Often when we are working on challenges or problems we run into block walls or "blank pages" and feel stymied by a lack of ideas. One technique that can be very helpful in helping us find new idea directions or perspectives is the use of a metaphor. From English class we are taught that a metaphor is...

a figure of speech that transfers qualities of one thing onto another by implicit comparison or by an analogy

Another method is to use a simile. . .

a figure of speech in which two essentially unlike things are compared.

Often, we non-English majors inadvertently switch these two or use them interchangeably.

For the purpose of sparking new thoughts or new directions of thoughts seeing our challenge as being something else or comparing it to something else can be very helpful.

In strategic planning sessions or simply brainstorming sessions I often will pass out a mixture of nouns: animals, insects, plants, objects, places and ask the group or teams to use them to examine their challenges differently.

A variation on the use of metaphor, simile, analogy or comparisons is often called "Forced Relationships". In this process you simply take your key challenge or problem and list all the details, traits, characteristics you know about it. Second you randomly choose a letter from the alphabet and then pick a noun that starts with that letter. Third you list all the details, traits, characteristics you know about it. Fourth you choose items from the chosen word list and attempt to apply them to improve a specific factor of your problem.

One exercise I often use involves a chair in the room.
 
First I ask the group to list everything they know about the chair.
 
Second I have each group/team choose a letter randomly, either mentally or by using pre-printed cards.
 
Third I show them a list similar to the one that follows and have them choose one of the two list for their letter.
 
Fourth they list all that they know about the selected word.
 
Fifth they choose a series of traits of the selected item and attempt to use them to improve characteristics of the chair.

Alligator, Canary, to Water Buffalo, to Zebra have all been used.

The end result is many different ideas that the group hadn't thought of yet. Also the energy of the group always jumps. When they use the same approach on one of their "real" problems they results are always great.

Try one of these three approaches.

1. See you problem as one of the following things.
2. Compare your problem to one of the items on the list
3. Run a "Forced Relationship" of your problem & one list item.

One premise I encourage people to consider is that they always generate a list of 144 ideas before they attempt to turn of them into a solution or a final plan.

It is much easier to get a group of people committed to a challenge with fun and exciting ideas. And it is much easier to generate or discover fun and exciting ideas if you have a long list to choose from.

Get to it. Create and have fun.

Sample Metaphor List