Find Your Why: a practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team pdfdrive com

Reporting Out: Gathering the Themes
(
10–15 MINUTES)
Once each team has completed its list of verbs and action phrases, it’s time for them to share with
the larger group. Ask a member from each team to call out their words. Now it’s time to use your
flip chart. Write each verb or phrase on one of the flip charts at the front of the room. Even better,
have a volunteer do the writing so you can concentrate on regulating the pace at which words are
called out. When you move on to the next team, do not start another flip-chart page. Capture all
the verbs and action phrases offered up by the various teams on a single page. That page will be
very important later on.
Make sure teams call out all their verbs or action phrases, even if some are the same as or similar
to what another team has already said. If a team does supply a verb or phrase that has already

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been written on the flip chart, don’t write it down a second time. Instead, add an asterisk to the
verb or phrase every time it is repeated. Sometimes two teams will come up with phrases that are
similar but not identical. For example, one might say, “To foster creativity,” and another might say,
“To promote freedom of thought.” The fact that they are thinking along the same lines is a good
thing. It means that their stories illustrate a consistent theme within the organization. If you can,
have the two teams agree on a consolidated version as you go along. Record that version on the
flip chart and mark it with an asterisk. In all, this reporting process usually takes ten minutes.
You should now have a single flip-chart page at the front of the room showing all the verbs and
action phrases that have been called out, with asterisks marking how often a specific idea has
been repeated. If you stand back and look at the list, you should begin to see a number of
themes. On La Marzocco’s flip chart, for example, a theme emerged around “to engage,” “to
connect” and “to bring together.” There’s perhaps another theme captured by “to enrich” and “to
enjoy life.” The exact nature of these themes will be brought home by the stories that are behind
them.