A client organization graciously invited me to their semi-annual Leadership conference last week. There were lots of laughs as hundreds of organizational leaders watched The Second City hosts perform the comedic improvisations that they are well known for.

There was also some seriousness and attention to the importance of leadership too. We did plent of group interactive exercises. One exercise, a long time favorite, created a lot of buzz. I had forgotten about the energy that can be generated with the “yes….and” exercise until that day.

How “Yes….and” works

This is a great exercise to facilitate with your team if you want to generate some new ideas, or to simply emphasize the importance of supporting new ideas. Its also a great follow-on to last week’s post, “Ten Things That Will Foster Great Conversations”.  It shows what happens to the energy in a conversation when new ideas are shot down – and then shows what happens when they are supported. It goes like this:

Each person in the room pairs up with a partner. In each partner-pair, and in each round, person A describes a new idea. This can be set up by the facilitator as a real situation that needs fresh ideas   (in this case, the “pretend” scenario was, “What should our team do for our annual off-site?”). Each person in the room can find a new partner for each round.

Round 1: Person B responds to Person A’s idea(s) with “No….but/because (a reason why it won’t work)”.

Round 2: Person B responds to Person A’s idea(s) with “Yes….but (a reason why it won’t work or another idea that person B feels is more viable)”.

Round 3: Person B responds to Person A’s idea(s) with “Yes….and (support and build on A’s idea)”.

In the third round at last week’s conference, we could hardly hear our partners talk. Several hundred people supporting a partner built up to a clear crescendo, demonstrating the positive energy of building, teamwork, partnership, and support.

Try it at your next meeting. After the demonstration of “shooting down” ideas in rounds 1 and 2, your team will understand the importance of support and collaboration with round 3.

(P.S. This works well demonstrated in small and 1:1 meetings too!).

• the employee who just doesn’t “fit in”
• the areas of disagreement with other departments
• the customers who just can’t understand the products or services

Mr. Isaac states that we must look for coherence first – before we make judgments. This is the art of appreciating the whole, that helps us to learn to inquire into what is, not to constantly produce what we think should be. This kind of wholistic thinking also helps us to see that all of these individuals are a part of our world, and the way they see things makes sense for them – and possibly us as well.

This kind wholistic thinking has the potential to change a divisive situation into curiousity. When a leader follows their curiousity by using inquiry, the possibiliy of creating solutions that are bigger, better, and more collaborative.

When you feel those judgments (“violent thoughts”) bubbling up, be curious:

• How are these “different” ideas part of a larger whole?
• How might these ideas serve? What benefit can be derived for my leadership and our organization?

With deliberation and discipline, turning “violent” thoughts into inquiry as a way of opening up to differences can be the beginning of the innovation that most organizations seek today.

There is a way to cultivate creativity by adopting a “beginner`s mind”.

Knowledge Can Keep Us from Learning

The term “beginners mind” conjures up someone who is open to learning the new, the novel, the interesting, or the unique. The reality is that we are all beginners, every day, within our own area of expertise as well as in all other arenas. The challenge is to remain deliberate about continual learning as if we are beginners.

Most of us have something that we know a lot about. When we know a lot about a topic, we see things about that topic in a way that others don`t. Nuances, details ?€“ we pick up on those, where others may not. Over time, we can acquire the sense of knowing everything. Our depth of knowledge sometimes makes it harder to stay open and learn new things.

Seeing the Trees (Literally)

My husband Ken has lived in the world of trees his entire life. His father had a Christmas tree farm that Ken worked on as he grew up. When I first met him, he worked in a local nursery and started his own landscaping business. For the last 30 years, he`s owned and operated a nursery, supplying the world with trees.

Ken literally sees the trees for the forest. We can be driving along, and he can spot a pear tree at a distance, amongst a stand of other varieties in the winter! If we pull over, he can often teach me a thing or two about trees that will make it easier for me to see a wild pear next time (if I am willing to have a “beginner`s mind”). I admire his continual curiosity about trees ?€“ he is able to maintain a beginner`s mind even after acquiring so much knowledge over the years.

Cultivating a “Beginner`s Mind”

The best leaders may have deep expertise, yet they are able to learn every day. Some suggestions for practicing beginner`s mind:

• Nurture a beginner`s mind with observation and reflection. Ask: What new things can I learn from others today? What did I learn today that surprised me?
• Maintain a healthy sense of curiosity. Ask: What details might I be missing? How do the parts relate to the whole?
• Develop the ability to ask the right questions. Ask: What question, if asked, would shed light on the subject at hand?
• Remember that there are always new things to learn. Ask: What areas do I need to learn more about? What am I missing?
• Understand that there is always someone out there who knows more. Ask: Who can I learn from? What do I need to ask them?

It takes some conscious work to keep a learning mindset. Being a beginner is a two-way street. We learn from those around us; they learn from us. When you assume the role of beginner, your followers do too, and that`s the start of an organization that has the potential to be inspired and creative.

Places like IDEO and Apple know the secret, but aren’t telling the rest of us, I thought. Surely, there is a secret about what a leader needs to know and do that the vast legions of managers in the workplace don’t know about that releases creativity in employees!

After years of leading, reading, discussing, coaching, and teaching, I can now reveal what I’ve discovered: there is no secret.

The key is that leaders foster creativity when they do what they should do: lead well.

All of the things that you’ve learned about what it means to be a leader go into the magic hat of leadership. You must: