What business can learn from improv
Using “Yes, and…” during brainstorming
One of the cardinal rules of Improv is that you should never say “No” to another performer. “No” is a stop sign. “No” means rejection of an idea or a person. “No” inhibits creativity and innovation, which often rely on comfort and an open mind. While brainstorming, it is vital that each of the participants contributes without second-guessing their contribution. They must trust that the group will take what they have to say and will build on it, or at least will not laugh at it. Using the “Yes, and…” mentality, rather than the “No” mentality while generating ideas, being creative, or solving problems, ensures that everyone can make a contribution to the conversation, no matter how off-the-wall. You never know which random idea will spur another random idea, which will then cause someone to happen upon the best solution. “Yes, and…”
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In a slightly related note, I’ve read about research somewhere that found that brainstorming, where people got together and came up with ideas was not nearly as effective as just having people separately come up with ideas and sharing them. Basically in brainstorming sessions, your ideas get shot down or challenged and as a result, people tend to tread more carefully. In fact, there were 4 times more ideas generated individually than through brainstorming.
That’s interesting. I remember reading some research showing that creativity in brainstorming is limited when there are “higher-ups” in the room, because there is fear that the ideas will not be accepted by those individuals, reflecting negatively on the contributor. I do think it would be ideal to have a brainstorming session on a system that consolidates all of the ideas real-time, the only problem would be to make sure that everyone is fully engaged in the process and is not drifting off to check their e-mail or on an IM service.