[Ailist] Mental models

[Esther Ewing]

Ron Smith gave me this exercise for examining mental models in a training
group which I used very successfully and I had a fun result and thought I'd
share it with the list.

 

When I asked them to draw a picture of their best lawn mower, each person
got right into drawing their picture. I gave them 60 seconds only, stressing
that it was the features I was interested in, not perfection of drawing
skills.

 

Then I had them each hold up their picture and in turn, explain their
thinking. The range of different models went from the old low-tech push
mower to one that was a sit-on one, to one that featured the owner lounging
in a lawn chair with a remote control in her hand and a beer in the other
hand, one that had the beer fridge built in, etc. But the one that brought
down the house and which gave me a fun surprise (because I had not
anticipated it) was the one that featured a picture of the participant's
husband. He, she announced, was the lawn mower in the family. She said that
she had outsourced the whole operation! We all had a great laugh before we
got to the more serious discussion. But the lawn mower has become the symbol
of the unexpected, the unanticipated and the answer "from left field". 

 

Thanks to Ron for a great exercise and the impetus for my team's having more
fun with their learning.

 

Best regards

Esther

 

From: Ron Terrela 2007 [ronsmith at terrela.com]

Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 7:17 PM

To:   Esther Ewing; 'Appreciative Inquiry'

Subject:    Re: [Ailist] Examining mental models

 

Hi Esther:

 

A lead-in activity is to have them draw rough sketches of some common items.


Like a plug-in space heater, a lawn mower etc. Their different versions of
the 

same thing helps explore "shared mental models" (Peter Senge). Why did one 

person draw a ride-on mower and another a push mower (socio economic status 

etc). Ask them what if you had to spend planning time and resources to start


manufacturing one of these items without reaching a share image or a shared 

goal. Obviously they would not want to do that so why would you do the same 

thing with management, with assumptions, with putting a theory into practice


that isn't shared or understood or clarified. This could help them explore
why 

differences exist and where they come from but indirectly and perhaps less 

threatening.

 

Then, you could have them conduct interviews by asking some appreciative 

questions around "tell me about a time when you were on the same
"wave-length" 

or in the same "zone" as some one else (or like a basketball team when they 

enter the "zone") and you achieved your goal effortlessly. 

Was it a visual model you shared, what role did sentiment play? When does 

having different mental models or experiencing discord  help a process or 

project? What is valuable about assumptions? When do they hold us back? etc.


All this with a reference to managing people. You should have some trust and


interest building which would allow for a more open exploration of what has 

worked best for many of them. I would end with retelling the best "in the 

zone" management story.

 

Buena suerte,

 

Ron Smith

Director, CEL.ULA

Centro Experiencial de Liderazgo

Universididad Latinoamericana

011 52 558 500 8100 ext. 8235

Personal Cell: 55 4143 8766 (usa add: 011 52 1) Gabriel Mancera 1402 Col.
Del 

Valle Mexico DF, Mexico CP 03100  http://cel.ula.edu.mx

 

 

Esther Ewing

Building Success from Within

 

330 East 38th Street, Suite 53K,

New York, NY 10016, USA

Voice: 212-661-6024

Fax: 866-296-6712