The Secret Profession

This method can be run by two facilitators A and B. Facilitator A runs, Facilitator B has the secret. If you are the only one facilitator, then take apart one of the participants prior to the game and ask them to choose the wackiest profession (e.g., Thief, tag artist, …) without telling anyone.

There are two runs -

FIRST RUN

• Facilitator A explains to the participants that they have 90 seconds to try and find out the "secret profession" of Facilitator B (or the name of the participant).
• Do not mention that there are two rounds!
•  Facilitator A to:

1. Share the rule to discover the secret profession: Participants can ask as many questions as they like apart from “what is your job?”.
2. Mention that Facilitator B might be tricky and evasive when they answer any questions - but they cannot lie.
3. Keep score of how many open and closed questions (ideally take note of some of them as examples for the debrief) – typically lots more closed than open.
4. Hold timer up to camera

NB: Let the participants organize themselves to ask the questions. Take note if the same people ask the questions and the rest of the crowd is quiet. 

If participants have no questions, start counting down 3, 2,1 and click the timer to run the first 90 seconds.

At 90 seconds stop any question or pending answer. Then debrief the first run.

DEBRIEFING THE FIRST RUN

Questions that facilitator A can ask:

• How did it go? How did it feel?
• What made this exercise challenging?
• How helpful were the responses of facilitator B? Has it had to see with the way questions were asked? Then transition to the questioning techniques.

EXPLAINING THE QUESTIONING FUNNEL

• Share and explain the questioning funnel, open and closed questions (See Questioning funnel picture)
• There are not good and bad questions as some people think
• Questions have their place to be used at the right time (e.g., closed for clarity at the end)
• QA-QA (Question Answer-Question Answer): To do this you really need to listen and not think about next question.
• Refer back to the first run and share the number of closed questions asked (share some examples and ask what answer they could expect apart from a yes or no…?!)

Time to run the second run!

SECOND RUN

• Time limit removed
• Keep score of how many open and closed questions
  
• Questions can be asked by each participant in turn or not (for the facilitator to judge)
• Remember QA-QA: Think about open questions you want to ask based on answers

NB: Facilitator may choose to help the team if they lapse back into asking closed questions again. They could even have another go with a different strange profession.

This time the team should guess even the wackiest professions in about 5/6 questions.

DEBRIEF EXERCISE

• Review exercise - what worked well / better this time?
• Indicate the number of open-closed questions
• Share the time to find out the secret profession

KEY LEARNINGS POINTS

Often we get into conversations that are “how’s it gone?”, ‘fine’, any issues?’, ‘No’….