Engaging people using more than one of the five senses, multiplies your chances of getting their attention, and making them feel invested in your vision. It stimulates thinking, questions, and the exchange of ideas. Leonardo da Vinci was so successful at strategically using his artistry to convey his vision that today he is still considered a genius, and a visionary. Though you may not have the artistic talent of da Vinci, there are still ways you can visually showcase your vision and highlight who you are and recruit the strategic resources you need to be successful.
1. The Classic List: Engage your team to come up with how they would like to visually display information. Make it personal. It can be a simple list that you put your imprint on with artistic flare. Have everyone sign the list if it is a team effort. You can use the computer to document your list, or apps developed especially for such a task. Lists are not just for to do's and shopping.
2. Make Recommendations: A person who is looking at all the potential recruiters is more likely to choose someone they can relate to than some Linkedin profile, or website. Recommend music, restaurants, book stores, where to get coffee, and attractions in the area. This can be done by making a list, as above, or use Pinterest.
3. Treasure Map: Find your buried treasure. Start with where you currently are, think about your goals, or where you would like to be (x marks the spot), and the routes you can take to get there. There are different mediums you can use to make your map, and different perspectives you could take. The exercise in in itself will make you think, and grow in your approach. Maybe in time you will be up to putting some mountains, or hills in your map?
4. Use Pinterest: An easy, and visual way for you to engage people. As of November, 21, 2013 Pinterest has launched location based pins, which can be used to create boards based on location. If you are trying to get someone to relocate to another city it might be nice to make recommendations for that city on Pinterest, and list the jobs you are trying to recruit for in that city. You could also engage recruits to help you build your Pinterst boards.
Before you know it you will be having an open dialogue with those around you, and anyone you try to recruit. You will also open yourself to new possibilities, and ways of thinking. For more on treasure maps, and why the visual is so important, check out Dan Roam's Blah Blah Blah: What To Do When Words Don't Work.