come see change

I was invited to co-facilitate a workshop at the Port Pirie Yacht Club, convened to explore a reputational change initiative for the city. Held over two days, the room included all key stakeholders. The purpose was clear, if not easy: distil what Port Pirie wanted to include in a new story. One that reflected the city in 2016, not what others still thought it was.

Working through breakout groups, then collectively, the stakeholders arrived at five themes – or pillars – they wanted the reputational change story to say.

Those five pillars were:
– that Port Pirie was of global and national value
– that the city had a sustainable future
– its location
– the transition and change that was happening all around the city and region
– and lastly, that ‘we care what you think’.

A great collective outcome for a shared vision. As such, a great brief.

For a couple of weeks afterward, we had been working on the creative expression for this. But hadn't yet cracked the idea. I had also shared two draft concepts with the client, but even as I presented them, I knew – and so did they – that we weren't quite there yet.

The following week, I was early to arrive at a cafe for a brainstorming session. Which, if you know me, is not unusual.

Sitting in my car I said to myself: "Oh come on Rowan – what's missing here?"

I grabbed my pad and pen. And I went back to the beginning. The five pillars the community had agreed – I wrote them in the corner of the page, grounding myself in what we actually knew.

And then I worked through the process. The same process I now teach.

The idea appeared on that page, in that car park, that morning. The photo below is that moment – and if you look closely you can see the five pillars noted in the bottom left corner, exactly where I'd reminded myself of that beginning.

The 'a ha!' moment. The ‘clunk’ moment. Magic from method. Again.