Planning Services: P.A.T.H.
A P.A.T.H. is a planning process that uses graphic facilitation, some big paper and a specific template to guide people towards taking action. It is a shared process in which a community of people come together to support a person or group to make a dream happen. Developed within the disabilities community, the PATH is a powerful tool for all individuals, teams and businesses.
The process starts with the dream. Then we take stock of reality. By creating a tension between the two, the PATH helps to determine a course of action. For all the dreaming tools out there, the PATH is wonderfully pragmatic in getting results.
The PATH has three features built-in that lend it enduring strength. “Enroll” is a category that explores who else needs to be involved to make the dream happen. Often, when people see their names on the finished product, it encourages them to lend their support and influence. “What makes you strong” may seem misplaced, but it a crucial element of a PATH. It’s so hard to maintain momentum during a major, life-defining shift; this category offers very practical help to keep you moving towards your goal. “Start tomorrow” is just that, what things can you do immediately that set this course of action in motion. Done at the end of the meeting, it is a wonderful jumping off point for making things happen.
I completed the sample above when my family decided to abandon Oregon’s rainy environs for somewhere else. A PATH is typically completed in a single meeting with as many of the major players present as possible. Our community was scattered across the country and so we started the PATH by ourselves. We sent the half-finished PATH out to our scattered community. And the response was overwhelming. Within days we had a plan to move to North Carolina, a job lined up and offers of financial support. It really, really works.
To better understand just how a P.A.T.H. works, visit this brief tutorial
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Contact me for more info or to schedule your next dream. marc (at) papershine (dot) com.