Greetings!
Have you ever had what you thought was a great idea and shared it, only to have people say "No, because...." to you? How did you feel? Did you have the vision and passion to pursue it to fruition anyway? Now, think for a while. Have you ever said that to people who came to you with what they thought was a great idea? What was the effect on them? Did they come to you with other ideas after that? Have they been coming to you with great ideas recently? The phrase "No, because..." seems to cut off idea generation and somehow stifle enthusiasm, does it not? However, we know that in reality, there are limits, there are constraints, there is such a thing called "limited resources", and those are not bogeymen, they are real and they can bite you if you ignore them. You want to cultivate a climate where people feel safe to share ideas and yet there are these real limitations. Is there a better way of putting essentially the same message across? 
The answer, of course, is a "Yes"! Saying "Yes, if..." opens up possibilities instead of imposing limitations. You see it, of course. The "if" part actually talks about limitations but in a manner that gets the persons with the ideas to understand that their ideas would be possible if they establish conditions which would support their germination and eventual fruition. If you encourage your people with "Yes, if..." instead of "No, because...", my guess is that they will be much better motivated, with all the benefits that accrues.
So, there you have it. Practice speaking well and in a positive manner, always focusing on positive, future-oriented outcomes. Not only will your people become more enthusiastic, you will too, and enthusiasm is infectious! And really worth catching! |
