Replace “No” with “Yes, if…”

About 3 years ago, while listening to a podcast, I heard a simple framework to promote creativity and identify blockers. I don’t remember the name of the podcast, but the concept is still top of mind and I practice it to this day.

Replace “No” with “Yes, if…”.

The problem? When we quickly shut down ideas it slows down progress. Replacing “No” with “Yes, if…” helps get the creative juices going. It’s a quick way to test if ideas are viable or if at the very least there are aspects of an idea that are worth considering.

“Yes, if…” forces us to clarify the criteria.

For example, say it’s being proposed to make a company fully remote when it’s currently in-person. That will likely result in a quick “No”.

But what would “Yes, if…” look like?

Well, that’s exactly what happened during COVID. Companies were forced to think through the lens of “Yes, if…” and clarified the criteria to make it possible. Many companies benefited from this forced transition by reducing costs and upgrading software while maintaining productivity.

You can imagine the thought process looked something like this - Yes, if we:

• implement a meeting system with relevant team members and agenda
• provide team members with work computers or upgrade to cloud software
• create a submission or reporting system to make sure work is getting done as intended

In this example, companies had no choice and the criteria had to be met. But the point of the “Yes, if…” exercise is to open our minds, see what’s possible, and identify blockers.

Now, imagine someone asked if we could launch a Super Bowl TV ad. Instead of “No” we would replace it with “Yes, if we had a $7M marketing budget.” Sometimes the answer is silly, but it gives context and educates team members.

Implementing is simple:

1. When you’re asked if something is possible, take a moment and answer with “Yes, if…”
2. When someone answers “No”, follow up to understand what would need to be true

Go ahead and try it:

• Communicate the concept to the team
• Follow up when the answer is “No”
• Replace “No” with “Yes, if…”

See you all next Thursday 👋

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