If you're planning a January kickoff or an end-of-year team session, "vision board workshop" might make you a little nervous.
It can sound like a craft hour. You picture glue sticks on the conference table, a few people humoring you, and someone in the back who thinks the whole thing is a waste of a Tuesday.
I understand the hesitation. I had the same skepticism about vision boards before I started making them, and I've watched plenty of people walk into these sessions with arms crossed.
A corporate vision board workshop, done well, is a structured way for a team to pause, get clear on what they want from the year ahead, and see each other a little differently. The last one I ran was for a nonprofit team. The team loved it more than their leaders expected, and it gave morale a real lift.
This post covers what actually happens in one, how a team board differs from a personal board, and what to know if you're thinking about bringing one to your organization.
What is a Corporate Vision Board Workshop?
It's a facilitated session where each person on a team makes a vision board for the year ahead, with time built in to reflect, share, and connect what they want personally to where the team is going.
The difference from making one at home is the structure around it. There's a framing at the start so people know what they're doing and why. There's time to actually make the board, and there's a debrief where the team talks about what came up. That last part is usually where the value shows up for the organization.
Read more: Do Vision Boards Actually Work? How to Make One That Does
How is a Team Vision Board Different from a Personal One?
For a workplace session, I add two things.
First, every person has to include at least one goal for the company on their board, alongside whatever they want for themselves. That keeps the session connected to work without turning it into a performance review.
Second, each person picks one image to contribute to a shared vision board for the team. By the end of the session, there's one board that holds a piece of everyone, and it usually ends up somewhere the team sees it.
By the end of the session, there's one board that holds a piece of everyone on the team.
What Happens During the Workshop?
A two-hour session works well. A good chunk of that time is people making their boards, and the rest is framing, reflection, and conversation.
I open by talking about what a vision board actually is and isn't, since a lot of people arrive expecting something woo woo. Then we start with how people want to feel in the year ahead, before anyone touches a magazine. From there, people make their boards, including their company goal and the image they'll add to the shared board.
At the end, we come back together. In the last session, everyone shared their focus for the company's year, and the room got to hear what each person was hoping to build.
Will Skeptical Employees Actually Participate?
In my experience, yes, and some of them get the most out of it.
A few people in that nonprofit session were clearly skeptical when they walked in. What surprised me was what happened once they got going. People judged themselves less than I expected. When they shared, the rest of the team was encouraging, both about the goals people had and about the skills each person brought to the table.
For a lot of teams, that's rare. People spend most of the year focused on deadlines and problems, and they don't often hear coworkers say out loud what they're good at.
People spend most of the year focused on deadlines and problems. They don't often hear coworkers say out loud what they're good at.
Read more: Team Building Workshop Ideas That Don't Feel Forced
Why do vision board workshops help team morale?
Part of it is the pause itself. Most teams run from one deadline to the next, and two hours to step back and think about the year is unusual.
The bigger part is what people learn about each other. When someone shares that they want more steadiness, or that they're hoping to grow into a new part of their role, coworkers start seeing them as a whole person instead of a job title. And when everyone shares their focus for the company, people get a much clearer picture of where their colleagues are putting their energy.
The leaders of that nonprofit team told me afterward that the team loved it more than they'd expected, and that it helped morale. I hear some version of that a lot.
Read more: People Don't Leave Companies, They Leave People
When is the Best Time to Run a Corporate Vision Board Workshop?
December and January are the natural fit, for a year-end session, a January kickoff, start of a fiscal year, or part of a planning offsite. It also works after a hard stretch, when a team needs to reset, or when a team is coming together for the first time.
How many people can join, and where?
Groups of about 5 to 35 work well, and smaller groups are fine too. Materials are included, so your team doesn't need to bring anything. I'm based in New Jersey and run sessions across New Jersey, New York City, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut.
Thinking about a vision board session for your team?
Tell me about your team, the timing, and what you're hoping the session does for them. We'll figure out what it should look like. Contact me here.
Want to join a public vision board workshop yourself, in person or virtual? Get on the list and you'll hear first when the next one is scheduled.
Vision board workshop interest list
Also worth reading: How Much Does a Keynote Speaker Cost? What Actually Drives Speaker Fees
Corporate Vision Board Workshop FAQ
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It doesn't have to be. The way I run it, it's a structured reflection exercise with a clear connection to work, including a company goal on every board and a shared team board.
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About two hours works well, with time for framing, making the boards, and a team debrief.
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Groups of about 5 to 35 work well. Smaller groups work too.
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Yes. I bring the boards, magazines, and supplies.
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Yes. I run in-person sessions across New Jersey, New York City, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut.