I’m not one for arts and crafts in the workplace. I recognize their usefulness; but when a trainer opens a box of crayons, I cannot help but to immediately lose interest. However, if someone with the street credibility of 50 Cent suggests it, I’m willing to listen.
Why would I pay attention to 50 Cent on work-related matters? That’s easy. Besides being a top selling rappers with multiple hit songs, 50 has published two best-selling self-help books, The 50th Law and Formula 50: A 6-Week Workout and Nutrition Plan That Will Transform Your Life, starred in multiple movies, and earned over $100 million as an early investor in Vitaminwater.
In a recent GQ interview, 50 suggested an art project – the vision board. That’s right, a vision board. For those new to the concept, this is a board on which you display images that depict whatever it is you want to be, do, or have in your life. It often includes photos, magazine cutouts, quotations, etc. with the intent being that this visual representation of your goals will motivate and inspire you to take action.
It may sound hokey to us cynics, but 50 Cent says to do it…and he is far from hokey. He told the interviewer to create a folder and think about want he wants for his future.
Contents
- I want you to Google pictures and put everything you want in this folder. Everything. All right?
- Take things out of your folder and things out of her folder to create a folder that has everything. Now the vision board is no longer your personal vision board for yourself: It’s a joint board.
- Share here:
I want you to Google pictures and put everything you want in this folder. Everything. All right?
50 then expanded the scope of the project. He instructed the interviewer’s girlfriend to create her own vision board. Then they were to compare.
Take things out of your folder and things out of her folder to create a folder that has everything. Now the vision board is no longer your personal vision board for yourself: It’s a joint board.
So here’s your assignment, leaders. Have everyone on your team create his or her own vision board for the organization. Then, come together to create your team’s joint board. This will illustrate the commonalities amongst the team and give you an idea on what direction everyone feels they are going.
Once you see the shared themes, even more interesting will be employees’ items that do not correspond to anyone else’s. Through this exercise, you can ask why people chose what they did and determine whether there was a miscommunication, a misperception, or a misunderstanding. As these questions are clarified, the vision for the team becomes clearer and everyone on the team will be better prepared to carry the vision forward.
If someone gives you attitude about participating, tell them it was 50 Cent’s idea. They still may not like it, but who’s going to argue with 50?
