One way the organization moves ahead is by creating a common vision that everyone can embrace. But how do you get people to share their very personal beliefs—especially with those they perceive are “different” from themselves? And then, how do you integrate all those beliefs in a way that satisfies everyone?

Bob Barancik has developed a unique exercise called “Collaborative Collage.” In this exercise, participants learn how to work together effectively in teams, despite everyone’s differences. The mission is to create a collage that integrates both the taste of the individual participant with those of another person.

To start, each person selects a visual image from a large array of art postcards—a picture of something that most appeals to them—something that has some personal meaning to them.

The participants are randomly put into pairs to create a collage. Each person cuts or tears their picture into three pieces. Together they manipulate the pieces. “This piece clashes next to that one!” “Oh, that looks good!” “What are we trying to say?” After 20 minutes of discussion and manipulation each pair has produced one unified image. One person in each pair is selected to report back to the entire group, presenting a coherent story about the collage.

The exercise does two things. First, it teaches people that even those with vastly different ways of looking at things can eventually find common ground through creative negotiation. Second, it shows people how to look at the world through someone else’s eyes. This often leads to a better understanding of other points of view—and helps us break out of our own self-limiting boxes. Sometimes the answer to a perplexing problem is to simply ask someone who is very different from us to help solve it?