Nothing prompts the instinctive eye-roll response from employees shanghai’d into a brainstorming session like a corporate Richard Simmons impersonator saying:
“Now I don’t want to hear any killer phrases!”
That line may not kill phrases, but it sure-as-shootin’ is going to kill off any creative thought in the room, especially among those who, under the right conditions, really do have well-developed creative thoughts.
I work with a lot of scientists and engineers. And they live on killer phrases. It is fundamental. It is, in fact, a critical part of the scientific process. You tear things down until they can’t be torn down any more. And then you might have something.
In a past life, I used to direct theater, and I sure wish that the critics in the audience would take the “no killer phrases” class before writing their reviews. Professional artists know that they have to be good enough to turn those critics into fans, or at least to be strong enough to keep going in the face of withering criticism.
So when it comes to companies, here’s my point of view:
We don’t need nicer naysayers.
We need intrepid innovators.
At IBM, we figured out a way to make this work. We called it “But the But.” In a brainstorm, anyone is allowed to say, “But that won’t work…” about any idea, but it must be followed with, “BUT it might work if…”
The rule allowed for the second “but” to be totally made-up. Often even the made-up ones, like, “But it would work if we could stop time” led the team to a better, more practical approach to the original idea.
Beyond “But the But” is the corollary rule, “We like big Buts!” Not very PC, I know (does anyone say “PC” anymore?), but vital in a brainstorm. If you are going to say, “But that won’t work…” try to make sure that your objection is really interesting, a BIG but, something that will lead to more ideas than the one you are about to shoot down.