Knowledge Game: Show and Tell for Grown-ups
Dave Gray, James Macanufo and I are working on a book with O’Reilly, Inc. and I’ve decided to blog about some of the content as I create it. So what you see above is a graphic archive from a visual-thinking version of Show and Tell. Most people think Show and Tell is for kids but that shows how little they know. The game below is S&T for grown-ups.
OBJECT: To get a deeper understanding of stakeholders’ perspectives on anything—a project, restructuring, shift in the company’s vision, team dynamic, etc.
HOW TO PLAY:
A few days in advance of a meeting, ask employees to bring an artifact for Show and Tell. The instructions are to bring something that from their perspective represents the topic at hand. If possible, tell them to keep the item hidden until it’s their turn to show it at the meeting.
In a white space visible to everyone, write the topic for the game and draw a picture of it.
When everyone is assembled with their show piece, ask for volunteers to stand up and show first.
Pay close attention to each employee’s story of why she thought an item represented or reminded her of the topic. Listen for similarities, differences, and emotional descriptions of the item. Write each of these contributions in the white space and draw a simple visual of the item the person brought next to her comments.
Summarize what you’ve captured in the white space and let the group absorb any shared themes of excitement, doubt or concern. Ask follow-up questions about the content to generate further conversation.
WINNING STRATEGY: Show and Tell taps into the power of metaphors to reveal players’ underlying assumptions and associations around a topic. If you hear a string of items that are described in concerned or fearful terms, that’s likely a signal that the employees’ needs aren’t being met in some way. As the team lead, encourage and applaud honesty during the stories and write down every point an employee makes that seems important to him or her. Keep the rest of the group quiet while someone is showing and telling.
If you feel intimidated by drawing a representation of a show item in the white space, get over it: attempt to draw it anyway and let the group tease you about your efforts. Show and Tell can be a vulnerable activity for employees—particularly the introverted type—so show some team spirit by being vulnerable yourself.