Deploying a “yes, and” mindset can be generative and generous to team members as you find new ideas to solve legacy and emerging problems. As much a way of living as a leadership tool, Lucy walks through the attributes of a “yes-ander” and finds a rather familiar stranger to volunteer to try the improv tool for shifting from closed to open thinking.

While many of us default to brainstorming as an ideation technique, it’s arguably loaded with bias and limiting in the concepts it generates. Instead, consider Brainwriting.

Lucy, in defence of facilitation in the round. If we remove the angles, we ensure eye contact, openness, and equality of views. Even better if we remove the table as a barrier between us. Making the case for getting away from the boardroom table and into the round.

The challenge with “confidential” meetings is that - if we respect confidentiality - it’s hard to use the information discussed. At the other extreme, “on-record” meetings risk individuals not speaking their full opinions for fear of retribution. The “Chatham House Rule” navigates a middle-ground of non-attribution.

Try deploying the Rule when mediating a conflict, facilitating a leadership team, or bringing wary parties together to collaborate.