GRAPHIC GAMEPLAN
T r a i n i n g T o m o r r o w ’s L e a d e r s
 Refer to the Graphic Gameplan template on the last page. A large version should be posted
on the wall for the planning meeting.
1. Orient the team to the purpose of the activity
1) Talk about why the team will benefit from agreeing on an overall action, everyone beign
on the same page.
2) Explain the Graphic Gameplan template briefly and the process you will use in this and
the following steps.
2. Identify Team Skills and Other Resources
1) Write everyone’s name on the left side of the chart and list the skills they bring to the
team for this job. Roles in the project can also be identified. You may also want to ask
each member to whom they will be reporting during the project, or who is represented de
facto.
2) List other key people or stakeholders you will be working closely with
3) List other resources the team has to work with
 The circles stand for your team. The dotted circles are people who are linked to your
team through communications or direct reporting, but won’t be at meetings. It helps to
know who these “silent members” are.
3. Clarify Your Target
Agreeing on your target is a number one priority.
1) On your template, label the target circles using titles that are clear to all team members.
For example, vision, mission, or goals for the inner circle; objectives or deliverables for
the middle circle; personal goals or objectives for the outer circle.
2) Have the team leader or a manager state the team’s central mission for this project, or
draw it out of the group. Answer the question, “What is our purpose as a group?” Go
back to your charter work earlier.
3) Record versions of the mission on the flip chart until everyone is clear and cares about
every word. Write this in the inner circle. This may take several drafts.
4) List specific objectives in the middle circle.
5) Ask members to share their personal objectives for the process. Ask, “What is your
personal incentive for working successfully on this team?” List these and any other
personal agendas on the Gameplan. The completed target represents “where we want to
go.”
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Graphic Gameplan
Page 2.
4. Review Major Stages and Tasks
1) Review major stages in your project (if determined in advance) or create them at this
time. The stage name labels should tell a story
2) Lead a discussion of whether these stages make sense. Should there be any others? Are
they named clearly? Do they break at natural checkpoints? Naming the stages helps set
milestones for work and facilitates communication about progress.
3) Brainstorm as many of the tasks as possible for each phase. Frame this as a first pass and
work quickly to get the big picture at a high level. List the tasks in columns beneath each
stage.
4) Use sticky notes to list each task if you want to get everyone involved.
5) The arrow portion of the Gameplan represents “how we will get there.”
6) Record all challenges that come up in the space under the “mountains”
5. Identify Challenges
1) At any point in the discussion, list challenges (problems, obstacles) at the bottom of the
display
2) Honor the skeptics and problem identifiers by legitimizing their concerns.
3) Use the challenge statements to identify additional tasks
 Encourage Full Discussion of Problems
 Problems Can Become Opportunities
6. Identify Success Factors
1) Define “success factors.” These are the things the entire team must do throughout the
team’s life to ensure its success. They are sometimes called “guiding principles.” They
are like “wheels” that carry the whole process.
2) Settle on a focus question, like “What do we absolutely need to do to ensure success?”
and “what kinds of things, if we all agreed to do them, would make all the difference in
our success?”
3) Write each answer in one of the “wheels.”
4) Check for consensus if need be. If everyone agrees to the success factors, it will strongly
help the support of the project.
5) Add more “wheels” if the group raises additional factors. Remember, these factors or
principles are not tasks, but attitudes and behaviors that must be lived out day-to-day.
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Graphic Gameplan
Page 3.
7. Reproduce and Post Gameplan
1) Reduce and reproduce the Gameplan.
2) Commit to posting the Gameplan in a place where all team members will see it during
their work so it can act as a map to the ongoing project and keep people oriented.
 Treat your gameplan as a work in progress
 Doing the gamplanning gets the team aligned for action
TIPS

If team goals are unclear or leadership issues are unresolved, they should be address first.

Keep encouraging people to share what they do know and not get stuck on what is
missing.

Gain 100 percent participation to ensure commitment.

Keep the major steps to 4-7 for this overview level chart.
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Graphic Gameplan
TEAM
OTHER
RESOURCES
STAGES & TASKS
TARGET
Time Line

OBJECTIVES
MISSION
PERSONAL
OBJECTIVES
SUCCESS FACTORS

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