If you have been a part of a flowing creative brainstorm session with awesome ideas being thrown around, you know just how much fun it can be! It is personally one of my favorite things to be a part of. With that being said, you also probably know how quickly creative ideas can be shut down by someone simply saying, “I don’t like that idea” or better yet, “No.”
Yes, I know we have all heard people say an idea in a brainstorming session that we think is dumb or unrealistic, but the last thing you want to do is shut them down. By saying “No” to someone’s idea, they automatically feel attacked. They feel like they no longer have the ability to speak freely without getting judged. So instead of saying “No,” there is a better way to keep a brainstorming session alive. It’s called “Yes, and…”
“Yes, and…” Two words that each serve a very important purpose. Yes – affirmation, positive confirmation, consent. And – in addition to, a transition, a connector. When used together, these two words stand as the core of brainstorming.
“Yes” accepts the idea for what it is worth regardless of what you think it means.
“And” takes the idea and builds directly off of it without trying to aggressively change it.
Sure, there are times when a big strong “No” is needed because a project absolutely needs to get done, but often times “No” is a knee-jerk response. Most of the time it serves as an excuse for selfishly representing your own agenda.
“Yes, and…” allows you to respond cognitively and in the moment rather than out of habit. It allows you to build off of other ideas in the room which in turn also serves as a team building exercise because it allows everyone in the room to feel like the ideas that come to the surface are created as a team rather than by an individual.
So the next time you want to say “No” in a brainstorming session, stop yourself, take a breath, and think of “Yes, and…”
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