The Silly Cow Exercise (PowerPoint PPTX Slide Deck)

The Silly Cow Exercise is a fun and effective activity for promoting out-of-the-box thinking and creativity in teams. This exercise is ideal for organizations that need to innovate their products, services, business models, and ecosystems to create a competitive advantage. It can be held in a meeting room, classroom, workshop, or any suitable space, and is an excellent ice-breaker or warm-up activity prior to an ideation session focused on the organization's specific needs.

The exercise is divided into three activities. In the first activity, participants are asked to define the characteristics of a cow, such as producing milk, eating all day, and making a mooing sound. In the second activity, teams are asked to use these characteristics to create an innovative business idea. Finally, in the third activity, teams sketch their idea on flip chart paper and prepare a presentation to sell it to the group.

It is important to adhere strictly to the time allocated for each activity. After each activity, a member from each team presents their idea(s) on the flip chart to the group, and the facilitator offers observations and comments as needed. The suggested duration for each activity is three minutes for Activity 1 and 20 minutes each for Activities 2 and 3.

The Silly Cow Exercise requires flip chart papers, marker pens of a few colors for each team, masking tape, and a wall to tape stuff on. There is also an optional discussion session after the exercise to reflect on the challenges and feelings of drawing or sketching ideas, as well as the effectiveness of generating lots of ideas initially.

Additionally, participants can create a Silly Cow Mascot and team name before starting the exercise, adding a fun element to the activity. Overall, the Silly Cow Exercise encourages creativity and innovative thinking, making it a valuable tool for organizations seeking to stay ahead of the competition.

OBJECTIVES OF THE SILLY COW EXERCISE:

1. As an ice-breaker, to welcome participants and get them to warm up to each other so as to create a cordial and comfortable environment for learning.

2. To prepare participants for an ideation session that is focused on the organization's specific needs (e.g. designing a new service).

EQUIPMENT/TOOL REQUIRED:

1. Flip chart papers
2. Marker pens of a few colors for each team
3. Masking tape
4. Wall to tape stuff on

NOTE: If you had purchased our Design Thinking Workshop Guide, please note that a condensed version of the Silly Cow Exercise was already included in the training package.

The exercise is structured to ensure active participation and engagement from all team members. The facilitator's guidance is crucial for maintaining the flow and effectiveness of the session.