The results of the workshop tools and the refining stages were powerful and remarkably consistent. Together we created an environment where everyone felt able to express their views, so there were lots of (friendly) opinions and some fascinating perspectives.  Initially, the suggestion for the Reaction trait was ‘surprising’ – but there was a feeling that the right word hadn’t been ‘nailed’. So alternative suggestions were sought, with ‘Compelling’ being the winner. . All up, we landed in an exciting place.

THERE WERE 3 KEY STAGES: DEFINING OUR PERSONALITY / SETTING OUR TONE / CREATING OUR MESSAGE

• Our tone has a natural vigour to it; youthful in spirit (although wise in message). In terms of volume we’re confidently conversational. We’re never gung-ho and chest-beating.
• Our energy levels are positively inspiring; there’s no ‘wait and see’ here, just a keen sense of knowing what’s going on in the world around us and proactively responding to it. We’re never breathless or flighty.
• We’re friendly, welcoming and embrace all kinds of opinions. We say things of relevance (and in relevant ways - from social media to speeches) to a very diverse audience. We’re never stand-offish or overly corporate.
• We have strong and insightful opinions and we’re not afraid to challenge perceptions (especially when they’re not true!). We won’t take criticism lying down, but we’ll never be rude or arrogant.

The Loglines™ tool is a very simple framework that ensures a tight structure that all the feedback can fit into. We distilled the original homework feedback into broad themes, and used these to try and arrive at consensus. This isn’t the story as such, but it provides a useful structure for the narrative ‘flow’.

“The Waikato is the beating heart of New Zealand, a place of power and possibilities, that grows and nurtures world-beaters so locals and new friends who want to make a difference can benefit from powerful opportunities, genuine innovation and living a surprisingly lush outdoor life.”