Creative Brainstorm (tool): The Silent Treatment

THE  SILENT  TREATMENT  

CREATIVE  BRAINSTORM,  WARMING  UP  EXERCISE  

Bas6aan  van  de  Werk  June  28th  2012  

This  is  a  warming  up  exercise  intended  to  be  used  during  a  crea6ve  brainstorm.  It  works  par6cularly  well  aQer  a  break  of  some  kind.    

›  It  warms  up  par6cipants  and  gets  their  brains  into  a  crea6ve  mindset  by  depriving  them  of  a  crucial  resource  (they  cannot  use  speech.)  

›  It  teaches  par6cipants  to  communicate  crea6vely.  ›  It  teaches  par6cipants  to  truly  pay  aUen6on  to  each-­‐other.  

THE  PURPOSE  OF  THIS  EXERCISE  

HOW  TO  USE  THIS  EXERCISE?  

› When  the  par6cipants  enter  the  room,  say  nothing.  › When  par6cipants  sit  down,  pair  them  up.  (use  a  PowerPoint  to  'talk'  to  them)  and  have  them  communicate  a  rela6vely  complex  or  abstract  message.    

›  They  must  do  this  this  without  talking.    Without  wri6ng.  Without  drawing.  › Watch  for  about  3  minutes  as  people  fran6cally  sign,  mime  or  even  dance  their  message  to  each-­‐other.  › Have  par6cipants  share  their  most  interes6ng  ideas  with  the  group  and  discuss  those.  

EXAMPLE  

SHHT.  TODAY,  WE  START  OUR  SESSION  IN  SILENCE.  

GOOD  MORNING!  

DID  YOU  GUYS  SLEEP  WELL?  

 I  DID.  

HOW  WAS  BREAKFAST?  

A  BANANA  &  TWO  COFFEE    FOR  ME.    

OKAY  

LIKE  I  SAID.  TODAY  WE  BEGIN  OUR  BRAINSTORM  IN  SILENCE  

THAT  MEANS  NO  TALKING.  

THAT  MEANS  NO  TALKING  FOR  ME  TOO.  

THAT’S  HARD.  

VERY  HARD.  

SO,    DID  ALL  OF  YOU  DO  YOUR  HOMEWORK?  

AND  DID  YOU  DO  A  GOOD  JOB?  

TODAY  WILL  BE  HARD  WORK:  10  NEW  BUSINESS  CONCEPTS  

LIKE  I  SAID.  HARD  WORK.  

LET’S  GET  STARTED  WITH  A  GOOD  WARMING  UP  EXERCISE.  

TAKE  A  MINUTE  TO  THINK    WHAT  WILL  BE  YOUR  MOST  IMPORTANT  CONTRIBUTION  TODAY.  

NOW  I  WILL  PAIR  YOU  UP.  

COMMUNICATE  TO    EACH  OTHER  YOUR  MOST  IMPORTANT  CONTRIBUTION  TODAY.  

BUT  REMEMBER:  

NO  TALKING,  AND  NO  WRITING.    

NO  DRAWING  EITHER.  

GOT  THAT?  

OKAY,    LET’S  GO!  YOU’VE  GOT  ONE  MINUTE  EACH.  

HAS  EVERYBODY  FINISHED?  

GREAT.  

YOU’RE  ALLOWED  TO  TALK  AGAIN.  (THAT’S  A  RELIEF  ISN’T  IT?)  

WANT  TO  KNOW  MORE?  

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