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Warm-Up:

The Silly Cow Exercise

To get your team’s creative juices fl owing, it can be helpful to start an ideation ses-
sion with a warm-up such as the Silly Cow exercise. Here’s how it works: Instruct ACTIVITY
participants to sketch out three different business models using a cow. Ask them
to fi rst defi ne some characteristics of a cow (produces milk, eats all day, makes a
to fi rst defi ne some characteristics of a cow (produces milk, eats all day, makes a 145
145
145
mooing sound, etc.). Tell them to use those characteristics to come up with an
mooing sound, etc.). Tell them to use those characteristics to come up with an
innovative business model based on a cow. Give them three minutes.
innovative business model based on a cow. Give them three minutes.
DESIGN DESIGN
Keep in mind that this exercise can backfi re, as it is indeed quite silly.
Keep in mind that this exercise can backfi re, as it is indeed quite silly.
But it has been tested with senior executives, accountants, risk
But it has been tested with senior executives, accountants, risk
managers, and entrepreneurs, and usually is a great success.
managers, and entrepreneurs, and usually is a great success.
The goal is to take people out of their day-to-day business
The goal is to take people out of their day-to-day business
routines and show them how readily they can generate ideas
routines and show them how readily they can generate ideas
by disconnecting from orthodoxies and
by disconnecting from orthodoxies and
letting their creativity fl ow.

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