I got lots of responses to my recent post about dealing with low morale in a team – thanks to all of you who responded.

I was reminded me of a great exercise we often do when we’re working with leadership teams.

We ask each team member to describe the team metaphorically. (Or to draw it).

‘This team is like a……………………………….’

This is effective because it requires creativity, involves a lot of laughter, inspires curiosity and opens up a wider conversation – without all the usual ‘this team is very supportive’ or ‘this team is disorganised’ or ‘this team is exhausted’ ambiguity.

Imagine the conversation you can have when a team is described as a:

‘Top of the range Range-Rover with a flat battery’

Or a

Pride of hungry lions

Or a

‘Group of lemmings heading for the cliff’ (danger zone, that one…...!)

It injects some...