Two little words could transform your team’s culture overnight.
I have spent years watching ideation sessions get suffocated by common phrases like “No, because” and “Yes, but…”
On the surface, both sound polite and professional. But in truth, both are corporate compliance mechanisms used to kill a fragile new concept before it even has a chance to draw breath. And both signal to others that imagination is a risk rather than an asset, and worth far less on the balance sheet than protecting the status quo.
You will not discover unexpected ideas if your team culture is hardwired to highlight why things will fail. That’s why in the TELL step of my FROST Framework, I advocate for a simple, powerful linguistic flip: swap out “Yes, but” for “Yes, and…”
This teeny-tiny change can completely shift the psychological dynamic in a room. Instead of shutting down an unconventional, maybe uncomfortable thought, “Yes, and…” forces colleagues to actively build on it. And by killing the defensive negativity that stalls progress, it creates a safer space where courageous collaboration can happen.
Here’s a little experiment for your next meeting. Each time someone shares a fresh thought, try to ban the words “No” and “But” from your vocabulary. Force yourself to respond with “Yes, and…” and see where it takes you and your colleagues.
It’s magical how quickly the energy in the room can change when we give a half-baked, unexpected idea space to grow (instead of instinctively shooting it down in flames).
I’d love to know: what’s the most creative, unhinged idea you’ve managed to turn into a win at work? Let me know; get in touch.
