Using metaphors to explain something complicated and accessing more intuitive information in a mentoring session for entrepreneurs

The mentor observes that the entrepreneur needs to put into words a complex situation, feeling, emotion, process or goal.

Objective:

To help the entrepreneur to express himself more easily, putting aside for a while the rational discourse on his subject, in order to communicate a deeper meaning of what is happening to him and to facilitate the emergence of new ideas.

Phases of the mentoring session in which it is applied:

In the phase of Exploring the current reality, and in the phase of Exploring new options.

Recommended techniques and tools: the use of metaphors.

Use of metaphors. The use of metaphors activates the entrepreneur's creative capacity to find new meaning through the associations it generates, especially if the metaphor comes from the entrepreneur.

Key ideas:

They activate lateral thinking and allow access to more intuitive information.
They are used for people, situations or processes.
Exploring metaphors generates more clarity about the situation or person.
They anchor discoveries visually and emotionally.

Examples of metaphors:

Images: animals, cars, music, favourite heroes, landscapes, plants ...
Songs, music.

Sample questions:

I know you run marathons: Applied to your professional moment, where are you in your career right now?
If you had to put a metaphor to your current situation/desire, what would it be?....
If you were an animal, what animal would you be?

If you had to put a colour to this turbulent situation, what would it be?

Choose a photo that symbolises this process of change.

Use of the body and space. The entrepreneur can also express him/herself through a body movement, create a statue with his/her body, or place him/herself in the environment (e.g. sitting in a corner, standing in front of a window).

Sample questions:

Make a statue with your body to express how you feel now. And if you achieve your challenge; how would you be?
I see you're waving your arms like this; what are they saying?
Where in this room do you place your current situation?