Emergent Thinking:
This is when people extend the brainstorming session (Divergent Thinking) to allow ideas to emerge … ideas that are constructive, creative, and additive.
A great technique to use in this Emergent Thinking zone is a rule from Improv Comedy: ‘Yes and… ‘.
Try this: next time someone presents / prompts an idea during the ‘Emergent Thinking’ zone conversations, be attentive to what is being presented / prompted… then at an appropriate time, say, ‘Yes and…’ and then add something constructive, additive or creative to build on or expand the essence of the presented / prompted idea… that, in turn, could lead to another idea… then another person will say ‘Yes and’ … go one round until each person has had their turn.
Make it fun… be like kids again, discovering new things together.
Caveat;
What you do not want to say is, ‘Yes but…’ or ‘No’ — this violates the ‘Yes and’ rule!
Rule? Yes, there is a rule.
Rule;
You must accept and expand the idea and be creative enough to take it to a new dimension leading to new ideas and possibilities. Emergent ideas and possibilities. This is what this ‘Yes and’ rule is all about!
We need great ideas to emerge… for great outcomes to emerge! Try this ‘Yes and’!
Activity: Go to Youtube and search for ‘yes and improv’
