The Power of "Yes, and" Thinking

14 days into 2022 and my days are already filled with decisions, requests, and tasks at home and at work. Each of these items on my to do list makes me realize how much I rely on others and how much others rely on me.?We all need the skills and assistance of others to achieve our full potential.??That said, I struggle to find the balance of asking for assistance and giving assistance.?I never want to say no and I am hesitant to burden someone else by asking for help.?Maybe my team does not believe that second part exists, but it does.

Luckily this week I was reminded about one of the best tools for individuals and for teams to reach their full potential.?It is the power of “Yes, and” thinking.?Here is how the concept works:

Instead of telling someone you can or cannot do something to assist them, you think of the situation that would reduce the burden of saying yes.?It does not have to be some crazy list of demands to get the person and their demands to go away.?A simple set of things that could make the ask easier to fulfill is perfect.?

Here is how it works: A parent asks me if I can give their child a ride to practice on Tuesday.?If I had already made plans to run an errand before practice that day, I could say Yes, And could you please drop your child at my house 30 minutes before practice so I can run an errand I already have scheduled (no burden added).? What has just happened is I started a dialogue about what is mutually beneficial to both parties. Maybe my request leads to the other parent sharing that they have 3 other activities already that day, but they would be willing to handle pick-up.?We then decide that both kids will come to my house after school, I will take them both to practice after my errand, and the other parent will handle pick-up.?This solution just turned into win:win for both parties.

In addition to lowering the burden, this action of asking “Yes, And” lead to empathy and maybe even some trust building that goes a long way to building stronger personal connection.?The more I understand someone else’s needs and what they are dealing with, the more creative I can be in coming up with mutually beneficial solutions.?Add these together into a network of strong connections and now I can start solving more complex problems and take advantage of larger opportunities.

This works when you are asking for help as well.?Start with why you need the help and be vulnerable.?It could lead to a more meaningful connection and outcome.

I often forget this gem that was given to me a few years ago by Randy Blaha. It is a good one as we kick of 2022 and rebuild some personal connections we might have lost in the past couple years.?Thank you Monica Johnson for reminding me of it.?I hope you find an opportunity soon to uncover a great Yes, And win.?Please share those back to the article as you have them. I can't wait to hear about them.