesting, absent the entire wall of whiteboards that graced my office. 

I meet fellow whiteboarding addicts from time to time and the discovery that there are more of us out there usually elicits knowing smiles and a mutual desire to investigate what about whiteboarding each of us finds most interesting. 

At its core, whiteboarding can be a microcosm of who we are as leaders, managers, and influencers.

The benefits of comprehensive and inclusive whiteboarding touches on many of the central elements of business, and the effects of a great whiteboarding session can be transformative. 

For starters, whiteboard sessions underscore two of my favorite mantras: “control the controllable” and “focus on the big rocks.” 

Even the biggest whiteboard offers finite space, so the exercise demands a hierarchy of priorities. It mandates that we start with the “big rocks,” before descending through the less obvious, but occasionally informative, data points. 

A second aspect of whiteboarding is the opportunity to lay out the facts in a very visual way. 

To quote late U.S. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” 

Having the facts and data on the whiteboard provides both a hierarchy of importance and, one of the best deliverables of whiteboarding, an opportunity to make visual connections in a way that is not always apparent when pouring through digital data. 

 Related stories will be right here … 

In Dr. A. K. Pradeep’s book, “The Buying Brain, Secrets for Selling to the Subconscious Mind,” he wrote: “Your brain collects data from the visual cortex, processing what each of your eyes are seeing, turning that information into three-dimensional, stereoscopic imagery and simultaneously matching that with data streams flooding forth from the auditory, olfactory, and tactile centers.”  

Whiteboarding, quite literally, engages a different area of our brains and facilitates a processing of both the data and the aesthetics in a neurologically different way. 

Neuroscience research, in fact, has shown that visual processing accounts for 50 percent of what our brain does at any given moment. 

Whiteboarding is also a great team-building exercise. Having the right people (three to four is probably best) involved in the process facilitates a level of cognitive, emotional, and physical activity not typically present in PowerPoint presentations or other less collaborative exercises.

The act of having different people physically approach the board, make notes and suggestions, point out data points and connections, and ask probing questions is a fabulous way to engage a small team. 

One of my favorite questions to ask the team while whiteboarding is, “If a year from now, this hasn’t worked, why might that be?” Or, better yet, “Tell me why this won’t work.” 

The end result will always be better for challenging assumptions, and healthy debate should be strongly encouraged. 

In Ray Dalio’s “Principles,” he wrote, “Thoughtful disagreement is not a battle; its goal is not to convince the other party that he or she is wrong, and you are right, but to find out what is true and what to do about it. 

“It must also be nonhierarchical, because in an idea meritocracy communication doesn’t just flow unquestioned from the top down. Criticisms must also come from the bottom up.” 

Inviting devil’s advocacy shows respect for your team. It says that you are not looking to be the smartest guy in the room. It is also a good way to challenge inherent biases, especially from the most senior people. 

In “The Wisest One in the Room,” authors Thomas Gilovich and Lee Ross wrote, “It continues to be a wise practice to assign someone the role of devil’s advocate, but it is not as widely used as it needs to be.” 

A culture that demands devil’s advocacy is also a great way to avoid groupthink, a particularly insidious practice when otherwise smart people align with bad decision-making, with potentially terrible consequences. 

In the coming weeks and months, I look forward to consulting with vendors and retailers. I’m also excited about doing some in-store sales training based on my last book, “The Sales Minute.” 

I’m looking forward to the variety of projects that working with different companies can bring but, mostly, I can’t wait to meet your whiteboard.

The Latest

De Beers Ryan Perry and David Prager
SourcingDec 04, 2023
David Prager To Leave De Beers in 2024

Ryan Perry, who has been with De Beers since 2002, also will be leaving the company next year.

Chrono24 ChronoPulse
WatchesDec 04, 2023
Chrono24 Debuts the ‘Dow Jones’ for Luxury Watches

The watch seller’s new index tracks sales data from 14 brands, including Rolex and Patek Philippe.

David Bouffard Signet Jewelers
MajorsDec 04, 2023
David Bouffard to Leave Signet, RJC

The industry veteran will step down from both roles in April 2024.

De Beers | Diamonds Falling
Brought to you by
The Most Important “C” in Diamonds: Confidence!

Without the ability to instill confidence within the industry and directly to the consumer, a diamond holds very little value.

David Webb turquoise and lapis ring
TrendsDec 04, 2023
Amanda’s Style File: Decadent December

Tanzanite, turquoise, and zircon are all options for December babies, who sometimes “get the birthday shaft,” Amanda Gizzi writes.

Weekly QuizNov 30, 2023
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge with this short test.
Take the Quiz
Lightbox x Roséate Light Wand pendants
Lab-GrownDec 01, 2023
Lightbox Teams Up With Brand Founded by Former Tiffany Exec

The lab-grown diamond brand also collaborated with the website The Future Rocks on a collection launching today.

Lila Moss Calvin Klein campaign
FinancialsDec 01, 2023
Movado Lowers Guidance Again After Q3 Sales Dip

The company said it is facing a “challenging retail environment” but is prepared for the holiday season.

Platinum  Guild International Diamond Rings
Brought to you by
If It’s Custom, Make It Platinum

With holiday proposals right around the corner, encourage your customers to go for platinum when making the big purchase.

Muzo emerald and argyle pink diamond necklace
CollectionsDec 01, 2023
Piece of the Week: Muzo’s Emerald and Argyle Pink Diamond Necklace

It’s the hero piece of the newest "Green Jewel" collection, a collaborative offering from the two mines.

Pink Supreme Diamond
AuctionsNov 30, 2023
This Pink Diamond Reigned Supreme in Hong Kong

The 15.48-carat fancy intense “Pink Supreme” topped Christie’s fall jewelry auction in Asia, while a Patek Philippe led the watch sale.

Claire’s CFO COO Chris Cramer
MajorsNov 30, 2023
Claire’s Hires Former Bath & Body Works Exec as CFO, COO

Chris Cramer, who also spent time at Gen Z intimates brand Parade, will take on the dual role.

133 carat yellow diamond
AuctionsNov 30, 2023
Sotheby’s To Auction 133-Carat Yellow Diamond

The stone headlining the upcoming sale could fetch up to $5 million.

Kwiat diamonds
IndependentsNov 30, 2023
Frank Adams Rolls Out Kwiat’s ‘Mine to Shine’ Program

The retail offering lets customers track their diamond’s journey.

Diamond development hub in Angola
SourcingNov 29, 2023
Largest New Diamond Mine of the Decade Coming Online in Angola

The Luele mine is expected to eventually make the country the world’s third-largest diamond producer.

Holiday shoppers holding bags
SurveysNov 29, 2023
Holiday Shoppers Broke a Record This Weekend, Says NRF

From Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, 200.4 million consumers shopped online and in stores.

Cast StyleBar Nordstrom
MajorsNov 29, 2023
Cast Debuts at Nordstrom, Closes on More VC Funding

The growing company also plans to open more of its own boutiques.

20180509_Buffett-header.jpg
EditorsNov 29, 2023
Warren Buffett on Success, Mistakes and Betting on America

The best quotes from the Oracle of Omaha and his right-hand man Charlie Munger from the 2018 Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting.

J. Dostie Jewelers
IndependentsNov 28, 2023
Maine Jeweler to Relocate After 76 Years

J. Dostie Jewelers will move from Lewiston to Yarmouth this spring.

Finks Jewelers new store
IndependentsNov 28, 2023
Fink’s Jewelers Opens 10th Store

It’s the company’s second location in Tennessee.

Mary Tyler Moore and a pair of Elsa Peretti Bone Cuffs
AuctionsNov 28, 2023
Mary Tyler Moore’s Jewelry Is Up For Auction

You can have this jewelry, why don’t you take it?

Original Miami Beach Antique Show 2024
Events & AwardsNov 28, 2023
The Original Miami Beach Antique Show Is Celebrating 60 Years

Next year’s milestone show will be full of educational programming and collaborations.

De Beers Metamorphosis high jewelry earrings
EditorsNov 27, 2023
10 Tips for Selling Diamonds This Holiday Season

Sales experts and a diamantaire share their best advice on how to send customers home with diamond jewelry.

Platinum Born new collection
CollectionsNov 27, 2023
See the New ‘Platinum Born’ Jewelry

The brand has released five new collections.

Frank Adams Jewelers
IndependentsNov 27, 2023
Frank Adams Jewelers Named ‘Family Business of the Year’

The Albany Business Review recently honored the 100-year-old company.

GIA Dr. John W. Valley
GradingNov 27, 2023
Dr. John W. Valley Retires from GIA Board of Governors

To honor his legacy, GIA has set up a scholarship in his name.

Stock image of police car with its lights on
CrimeNov 22, 2023
JSA Warns of Surge in Attacks on Jewelers on the Road

There have been eight attacks in the last month, spanning from a jewelry store parking lot in Rhode Island to highways in California.

Buddha Mama citrine bangle
TrendsNov 22, 2023
Amanda’s Style File: November Glow

These 15 pieces of jewelry celebrate November babies and the hues of citrine and topaz that reflect the colors of the season.

×

This site uses cookies to give you the best online experience. By continuing to use & browse this site, we assume you agree to our Privacy Policy