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Heading into the Fourth Quarter of an extraordinary year, CFO's face many complex and evolving challenges. Rapidly changing business conditions are now the norm and call for financial teams to be agile and respond with creative solutions. Brainstorming sessions are opportunities for finance staff to exercise their collective creativity in developing strategies for the future. In a remote environment, building the creative momentum for creativity to occur takes planning. Leaders can encourage new ideas by promoting a Yes, and climate for remote ideation sessions.
Yes, and is a foundational element of improvisational theater. Yes, and is based on active listening and a willingness to accept and explore ideas. Using Yes, and ideas are heard and played through before being reacted to. Rick Andrews, improvisation trainer and instructor at Columbia University calls Yes, and, "giving your ideas room to breathe." Like all organic things, ideas require patience and time to develop.
Setting The Groundwork For Creativity
As CFO, the staff looks to you to establish boundaries for acceptable behavior and contributions. Before encouraging creativity from others, understand how you react to new ideas. If your kneejerk response is No, consider the reason. Ideas not given time to breathe and expand are dismissed as not having worked before or elevated to a high degree of implementation difficulty to be rejected. With most rejections, a No response falls into one of three categories, 'Not for this,' 'Not Now,' or 'Not ever.' Reevaluate 'Not for this' and 'Not now' responses as entry points for exploring an idea; explain 'Not ever' answers so staff can understand the rejection's thought process. In a brainstorming session, actively ban all three categories of No in favor of Yes, and.
For some, a Yes, and mindset is a new way to think. For Yes, and to work well, staff must feel safe enough to voice their ideas. According to Amy Edmondson, Professor at Harvard Business School, psychologically safe companies promote a climate of directness. Directness is vital for creativity and collaboration to flourish. Explaining a No response is a good first step. Use the framework of a brainstorming session to reinforce a climate of directness and build communication norms that invite creative solutions.
Establishing a Climate of Directness
Don Waisanen, Ph.D. and author of the forthcoming, Improv for Democracy: How to Bridge Differences and Develop the Communication and Leadership Skills Our World Needs, argues that communication norm-setting establishes clear rules of engagement and creates an atmosphere where staff feels safe to contribute. In advance of the brainstorm session, explain the format and length of the meeting. Provide answers to the questions that squash creativity and diminish a sense of safety.
Can we agree to ban 'No' from the beginning of the session?
How are new ideas introduced?
How are disruptors handled?
Who is the final arbiter of an idea's validity?
How are mistakes handled?
What happens after the session?
A brainstorming session is a petri dish for testing new communication patterns. The norms that work well can be adopted and woven into the departmental culture.
Getting to An Amazing Idea
When No is banned, the conversational focus shifts from individual to collective contribution, lessening the fear of failure and increasing collaboration. Rick Andrews describes Yes, and as a thought that leads to a half-bad idea, which leads to a pretty good idea, which leads to an amazing idea. He offers these guiding questions for nurturing ideas from initial thoughts to amazing.
Why could this idea be great?
What possibilities does this idea open up?
What can we do now that we couldn't do before?
What would make this idea better?
Creating workplace conditions where staff can assume collective pride of ownership for ideas, where leaders listen closely and where individuals develop deeper connections with each other begins with open conversations. A business benefit is a cohesive group willing to push past the status quo and create new solutions.
Working through budgeting, forecasting and staff reorganization for an unpredictable year ahead requires energy and optimism. Now more than ever, creative solutions are needed for remaining competitive and profitable.
