Beyond Words: Using Visual Metaphors to Drive Business Understanding

The Power of a Picture

Business presentations, reports, and project updates are often flooded with bullet points, dense text, and rigid timelines. While these traditional methods convey information, they rarely inspire or engage. Instead, what if we used images—simple, intuitive metaphors—to tell a more compelling story?

Consider the image of a skier standing at the peak of a mountain, looking at the downhill journey ahead. The climb to the summit was the hardest part—the uphill struggle of a difficult project milestone. The descent still has small climbs, representing remaining challenges, but the main obstacle is behind them, and momentum will make the journey easier.

This single image immediately resonates. Each person can project their own understanding onto it, finding meaning that aligns with their role, perspective, or experience. This is the strength of visual storytelling: it simplifies complexity while allowing room for interpretation and engagement.

The Role of Metaphors in Organisational Thinking

I was lucky enough to meet British/Canadian professor Gareth Morgan via the Plexus Institute a couple of times. In his 1996 classic Images of Organization, he introduced the idea that metaphors shape how we understand and engage with organisations. He argued that organisations are not objective structures but are interpreted through various lenses, such as machines, organisms, brains, cultures, political systems, or flux and transformation. His book is a must read, I would suggest, and (for the more impatient people) there even is an abridged ‘Executive Edition’ available.

Metaphors are not just illustrative; they frame how we act. For example:

• Viewing an organisation as a machine leads to hierarchical thinking, rigid processes, and efficiency-driven management.
• Seeing an organisation as an organism shifts the focus to adaptation, resilience, and interdependencies.
• Considering an organisation as a river in constant flow acknowledges unpredictability and the need for ongoing navigation.

When business leaders use visual metaphors, they are not simply simplifying; they are shaping how people interpret change and challenges. The skier metaphor, for example, positions the journey as an adventure requiring skill and resilience rather than a mechanical process that can be broken into neatly controlled phases.

Another, practical example from my own experience on the power of metaphor, I shared, way back when in 2017, in the story of the ‘broken bottles’, where we took the leadership team of a large company on a tour to the Freixenet cava cellers in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, Catalunya, Spain. Worth a read again, I suggest.

Why Visual Storytelling Works in Business

In a business environment overloaded with information, visuals have a unique ability to cut through the noise. Neuroscience tells us that the brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text (see footnote 1 below). We remember visuals more easily than words, and they evoke emotions that drive understanding and retention.

Instead of presenting a slide with a 10-point project update, what if we used:

• A bridge under construction – showing that while the structure is taking shape, gaps remain, representing work still to be done.
• A tightrope walker – balancing across a canyon, illustrating the need to navigate carefully between risks and rewards.
• A relay race – signifying handovers between project teams, emphasising teamwork and dependencies.

Each image conveys a message more effectively than words alone and invites discussion, making it easier for teams to internalise challenges and next steps.

The Power of Conversations in Making Meaning

Metaphors and visuals do not function in isolation; they gain meaning through conversations. Again, Ralph Stacey’s Complex Responsive Processes theory highlights that organizations do not operate as stable systems but as ongoing interactions between people (see footnote 2 below). Meaning emerges through dialogue, negotiation, and shared sense-making.

Using visual metaphors encourages conversation rather than passive consumption of information. When leaders present a metaphorical image instead of a detailed project timeline, they invite discussion: *What does this image mean to us? Where are we on this journey? What challenges do we still need to overcome?*

In practice, this approach enables:

• Shared sense-making – People interpret visual stories based on their own experiences, leading to richer, more inclusive discussions.
• Deeper engagement – Rather than passively listening to a presentation, teams actively construct their understanding of the project.
• Greater adaptability – When people see challenges as part of a dynamic process rather than fixed phases, they become more flexible in responding to change.

Lessons for Business Leaders

Leaders who embrace visual storytelling can transform how their teams absorb and act on information. Here’s how.

1. Simplify Complexity Without Oversimplifying Reality

Complex business transformations, IT implementations, and change programmes are rarely linear. Instead of forcing them into a rigid Gantt chart, an image can help people grasp the journey holistically.

For example, rather than describing the stages of a company-wide digital transformation in dense slides, a simple metaphor like a maze can illustrate the twists and turns while reinforcing that persistence leads to success.

2. Engage Teams Emotionally, Not Just Intellectually

Words and numbers often appeal to logic, but images trigger emotional responses. A project described as "70% complete with three major hurdles left" feels different than seeing an image of a climber nearing the summit, exhausted but within reach of success. The latter makes the journey feel real, personal, and worth pursuing.

3. Foster Meaning-Making Instead of Dictating Interpretation

When you use a metaphorical image, each person connects with it in their own way. A dense project timeline forces a single way of thinking, while an image leaves room for personal engagement. This approach respects the diverse experiences within teams, allowing them to construct their own insights rather than passively receiving information.

4. Reduce Cognitive Load and Improve Retention

The more information we present, the harder it is for people to absorb. Business leaders often make the mistake of overloading their teams with too much detail. Visuals strip away unnecessary complexity while reinforcing key messages, making it easier to remember what truly matters.

Making the Shift: From Words to Images

How can business leaders integrate visual storytelling into their communication strategies?

• Replace text-heavy slides with single, powerful images – One compelling visual per key message is often more impactful than pages of written explanations.
• Use metaphors that reflect the journey, not just the destination – Show progress, struggle, and milestones in ways that resonate emotionally.
• Encourage teams to describe their own metaphors – Ask, “If this project were an image, what would it look like?” This fosters deeper engagement and shared understanding.

Conclusion: The Leadership Advantage of Visual Thinking

Gareth Morgan’s insights on metaphor and Ralph Stacey’s work on complex responsive processes highlight the profound role of imagery in shaping organisational sense-making. Business leaders who shift from rigid, wordy communication to visually compelling storytelling can create more engaging, memorable, and actionable discussions.

Next time you need to explain a complex project, ask yourself: *What image best tells this story?* The answer might change the way your team understands and navigates their challenges.

"A well-chosen image doesn’t just illustrate a point—it invites people to step into the story and make it their own."

Footnotes:

Note 1:

The claim that “the brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text” is widely cited but lacks a definitive scientific source. This statistic has been repeated in business and marketing literature but does not appear to have a peer-reviewed neuroscientific study to back it up.

However, research does support the broader idea that visual information is processed more efficiently than text:

1. Dual Coding Theory (Paivio, 1986)

? Allan Paivio’s Dual Coding Theory suggests that visual and verbal information are processed differently and that visuals can enhance memory and comprehension.

2. Picture Superiority Effect (Nelson, Reed, & Walling, 1976)

? Studies have shown that people tend to remember images better than words, a phenomenon known as the Picture Superiority Effect.

3. Rapid Visual Processing (Thorpe, Fize, & Marlot, 1996)

? A study in Nature found that the human brain can recognize images in as little as 13 milliseconds, demonstrating the brain’s capacity for rapid visual processing.

Note 2:

Those following this substack know that Stacey’s theory is at the core of my practice. Follow this link for some of the articles that are more explicit about this theory.