Better Meetings, Brainstorming, & Problem-Solving with Improv

Improvisation is more than jokes. If you let it, improv is a tool that can make your professional life more productive and engaging, especially when it comes to brainstorming and problem solving meetings.

Meetings take place for all types of reasons with all types of people in various stages of their leadership development. They may be volunteers, peers, managers, or students. Everyone that attends a meeting is being generous with their knowledge and skill sets. So, how can I value their time, give them a meaningful experience, and serve the needs of the organization or project?

We can use the basis of improv – yes, and – as a two-part meeting norm by which we conduct ourselves.

Part 1: YES – Accepting

The “yes” part of this is about accepting and not negating what the person has said. So, in an improv scene, one performer may come in and say “Hey, Bob, this moon base is pretty cool.” The other performer has to accept they are on the moon. He can’t say “We’re not on the moon. We’re in Macy’s, and I’m buying a shirt.”

Let’s say we’re in a brainstorming session trying to figure out to increase event registrations for a 5K fun-run, and an attendee says “We should do print advertising to reach a broader audience.” Now, the logic brain says “whoa, we’re a nonprofit, and that will cost us money, eating into our budget.” If I say that, though, I’m not valuing her idea, putting up a barrier to the brainstorm, and stopping any incoming ideas. The improv brain, though, wants to say yes, despite the economic impediment. If we accept the idea that’s been offered and make the person feel appreciated for her contribution, we might figure out a way to pay for the advertising. Or, even better, we could figure out an alternative low-cost option.

In improv, we call what our scene partners offer us endowments. Every line or action builds to the next. Another word for endowment is gift. Every idea is a gift, and in accepting that gift, we should add to it.

Part 2: AND – Adding

That’s where the “and” comes in. The “and” part of improv is about adding something, reciprocating with an endowment. It’s not just about acceptance. It’s about helping to build or discover with other people. Let’s take our same scene again, where the first performer says “Hey, Bob, this moon base is pretty cool.” How boring is it if the other person just says “Sure is.” Then one person is doing all the work, and it’s pointless for the second person to be there. They have no meaning.

Now, let’s go back to our brainstorming. We want everyone at the meeting to feel engaged, to feel they can help build the thing or solve the problem and that what they are saying has value. When the attendee suggests print advertising, the improv brain wants to accept it. But, how? We can’t materialize the money we need to pay for that, but we can find something in what she said that we can agree with. What about the “reach a broader audience?” What about just the “print” part? Those are things we CAN say yes to. So instead of dismissing her suggestion, we get to build on it with greater specificity. I say, “We could reach a lot of younger runners if we printed flyers and hung them up at the gyms near the university. It will be a lot cheaper, too.”

No matter the type of meeting, accepting what each speaker says and building on it is important. Even if you don’t agree. Even if you think they’re dumb. Even if right away you think whatever they are saying is impossible to implement. Something in what that person just said is valuable. Maybe a kernel of a good idea exists. Maybe you’ve gained insight into this person’s perspective. Maybe it helped you think of another idea. 

The Solemn Vow – Two Ground Rules

Now, how do you implement a philosophy like this in your professional meetings? This is the simplest thing. For your problem-solving, ideation, or pitch meetings – whenever you are trying to fix or create – begin by asking your attendees to commit to this solemn vow.

• All ideas have value. Every idea has something to build on. I will not dismiss another person’s idea without considering how I can build upon all or a portion of it. I will not negate another person.
• If all ideas have value, then my ideas have value. Someone will help improve my idea. I will not preface any of my ideas by saying they are dumb or worthless or too outrageous. I will not negate myself.

In short, this solemn vow is “‘All ideas have value, including my own.”

I encourage you to start your meetings in this way. You’d be surprised how it sets an atmosphere of constructiveness and engagement.

Productive meetings happen when we are valuing what each person is saying, understanding each person’s perspective, and building upon it. We can all “yes, and” every day in big and small ways. When we are accepting and progressing forward, we can create something new or solve a problem. Together.