I have been asked to run an after lunch, 30 minute interactive, fun session at a conference for 300 public sector managers on right brain thinking. I would like to start the session by giving them a challenge or a question or a dilemma, or use visual images or music, to try to switch them into right brain thinking right from the start. Any ideas appreciated!
sue shaw
3 Responses
Power companies and Polar bears
I read about this one recently although I’ve never tried it. It originates at a power company in the Arctic circle.
The CEO asked top managers to discuss the problem of snow and ice causing power lines to freeze. As a result the power lines often broke and massive disruption followed.
The CEO had one rule – every idea, no matter how silly it initially appeared would be considered indeed positively encouraged.
Ideas that came up included :
Use natural resources to move equipment up there
What about using the polar bears that live there?
How do we get a polar bear to do anything he doesn’t want to?
We could get them to shake the poles to knock off snow and ice
OK how?
Lets put food on the poles, to entice them to climb the poles
How do we put food on top of poles?
Helicopters could drop the food down
Hold on if we use helicopters why don’t we get them to fly low overhead so that the downdraft from he blades blows off the snow and ice.
Thus the problem was solved and implemented, it saved hundreds of thousands of dollars.
I dont know if that helps, but its an interesting tale that might illustrate the usefulness of right brained thinking to sceptics.
Now if you could only find an equivalent…..
Expanding ‘Possibility’ Thinking to get the Right Brain Going
I have used a version of this exercise with 125 people over 15 minutes, but the following suggestions may work for 30 minutes with 300.
At the start of the session, ask people to write down 10 uses for some common or unique article (one time I used a toilet plunger) other than what it was intended for.
Then have them form groups and within their group, pick the one use that everyone is willing to support. Once they have that ‘use’, tell them that they are to work within their group to develop a slogan or poster to market it. I’ve supplied flip charts for them to draw their posters on, but this may not be possible in the venue you have with that number.
Having a few volunteer to promote their ‘new product’ to the rest in the last five or so minutes usually draws some laughter and surprised admiration for the ingenuity displayed.
Hope this helps. I have some other ideas that might work with those numbers. If interested, send me an e-mail describing the venue and any other information that would prove useful and I’ll pass on any others which might be useful to you.
Have a great day 🙂
Thanks for the suggestions
Thanks for the suggestions. I love the polar bear story and am now racking my brain to identify some appropriate “problems” that i could use – with the story as a lead in. I plan to use “everyday” issues that all can relate to and use the “poster” idea as the feedback through a gallery wall. Thanks again….