Sample of front of large metaphor card - see more samples.

See the back of the large card.

See the playing card sized pack front and back

Two sizes:

Large format cards - 9.2x13.3cm 360gsm card, customised with your logo on the back, full colour back and front. Total weight 300 grams.

Playing card sized cards - 6x9cm 180gsm card colour front, black and white back. Total weight 50grams.

Cards are printed as you order, so there will be a delay of up to one week before you receive them. We will give you an estimated time of arrival when you order.

Metaphor cards

Metaphor cards are a cup of tea - you can use them to calm a group, help them bond, or to discuss sensitive issues.

They are a crystal ball - it's what you see in it, not what's true, which give the value.

Metaphor cards are a lever to open up minds, to move higher in noticing what happens, and get things done you didn't think were possible.

Use metaphor cards to:

• clarify what people think about an idea or topic at the beginning or end of a session - "leadership is a chandelier - it's about lighting the way forward in an attractive manner, with a nod at tradition and care for beauty.
• review a session process - yesterday's session was a cafe - people spoke a lot, or a dog - lots of tail wagging and "nice to see yous" going on, or a storm - it was a lot of noise and afterwards every thing felt refreshed!
• occupy the conscious mind as a content-free task while you give them a "noticing" task - notice what they do when they have "inappropriate" or "weird" thoughts, how they feel when they can't think of an answer; how they build rapport as they move through the exercise, how they get more comfortable and what they do when that happens, whether they pay more attention to the pictures or the words

You can ask them to remember their favourite metaphors as part of the debrief.

I usually have people work in pairs and mill around (do one each, then move on), and you can choose to ask people to keep going on as many ways X is Y.

You can read how others are using metaphor cards below - please send us your own experiences and share your knowledge!

Logistical details

Metaphor cards come in 2 sizes.

• playing card - "small" size (6x9cm)
• large cards - slightly smaller than a quarter of A4 page 9.2x13.3cm
• Each card features a full-colour original photograph (taken by Cindy Tonkin), of concrete objects or actions which make analogies or metaphors easy.

Why buy the playing card sized cards

You may prefer the playing card sized pack because:

• the entire pack is compact and small (6x9cm, less than 1cm thick)
• it's lighter (each card is printed on 180gsm card, glossy on one side, b&w printed on the other)
• it does the job
• all the photos are taken in Australia - see some of the images
• they have square corners
• it's cheaper! ($50 for 48 cards)

The pack the size of playing cards is smaller. You can keep them in your training bag, and you never know when they may come in handy. Need to fill a spare 15 minutes, or wanting to make a group think more about their responses, pull them out!

Each cards is printed on 180gsm photo card, glossy on one side and printed with "metaphors" on the back in black and white. See the backs.

Playing card sized Card Backs

sample playing card sized card - window

Why you may prefer the large cards

You may prefer the large metaphor card pack because it is:

• larger (9.2x13.1 centimetres, about 2.5 cm thick for 48 cards)
• more substantial (each card is 360gsm)
• customised with your logo on the back
• some of the photos are taken in France, Italy, Indonesia
• prettier, with rounded corners.

The larger pack is more weight and room to carry, but is very much prettier than the small pack. Because they are customised with your logo, it does take us around a week to get them to you. The cards are cut by hand which means every one is individual. The pack of 48 cards is $200.

You can see the sample of the card back just on the right hand side of this column, and more samples of the actual cards here.

Large Card Backs with your logo

How others use the cards

People find all sorts of uses for the metaphor cards. Here is what one of my colleagues, Jill Chivers from the Corporate Compass, does with them.

"Here are some things you could include in your opening frame for the metaphor cards exercise.

We all interpret words differently. When we think of a concept/word, the picture/sound/feeling (ed. note: we are looking to capture all VAK preferences here!) we get can sometimes be very different to the picture/sound/feeling someone else gets

Let’s test this. When I say a word I’m about to say, just notice what picture/sound/feeling you get. For those of you who get a picture, it might be in full 3D colour, it might be in B&W, it might be like a Polaroid and develop slowly. For people who hear a sound, it might be loud, soft, monotone, etc. For those of you who get a feeling, it might be strong, weak, all over your body, in one part etc. Now – get ready to notice! – the word is “holiday”

Debrief: ask participants to share what came up for them. Track & pick up on the differences. Takeout: isn’t it amazing how different our perceptions of one word can be!

Moving along:

So, when it comes to a word like CONFLICT, it’s very likely that our understanding and experience of what it is will be different to one another’s. Interwoven with our different perspectives are our different experiences of conflict – do we think we’re good at conflict, or can handle it well? Maybe we hate it and avoid it at all costs? Maybe we’ve had a past experience that we are sure means we are lousy at managing conflict?

So, here is an exercise that will help to bring to the surface our different perspectives and understandings of CONFLICT. It’s a simple – yet very very powerful – exercise

RULES: (change physiology to mark difference in what you’re saying)

You are to do this exercise in moving pairs. What this means is you will work with one person, then move along to the next person.

Each person will have a set of 10 – 20 cards. (show them the cards, and read out one or two so they get the idea)

You are to create a metaphor by completing the following sentence: “Conflict is like ____________” (this can go on a PPT slide or Flipchart to remind them as they play the game)

Do a DEMO at this point. Ask for a volunteer, bring them up and give them a pack of cards. Have them show you one card (let’s say it’s the Whisky card), and ask the question of YOU: Conflict is like Whisky…. (how/in what way)? On the fly (this is the tough bit for you), come up with the metaphor! (say: it’s moving/liquid, it can be intoxicating, some people can’t handle it, others grow to love it….) Do one or two metaphor cards more to show them how to do it, and how easy it is. Maybe have the volunteer/participant do one in return, to show how easy it is to do. And how quickly it can be done.

Back to RULES

There is NO right or wrong!! You cannot “fail” at this game! It is for your experience, that is its value!

PACE OUT objections. Introverts do this well: they think about metaphors more deeply and often the quality of their metaphors is high. Extraverts: often do this very quickly (sometimes the quality of their metaphors is not as high).

There is no particular speed with which you need to do this. You can dash around the room with energy and speed; or you can take it more slowly and spend more time with each person as you Metaphor together

In your pairs, there are no particular rules. You can either both Metaphor, or have one person only do some Metaphoring before moving onto the next person

Ready – everyone got their 10 – 20 cards? OK, off you go!!

(allow at least 20 minutes for the exercise proper. Tell them you’ve allowed this amount of time so they really immerse themselves in it, and don’t just do it ‘on the surface’. I usually give myself a flex. of an additional 10 minutes just in case)." Jill Chivers, The Corporate Compass

sample large card - flags

bush

crocodile

building

More sample Large metaphor cards

The Large Metaphor cards have rounded corners, and your logo on the back of each one.