building on ideas Archives

Only say ‘Yes, and …’ and see what new perspectives await you – Give your curiosity a serious workout today! Header gif of a writing paper plane in a open sky as a metaphor for where words can transport you - verbal voyages

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Why take this challenge?

To practice plussing and develop the skills, language and reflexes of building on ideas

To explore the impact on people, situations and your own learning of sustaining the positive

To practice skills that challenge your team and help it grow in creativity and insight

Graphic image reflecting different pathways to take the adventure

I am grateful to Andy Denne for this week’s exercise. And I have to admit, it is going to be every bit as big a challenge on me as it will be on you.

You may have seen the film ‘Yes Day’ promoted recently, where two parents decide that for 24 yours they will only say ‘Yes’ and not ‘No’. Well this is not that, well not quite.

This is ‘yes’ day with responsibilities built in. It is ‘yes, and …’ day. As in “Yes, and … to make that work effectively we need to find a way to … overcome this obstacle … or deal with these risks/consequences”. Not “No, because …”, nor even “Yes, but …” – For an entire 24 hours, only “Yes, and …”

“Yes and …” comes from the world improvisational comedy, but has great application to the world of business also. The challenge will be how quickly and creatively you can think about what else needs to happen to make what is suggested not only possible, but a good idea.

It is not about putting your reservations to one side, it is about embracing them and turning them on their head to invite further creativity in how to deal with them. It is a really great skill set to have. It leads to new possibilities, innovation and adventure. It raises energy, grows ownership, and encourages vision and teamwork. It is about seeing and staying with possibilities long enough to fully explore their potential.

The interesting thing about human beings is that we mentally emphasise the downsides of new ideas. We see the risks many times faster and more clearly than we see the possibilities. And because of this we tend to write things off before we’ve had any real opportunity to fully explore their potential. We stifle innovation.

But innovation rarely comes as just one new idea. It usually needs a lot more smaller new ideas around it to make it work. And those supporting ideas take openness and a bit of time.

“Yes, and …” buys that time

So the challenge this week is to determine, to commit (because it does need resolve) to give “Yes, and …” a try. And to see where that takes you.

+ Green track - taking it in your stride

A “Yes and …” meeting

Okay, 24 yours is definitely too long for the Green Track. But how about a meeting? Perhaps even a short interaction? You can make your promise to yourself as the meeting opens.

And because you are online, you can probably prop up a big “Yes, and … ” card in front of you as a reminder.

Some verbal devices that may help you are:

Yeah, … and … I am curious how we might …
Yes, … and … has anyone got any ideas to make …
It would be great to see that. And to do that, we will need to think through …

But if I might offer a word of warning. It would be all to easy if you are not careful to drift from openness to sarcasm and irony. And if you let your wit get the better of you, you will not only have been negative, you will have been punitive.

If it is to work, this has to be done with sincerity. It is about a voyage of exploration. Please don’t make it a cul-de-sac.

Throw yourself into the adventure. Yes there are risks, but not ones you cannot handle. If you get something wrong, you can always go back to it after the meeting.

If you are thinking of doing the blue track, transcribe the meeting using a tool like Otter.ai (which transcribes 40 minutes for free)

+ Blue track - a bit of a workout (click to open)

“Yes and …” practice

Use your transcript to review how you got on in your Green Track meeting. Highlight each time you successfully used “Yes, and …” in green, and each time it went wrong in red, but please don’t let the results depress you. New skills take time to develop.

Then think about what emerged for you personally, and the group as a whole from the times when you got it right. The things you might be looking for are an increase in ideas, an increase in positive humour and energy, perhaps something unexpected or new.

I am hoping that you will either be able to see the potential of ‘Yes, and …’ or you can perhaps see the need to get better at it.

Either way, I am hoping that you will extend this approach and review to one or two meetings a week, and see how you get on. And that as you grow more proficient you can extend it wider.

+ Red track - stepping up to bat (click to open)

“Yes and …” culture

Andy Denne, a fan of ‘Improv’ thinking, introduces ‘Yes, and …’ in his workshops and training sessions as something for the whole group to practice. And to flag up when it is not being used.

He explains the reasons why, and what he is looking for, and then introduces a paired exercise for people to practice, and then allows the conversation to flow.

Initially, he will pick up on where the team gets it wrong by interjecting a quick ‘Yes, and …’ which introduces a helpful pause in the proceeding while the person speaking rethinks how they might turn what they were going to say into something that is more positive and more open to the possibilities.

And then people get more skilled at picking it up themselves, and in their colleagues. Flagging it gently, and waiting for an adjustment. The result is a more efficient, more creative more positive form of dialogue.

So the red track, if you are up to it, is to start the same movement in one of your teams.

You may find the following resources helpful in tackling your challenge or in gaining further benefits from the skills and insights you develop

To catch up on past adventures you may have missed, feel free to browse our Adventures Library

Let us know how you get on.
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Useful links:

Introduction to Leading by Adventure  |  What we mean by spirituality?  |  Why Adventure
Adventures to date   |  I did it, but it didn’t work very well   |  How do I know if it is working
Bringing this thinking into your meetings   |  Adventure & Mental Health
Leading by Adventure community   |  Explore Strategic Support options