Insight Guide: Shift Perspective with Metaphor

Have you ever noticed how shifting perspective can transform seemingly insurmountable challenges? When we visualize challenges in new, playful ways, we can open ourselves to creative problem-solving and collaborative approaches.

It's a tool I find really useful in my group and individual coaching practice, so I've written this insight guide to support you to explore how metaphors can help reframe obstacles and discover innovative solutions.  

➡️How might you or your team try this with a challenge you're currently encountering? How did it go? I'd love to hear in the comments!

Duration: 15 minutes

Format: Solo, team, or with a mastermind partner

Purpose: Reframe a current challenge using metaphor to unlock fresh thinking and collaborative insight

Step 1: Name the Challenge

Briefly describe a current challenge the team, a team member, or you are facing (if working alone, note this down). Keep it simple and specific—something that feels stuck, overwhelming, or unclear.

Example: “I’m struggling to delegate tasks effectively.” Example: “We’re unsure how to launch our new initiative.”

Step 2: Metaphor Mapping

Ask: If this challenge were a metaphor, what would it be?

Encourage playful, visual, or sensory metaphors. Think landscapes, objects, journeys, or animals. Let intuition lead.

Examples: “It’s like crossing a river with no bridge.” “It feels like herding cats.” “It’s a foggy forest—I can’t see the path.” “It’s like juggling flaming torches.”

Then ask: What does this metaphor reveal? What’s needed?

Crossing a river → “I need stepping stones, a bridge, or a guide.” Foggy forest → “I need a compass, a flashlight, or a clearer map.”

Step 3: Shift the Frame

Now, explore the metaphor together:

• What new strategies or supports emerge from this image?

• What would help you move forward, if you stayed in the metaphor?

• What role could others play (e.g., bridge-builders, torch-passers, map-makers)?

If in a group, invite others to offer metaphorical suggestions or build on the image.

“What if we built a raft together?” “Could we pause and wait for the fog to lift?”

Optional Wrap-Up

Invite a short reflection:

• What shifted?

• What’s one action you’ll take, inspired by the metaphor?