An activity to help you to think like another person and rejuvenate current ways of working.

Others will have different ways of thinking and approaching challenges.  You might be able to make a novel connection by using “Fresh Eyes”, thinking like another person, or making links to another industry.

This exercise is useful to apply to anything that has been done before and might feel a bit stale and needs some rejuvenation eg: team meetings, annual events or just when some creative thinking is needed.

Example

Each table has flipchart paper, pen and the example list of professions.

  1. Randomly select a profession from the list.
  2. What would an information-sharing event look like in that profession.  Prompts:
    • How would they plan it?
    • What would it look like?
    • Where would it be?
    • Who would be involved?
    • How would they promote it?
  3. Brainstorm – all ideas written down (If time, select a second profession and repeat).
  4. Look at your list of ideas and think about how they might work for your challenge.  Pick your top 5 ideas that might lead to a more engaging event.
  5. Develop some actions.

Example list of professions

Accountant
Actor
Animator
Architect
Astronaut
Astronomer
Ballet Dancer
Basketball Player
Biologist
Bird Watcher
Book Writer
Boxer
Cardiologist
Carpenter
Chemist
Children’s Nurse
Computer Programmer
Cook
Dancer
Dentist
Dietician
Driver
English Teacher
Farmer
Geologist
Golfer
Grocer
Groundsman
Historian
Hotel Manager
Illustrator
Interior decorator    
Journalist
Lawyer
Lecturer
Librarian
Manufacturer
Mathematician
Meteorologist
Miner
Musician
Newsreader
Nuclear physicist
Oceanographer
Olympian
Painter
Pharmacist
Photographer
Pilot
Plumber
Policeman
Politician
Professional Footballer
Refuse Collector
Restaurant Owner
Sailor
Scientist
Tabloid Editor
Tennis Player
Travel Rep
Warehouse Manager
Weather Person
Wine taster
Zoo Keeper