A Better Way to Brainstorm may come down to the language you employ

Does your team come alive when it’s time to generate ideas? Or does the room go quiet while everyone waits to see whose idea gets shot down first? Most brainstorms stall for the same reason: we’re faster at spotting what’s wrong with an idea than what’s promising about it. Yes AND draws on Positive Intelligence PQ®, Appreciative Inquiry, and improvisation, and it follows the 10% Rule: every idea is at least 10% worth building on. Participants learn to find that 10%, say what they like about it, and then add something of their own. That second step is the “AND.” It sounds simple and turns out to be surprisingly hard to do well, but it opens the door to bolder thinking and real innovation. Workshops run 2 to 4 hours, either in person or as live virtual sessions. Both formats are fully facilitated and built around active play.

The Program

• Catch the Judge in the act. Teams notice how quickly the critical voice shuts ideas down, both in their own heads and in the room.

• Warm up with improv. Low-stakes exercises build the Yes AND habit before anyone’s real ideas are on the line.

• Practice the 10% Rule. Participants find what’s valuable in each other’s ideas and build on it, one round at a time.

• Brainstorm a real challenge. The team applies Yes AND to a live question it’s facing and leaves with ideas worth pursuing.

What You Get

• A 2- to 4-hour workshop, in person or live online

• Facilitation by a certified PQ practitioner with deep roots in improv and theatre

• Increased team trust

• Deeper appreciation for diverse perspectives

• Positive relational impact

• Enhanced creativity, plus a brainstorming method your team can use again

Suitable Groups

• Leadership teams planning strategy or change

• Product, design, and project teams

• Creative, arts, and nonprofit organizations

• Professional services firms looking to rethink how they work

• Cross-functional or newly formed teams

• Teams stuck in “that won’t work” mode