“The white board is too small”
We have a 4’x8’ white board in our office. The main developer working on Cliks, Jake A. Smith and I use it to collaborate, brainstorm, draw things that we pretend are wireframes, settle arguments, and relieve stress.
Jake and I are strong believers that one of the most important parts of a startup is the white board - and it seems like it can never be big enough!
Here are six ways to use your white board - tried and true by every entrepreneur I’ve ever met.
- On one side of the white board, write down everything you need to do today. On the other side, write down everything that is distracting you from productivity. In the middle, write out your thoughts on how those distractions fit into your to-do list for the day. Try to make your distractions work in favor of your to-do list.
- If you’re using a lot of gestures to convey an idea, stop. You have a white board. Draw it out. We have found that it takes us about 1/4 the time to understand each other if we draw vs. use gestures. And we’re pretty good communicators.
- If you’re trying to figure out how to communicate a big idea to investors, customers, etc., and you feel like you’re spinning your wheels, try this. Write out the idea in a way that only you can understand it. Nobody else needs to know what it means, as long as you do. Don’t worry about how it’s going to look when you’re done, don’t even hesitate if you’re not sure what to write. Just start drawing. In the end, you’ll have thought through the logical pieces enough to actually start articulating your idea in a coherent pitch.
- If you fall in love with an idea and you’re just not sure where it fits into the overall scheme of things, don’t throw it out. Jot it down on the board. A few days later, chances are good that you’ll be using the white board to communicate to a partner or employee, and you’ll have a lightbulb moment that involves that idea. Having it already on the board will keep you from saying, “What was that idea…?”
- My personal favorite productive use of the white board is our way of communicating. Chances are pretty darn good that if Jake and I are on a conference call - or sometimes even if one of us is overhearing the other in a call - we’re going to make notes to the other on the board. “Don’t say that!” or “Let’s talk before we give him an answer.” This severely improves the communication lines between business partners.
- Seriously. Don’t be so serious. If you’re having a stressful day or you’re just not getting any traction, draw something, anything. Mock yourself. Draw a comic that articulates how you feel. Let loose and stop stressing. The white board is a tremendous canvas when you want to do that.
We do all of the above mentioned things, often several times a day. If you need more space and don’t want to get another white board, we recommend snapping a picture of the board on your phone, erasing it, and starting over with more ideas, etc. Keep the pictures in a centralized folder for the team to access. I bet you’ll be surprised how fast the folder fills up. And if you don’t have a white board… go get one now.
Have fun, and happy white boarding!
