A Metaphor Is Worth A Thousand Pictures

We've all heard the expression "A picture is worth a thousand words."

I believe a metaphor is worth a thousand pictures.  That's because metaphors convey visual meaning in ways that spark our imaginations and lead to memorial understanding.  And of course, when we draw a metaphor the visual stays in our minds even longer.

Although metaphors can be highly effective, they aren't all equally powerful.  For instance, if your CEO uses football metaphors, but some of the staff don't follow football, that's not a great way to get everyone aligned. In fact it alienates some people, which is likely the opposite of what was intended.

The most powerful use of metaphor I've seen is when a team creates one together.  

I love to work with newly formed teams who want a way to quickly communicate what they do to the rest of the org.  We gather everyone together to brainstorm and I draw while they talk.  Like any brainstorming session, lots of ideas come out at first, but it's amazing to see how quickly a single idea will surface and be built upon.  

One example is the above image. This team came up with a satellite and evolving bridges to show collaboration with outside sources for continuous improvement.  This co-created visual metaphor keeps them aligned and strong together, and it's a powerful tool to communicate their strengths and value to others. 

And that's a picture worth a thousand words.