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This is a short and delightful article by Michael Mallows that neatly captures the key sense of differences.
Bob
Differences
by Michael Mallows
Draw or project a series of geometric shapes. Give some of them some similarities, but no two are identical. So you may have three rectangles, two of them red, one green. The green and one of the red ones have thicker lines. There may be circles, open or closed, triangles - whatever. Half a dozen or so will do. At least one of them should be manifestly different (even though it will have similarities). An example being, say, just one open-sided figure (you be creative).
Then before revealing these shapes, state that you will not answer any questions, then ask people to spend a few moments, in silence, deciding: Which is the odd one out?
I use an overhead, with the question inside a textbox in the middle of the page, and all the other boxed labelled ‘A’ ‘B’ and so on.
- Then put the people into twos, threes or fours, and have them first share their personal choice, and their reasons.
- Then have them discuss their reasons to see if any of them change their mind.
- Then ask them to give a show of hands for who said ‘A’ who said ‘B’ etc.
- Now ask, “Who was right? (and why?)”
Of course, everybody is ‘right’, but that is not the point. The point is that almost everybody made their original choice then found reasons to make it ‘True’ (Right). All the other options were then, effectively, eliminated.
I constantly refer back to this exercise during the training programme, especially when people actions and reactions demonstrate their conviction that ‘their Map IS the Territory! |
