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At Cisco Live last week the closing keynote speaker Guy Kawasaki boiled down the art of innovation into 10 easy and not so easy steps. Always an engaging speaker Guy gives some great insights.

1. Make meaning
2. Make a mantra (not a mission statement)
3. Jump to the next curve
4. Roll the dice
5. Don’t worry, be crappy
6. Let 100 flowers blossom
7. Polarize people
8. Churn, baby, churn
9. Follow the 10-20-30 rule
10. Don’t let the bozos get you down

via Guy Kawasaki Explains the Art of Innovation in 10 Steps – Channels.

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Last week I wrote about the idea killing phrase “Yes, But”. The following evening I joined some colleagues to discuss an ecommerce project they’re working on.

And yes, you guessed it – I caught myself saying “Yes, but…” I was killing their ideas. The good news is that after the first occurrence I caught myself  and was far more supportive and constructive.

What struck me was how easy it was to be negative. Here’s why.

It appears that we are “hard wired” to be negative, or at least to be far more cognitive to the negative. It goes back to our our primitive beginnings when it was necessary for us, as a species, to be constantly on the look out for potential sources of danger.

According to Cognitive researcher Nancy Etcoff, in her Feb 2004 TED presentation

Our negative system is extremely sensitive. It is our sentinal. It is there to protect us from danger.

The following screen shot of one of Nancy’s slides points out the extent of our “natural” negative bias

What’s really interesting here is the (happy) Marriage Formula:

a ratio of 5 positive remarks or inter-actions to 1 negative remark or interaction.

If we extend this into our innovation and creative thinking environment we can see how damaging negative comments can be. We have to work 5 times as hard to overcome a single negative response.

Working to improve our power over our brain works is not easy. So finding ways to improved your brain power should be worth looking at especially if the payoffs far out way the effort. Take a quick look at this brain optimindation program. and let me know what you think (excuse the pun).

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That might sound like a strange title “When Yes means No”. If you read a little further I’m sure you’ll recognize it. In fact if you’re honest you’ve done it yourself. Hands up, confession – I’ve done it too!

We’ve all been in meetings or on a conference call were everyone is excitedly making their point. What’s often happening is that we’re trying to get an opening so that you can make our own. Right?

So, what do we all do to silence whoever is talking so we can say what we want to say. We say “Yes” – to get agreement – and then we say “BUT” – to move on to our point.

This is when YES means NO.

The reason for raising it here is that it’s a habit that closes our minds to other people’s ideas. We become so focused on our idea that we stop listening to others. What we really end up saying is NO – your idea is not as good as mine.

Next time there’s a “Yes, but” on your lips catch it a stop it before it comes out. If your really mean “No” then say so; and have a proper conversation about the idea or issue. Then move on.

If you really do mean “Yes”, then say it without qualification.

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