It’s one of our rules at Drum Team Collective: Rock and Roll Team Building.
Ideas are easy to come by, and the easiest reaction to one is: NO.
Why? Because there are countless reasons why something won’t work….and maybe one or two reasons why it could work. But how many great ideas died on the vine because a teammate or partner said “No, because there is no ROI.” “No, because it’s too much work and I don’t want to deal with it.” or even “No, because I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
How about instead we take a note from improv comedy’s “Yes and” concept and say “Yes: If” to these ideas.
“Yes, if you can prove an ROI”. “Yes, if you feel passionate about it and will take it over the finish line.” or finally “Yes, if you think it’s good idea and you can convince us.”
A recent time in which “Yes, if” worked with Drum Team Collective was when I really wanted to bring electric guitar into the team building program. My partner’s reaction could have been “No, because we play drums” or “No because learning guitar is way too hard”…instead our collective “Yes if”, landed us the discovery of a product that literally allows people to play electric guitar in seconds! And now it is a part of our program…thank goodness for “Yes if!”
Of course, not every concept is worth burning calories over…this is not a call to an ‘all skate’ of ideas. But when my teammates and partners are passionate about an idea (and I trust them to be talented and thoughtful partners), I turn off my instinct to say “No, because that is flat out stupid” and hear them out…and more often than not, the idea can morph into a tangible value add and can change your company for the better!
