ColumnistsMar 16, 2022
The Smart Lab: 3 Reasons You Should Advertise Your Jewelry Business on WazeColumnistsMar 22, 2022
Squirrel Spotting: Whiteboarding—A Love Affair
Peter Smith shares how a whiteboard can transform a team.
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 …
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.
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.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
More on Columnists
The Latest
MajorsOct 10, 2024
Why Ritani Is Partying Like It’s 1999The jeweler is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a throwback campaign.
CollectionsOct 10, 2024
Pomellato Revives Past Designs for New Capsule Collection“Memorie D’Archivio” was inspired by the “Mora” and “Mosaico” collections the brand introduced in the ‘90s.
SourcingOct 10, 2024
Lucara Sells Clara to Its Original FoundersCEO William Lamb said divesting the diamond sales platform allows the company to focus on the underground expansion of Karowe.
Brought to you by
Enhance Your Expertise with IGI’s In-Person Courses in NYCThis fall, sharpen your skills in jewelry grading, quality control and diamond assessment.
MajorsOct 10, 2024
Oscar Heyman Releases 2024 Holiday CatalogIt features 124 jewels and a variety of colored gemstones.
Weekly QuizOct 03, 2024
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
AuctionsOct 09, 2024
Rolex Worn on Apollo 14 Mission Up for SaleThe GMT-Master “Pepsi” belonging to astronaut Edgar Mitchell is a standout in RR Auction’s online “Space Auction,” going on now.
MajorsOct 09, 2024
New Simon Campaign Invites Gen Z to ‘Meet Me At The Mall’The ads celebrate the mall culture of the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Brought to you by
Why You Can't Miss JA New York This FallDon't miss this one-stop-shop in October, curated with buyers’ needs in mind.
MajorsOct 09, 2024
PGI Launches New Virtual Sales TrainingRetail sales associates can access the video series on mobile to refresh their selling skills.
Policies & IssuesOct 09, 2024
GJNRF: Reaching Out, Rebuilding Futures For 25 years, India’s Gem & Jewellery National Relief Foundation has provided aid in the wake of war, natural disasters, and global crises.
AuctionsOct 08, 2024
Sotheby’s Selling Jewelry That Belonged to a Bulgarian TsarThe November auction will feature a collection of jewels owned by Ferdinand I, the first king of modern Bulgaria, and his family.
SourcingOct 08, 2024
Rio Tinto Begins New Phase of Production That Will Extend Diavik’s LifeCommercial production has begun underground at the Canadian diamond mine’s A21 pipe.
SurveysOct 08, 2024
What to Know About Online Shopping This Holiday SeasonDeloitte and Adobe Analytics shared their insights on the season, from the retail sales forecast to the role of generative AI.
CollectionsOct 08, 2024
Sylvie Adds New Men’s BandsThe Texas-based jeweler collaborated with luxury clothing brand Uncommon Man on men’s bands designed with European influences.
SourcingOct 08, 2024
Is Current Diamond Industry Turbulence Shaping a ‘New Normal’? Industry players have found ways to cope with market conditions while working to reshape themselves in the face of emerging realities.
SourcingOct 07, 2024
Rio Tinto to Offer 76 Diamonds in 2024 Beyond Rare Tender The sales event, in its second year, features a selection of rare diamonds from the miner’s Argyle and Diavik diamond mines.
CollectionsOct 07, 2024
Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi Partners With Heller Jewelers on New CollectionA portion of the proceeds from the “Always Dream” collection will go to Yamaguchi's foundation, supporting early childhood literacy.
SurveysOct 07, 2024
Hill & Co.’s New ‘Business of Jewelry Report’ Is OutThe first in what is slated to be a series of in-depth reports from the consulting company, it focuses on shortening supply chains.
WatchesOct 04, 2024
Watches of Switzerland Clocks Another Acquisition—HodinkeeThe company said Benjamin Clymer will return to his role as head of the watch news website, which will maintain editorial independence.
SourcingOct 04, 2024
How India Became the World’s Second-Largest Market for Diamond Jewelry A strong economy, a growing middle class with an affinity for brands, and rapid expansion of organized retail have fueled the market’s rise.
MajorsOct 04, 2024
Hearts On Fire Names Gabrielle Grazi VP of Sales, North AmericaThe industry veteran is also the president-elect of the Women’s Jewelry Association.
CollectionsOct 04, 2024
Piece of the Week: Ray Griffiths’ ‘Double Headed Snake’ RingSlither into spooky season with this scary snake ring that boasts two heads with tsavorite eyes.
Policies & IssuesOct 03, 2024
RJO, CERF+ Join Those Offering Hurricane Helene Relief to Affected JewelersPlus, how to apply for emergency funds and donate to recovery efforts.
CrimeOct 03, 2024
Man Who Shared Spoils of $2.7M Smash-and-Grab on Social Media Pleads Guilty to Robbery ChargeLadell Tharpe, 39, took part in a 2022 jewelry store robbery and then posted pictures of cash on Instagram with the text “Robbery Gang.”
MajorsOct 03, 2024
JA Appoints New Board DirectorThe trade organization welcomed Sheryl Jones to its board of directors for a three-year term.
MajorsOct 03, 2024
Pandora Names 3rd CMO in Past 5 YearsNew Chief Marketing Officer Berta de Pablos-Barbier has worked for LVMH’s champagne brands and Kering-owned Boucheron.
TrendsOct 03, 2024
Amanda’s Style File: October’s ArrivalTransition to fall with this month’s birthstones of opal and tourmaline.
