School of Life (2018)
The brief
The School of Life is a global organisation dedicated to helping people lead more fulfilled lives. They asked me to come up with “business cards for better meetings”, or card prompts to encourage participants in a business meeting to explore an issue at work more thoroughly, and from a philosophical point of view.
I researched group tasks and thought exercises commonly used in philosophy, psychology and the arts. I then transformed them into fun group tasks for business clients, in line with the TSOL brand and using the TSOL tone of voice.
Some cards were designed to break the ice, some to encourage teamwork, and some to test decision-making skills, while others required creativity.
The process
The outcome
example card #1: Be kind
The poet Philip Larkin once wrote, “we should be careful of each other, we should be kind while there is still time.”
Split into groups of three and discuss what role kindness plays in your work. Can you remember a time when being kind helped you achieve your goals?
EXAMPLE CARD #2: The six thinking hats
The psychologist Edward de Bono pioneered this technique for breaking down ideas. Split into groups of six, and assign the following “hats” to each in the group:
blue hat (logic - you will focus on the facts)
yellow hat (optimism - you will talk only of the value and benefits)
black hat (devil’s advocate - you will remind everyone of the difficulties and dangers)
red hat (emotion - you will privilege feelings and intuitions)
green hat (creativity - you will focus on possibilities and new ideas)
purple hat (management - it’s your job to ensure the rules of the hats are observed)
Now discuss the project at hand with your specially assigned “hats” on.
EXAMPLE CARD #3: The beauty of life
The textile designer William Morris had a golden rule: "Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
Consider what’s useful and what’s beautiful about your brand. Would William Morris approve?