In my previous blog post, I told you how one rock in Pompeii taught me some important Visual Management lessons. But those weren’t the only takeaways from my extraordinary trip to Italy. The villa in the above picture also got me thinking. Villas like these, which spanned 4,000 to 8,000 square meters, were once owned by the ancient city’s upper class.
Since all good things come in threes, let’s discuss three things Pompeii’s mosaics can teach today’s organizations!
1. Your unique (company) mosaic
Affluent Pompeii residents wanted to distinguish themselves. One way to do it was through their mosaics. As a result, they’re all incredibly impressive — but no two mosaics are the same. The patterns in a villa tell you something unique about the people who lived there.
It’s really no different for the average 21st-century organization. Each has its own mosaic — or, an intricate, one-of-a-kind ‘data puzzle’ that can’t be replicated by competitors. That’s also the reason why an information sharing strategy should always be tailored to a specific organization’s situation. There’s no cookie-cutter solution to your ‘company mosaic!’
2. Differentiation through different patterns (or, data)
Let’s zoom in on those mosaics for a moment. They were also distinguishing elements within a villa, reflecting a specific type of room — whether that was a bathroom or a hallway. In Pompeii, themed mosaics often defined the space they were in.
If we translate that to contemporary organizations, it boils down to one word: ‘differentiation.’ The thing is, different teams need different data to make the right decisions at the right time. What’s actionable to one employee might be irrelevant to their co-worker. So, as with mosaics, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution — you’ll have to devise a well-thought-out information strategy, ensuring you only share relevant data with each team.
3. Highlight what’s currently important
Finally, I want to point out the sunray in the picture. It creates a clear path, directing your eyes and helping you focus. You automatically pay attention to what’s highlighted, and you tend to ignore the rest. Basically, we can consider the mosaic as a box full of historical data — and depending on the time of day, the sun will cast light on what’s important.
That sums up how to go about Visual Management in any type of organization. People’s information needs are usually dynamic: they might require different data today and tomorrow — or, in the morning and in the afternoon. You should always highlight what’s currently relevant!
Want to explore your Visual Management opportunities? Please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are happy to perform a Quick Scan and discuss your information sharing strategy.