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Innovation Insights
by Stephen Shapiro

Innovation Personality Poker Solitaire

I have played Innovation Personality Poker with groups from 8 to 800 in size.

David Zinger, a fantastic blogger (who incidentally wrote a brief review of Personality Poker today), provided me with a solitaire version that I really like.

He noted that there are 52 weeks in the year and 52 cards in the deck. This is a fact that I had not noticed!

Here’s his suggestion:

Each week you choose a different card that dictates your personality for those seven days. Here are the rules:

  • Shuffle the cards.
  • Choose one card at random from the deck.
  • Put the card in a place where you will see it frequently.
  • Optional: On an index card, write the attributes and qualities that come to mind when you think of the word. Put the index card next to your playing card.
  • For the next seven days, use that card as a focus for the week to bring forth that quality, or to watch out for that quality during your various activities and relationships.
  • With the two, three and four cards (the negative attributes), it may be more of a case of watching out for this quality in yourself and others.

Here’s an example from David in his own words:

I just got the four of hearts (submissive) for the first week. At first I didn’t like it, but today is my 20th wedding anniversary. I’m taking a more creative approach to the quality of submissive.

  • I will be more responsive to how my wife thinks and feels.
  • I will let her decide what restaurant we will go to for our anniversary dinner.
  • I will work this week on being very responsive to what she wants.

Although this is a totally different use than the cards were intended, I think this is a fantastic way of enhancing your creativity on a daily basis. One of my favorite creativity techniques is to make believe you are someone else. If you imagine that you are Walt Disney for the day, you will see things you have never noticed before. David’s idea takes this a step further. Instead of being a different person, you just take on different attributes, attitudes, and behaviors. Brilliant.

Thanks David. Happy Canada Day.