Saving lives with images

We have amazing customers. People who are passionate about facilitating conversations that matter and making a difference in the lives of those around them. During this season of giving, I wanted to share a little piece of how our colleague Mari Alexander is giving back, and invite you to join us in supporting the work she is doing.

Mari makes a difference in the world in a number of ways. As a compassionate physicians assistant in private practice, as a mother, as a cross-cultural consultant at Kaiser Permanente, just to name a few. She does use VisualsSpeak in her work, but I want to talk about another group of images she uses to save lives in the developing world.

Powerful stories from amazing women

Mari came to the Society for Intercultural Education Training and Research (SIETAR) December meeting to share her experience of being in Kenya last month with the non-profit organization Safe Passage to Motherhood. She brought Dr. Teresa Gipson, who is part of the Ray of Hope Foundation, and provided the on-the-ground connections in Africa for the work Mari did.

These organizations and women do incredible work. I could talk about the details, but what really got my attention was the way Mari and Teresa glowed when they talked about what they were doing. As someone who has no idea how to deal with the day to day aspects of babies, and who may call for help with dealing with my cats hairball— it was particularly impressive to see their passion for dealing with helping others in what are shocking circumstances.

Dr. Gipson has been working in Kenya for fifteen years. Aligning with people who are already working there. Supporting efforts that make a difference for whole communities. Bringing resources and education to people who really need it, in a place with unique medical challenges. Her accomplishments are long. But once again, what got my attention was the light in her eyes when she talked about the pictures of the people and their stories. And the deep understanding she has about their challenges and the cultural context in which they live.

How images save lives.

Safe Passage to Motherhood is a group of Oregon-based health care providers and educators who are working to help save the lives of mothers and babies in high-risk areas of the developing world.

They use visual teaching materials created by the American College of Nurse Midwives on Home Based Life Saving Skills. This are a series of workbooks created to teach women how to recognize and deal with birthing emergencies. Visuals are particularly powerful when working across a range of literacy and with differing native languages. The images are used to start conversations with groups of women, helping them to learn how to assist each other with limited resources.

This program has been used by trainers in 30 countries since 1989. Many lives of women and children have been saved through the skills taught with these images.

Kenya bound in 2009

The Ray of Hope Foundation and Safe Passages for Motherhood  are returning to Kenya in 2009, with plans to train 400 women in  these life saving skills. Donations make it possible for these health professionals to leave their practices in Oregon to do this important work. Instead of spending money on end of year holiday gifts, we have decided to donate to their efforts. Want to join us?

Currently, Safe Passage to Motherhood is accepting donations through our sister organization, Ray of Hope, International. Follow these steps to make your donation:

1. Click on the “Donate Now through Network for Good ” button below. This will connect you to the Ray of Hope donation page.
2. In the “Designation” window on the Ray of Hope donation page enter ”Safe Passage to Motherhood.”
3. Complete the remaining steps in the process as indicated. You will be able to use your credit card or PayPal, specify a one-time or recurring donation, and request a receipt for tax purposes.

Thank you for your support of Safe Passage to Motherhood!

Using VisualsSpeak in corporate training

An Interview with Jeremy Reynolds

Jeremy has been a learning consultant for five years working with the Information Technology area in one of the two largest sports & fitness companies in the world. He introduced the VisualsSpeak ImageSet to his training department as soon as it was available.

How has the VisualsSpeak ImageSet worked as a training department tool?

VisualsSpeak can be used to develop intuiting skills and strengthen dialoguing overall. As users become more practiced in the method, overall communication improves. I have a co-worker who has always given me fits. So much of what I wanted to say seemed too hard to handle directly.Through using VisualsSpeak together, we find it is easier to express ourselves in direct ways. That practice of tapping the deeply felt, describing, and interpreting it for another has carried over into day-to-day communication

How have you been using the VisualsSpeak ImageSet?

We’ve used it three ways so far.
1. In a visioning session with a small team.
A group of four specialists whose work is interdependent.We used VisualsSpeak images to visualize what an inspiring communication environment is like for each person. Then we built a joint image to remind us of our shared aspirations.

2. In a group undergoing transition.
The images helped them to share hard feelings and moods they couldn’t otherwise make available to others. The images of VisualsSpeak became an interstitial space where emotions can inhabit tangible symbols; symbols we can try to understand and begin to work with as we commemorate endings and start looking ahead to what is becoming.

3. In a prototyping session.
Got a group of software developers together and taught them to look for asymmetric approaches to design and problem-solving. For example, pick an image, describe the image, then ask how some of those words describe our process. Another example, pick images that represent user friendly to you. Where does what we do align with these qualities? Where are the opportunities?

What have you learned about the tool?

VisualsSpeak often creates unexpected openings and surprising insights. Being able to adapt in the moment can allow some of those moments to flower. Because VisualsSpeak is so morphic, taking advantage of its full potential encourages the facilitator to mirror that flexibility.

What words of wisdom do you have for others who are considering using VisualsSpeak?

Get it and use it every chance you can get. It is engaging and changes the energy around many kinds of exchanges. People respond to the way it helps them talk.

The Great & Most Incredible Question Contest

We started our Question Contest a few weeks ago. Nineteen people participated, and sent a total of 168 questions and suggestions. We’ve been answering the questions here on the blog, and will continue to do so. At least the ones we can. Some of you came up with really hard stuff! It has been very helpful for us to know what you are interested in. We will be working on implementing all the suggestions. So, the drum roll please.

Photograph © Tom Tiernan
(Here are all the entries. Every question got one entry for the author.)

Now to insure that every contestant is assured of good karma for years to come, we enlisted the help of a monk living in the farthest reaches of the Himalayas. We sent him, via carrier pigeon, the names of each entrant and the number of times they had entered. Read more..

The VisualsSpeak Development Team

Front: Tom Tiernan Back from left: Claire Richtman, Wayne Baseden, Anne Reeve, Susanne Taylor, Antimo Cimino, Kathryn Reder

There have been hundreds of people who have influenced VisualsSpeak, and over time I will write about a number of them. But in the beginning, this is the core crew that sat through endless hours of testing, answered hundreds of questions, read and edited many papers that really needed clarification, and were my own personal cheering squad. I could never have done the initial testing without them. These are the earliest of the early adopters.

Read more..