Daniel Seewald · Feb 12, 2019 · 4 min read
How many times have you ignored, flouted and thoroughly defecated on someone else’s idea? Even the most creative of us does this from time to time. More than we would like to admit.
The Story
A number of years ago, my oldest daughter visited me at work. She was six years old and was really excited to help me solve a public health challenge I was grappling with.
But like most adults, I had a To-Do list and I had to get things done and needed to keep her busy. At the time, I was the Global Commercial Head for Pfizer’s Smoking Cessation franchise and I figured I could keep her occupied by asking her:
“To come up with a new way to help people to stop smoking?”
Of course this young entrepreneur eagerly agreed. An hour had passed and I returned to my office to discover an excited child ready to pitch her big idea.
My Daughter: Here’s my idea… a drink to help people stop from smoking cigarettes.
She presented a post-it note and additional sketches on my white board. And then there was a noticeable silence from me.
The original post-it note concept
Me: Great idea. Thanks sweat heart.
Voice in My Head: That will never work! The pharmacokinetics wouldn’t be right, smokers would never try it and the cost of clinical studies will be cost prohibitive. What a ridiculous idea!
On our way home later that evening, we walked to my car and just as I was about to put her in her car seat the thought crossed my mind of where she got the idea of a drink from. So I asked.
My Daughter: Well, when we were walking to your office, I noticed people puffing on cigarettes the way people sip on a drink. And so I thought what if people could sip on a drink that was a medicine instead of sipping on a cigarette.
I nearly fell over. This six year old child had discovered a really compelling and deep insight. And sadly, I also realized something about myself. My initial reaction, because of my “expertise,” was to instantly squash her idea. I immediately judged it. I never gave her idea a chance to thrive. I was very successful at instantaneously devising all of the reasons why it wouldn’t work. And furthermore, I had walked the same way to work so often and seen the very same smokers huddled outside sipping on cigarettes. Just as my six year old child had observed. But I never opened my eyes to see what she saw.
The Takeaway
So what’s the moral of the story? Aside from the fact that a 6 year old is likely more observant than an adult, she taught me that we need to not only see the world with beginner’s eyes but we also need to be open to accepting new proposals and possibilities. Otherwise, we will forfeit the ability to see what other are seeing, yet think what no others have thought before.
This is the mindset of the innovator. So what can we do about it?
So what’s the moral of the story? Aside from the fact that a 6 year old is likely more observant than an adult, she taught me that we need to not only see the world with beginner’s eyes but we also need to be open to accepting new proposals and possibilities. Otherwise, we will forfeit the ability to see what other are seeing, yet think what no others have thought before.
This is the mindset of the innovator. So what can we do about it?
One of the most fundamental expressions in improvisational theater is the expression: “Yes, And”. Yes And is the cornerstone of improvisation and is a simple two-word phrase that prompts you to accept everything that’s offered to you, regardless of the offeror and regardless of what the offer might be. You accept it at face value. The “and” directs you to take the starter idea and build directly upon it. Using “yes, and” as a tool enables you to foster a creative environments but more importantly enables the power of possibility. “Yes” is an emboldening word because it allows us to get out of our knower mindset and simply accept a possibility and the various and unusual possibilities.
In commemoration of this powerful word and my own myopia, I have begun a practice a couple times of year. It’s called “Yes to Everything” day. Without telling a soul about this event, I embark on my day and will accept every single offer, with the exception of not committing a crime or hurting anyone else in body or spirit with my actions, with an effusive “Yes!”
The Challenge
My challenge to you is to set aside a day of “Yes” and see what happens to you. You just might find that unimaginable possibilities will open up to you on that day and if nothing else, you will find a renewed sense of energy and purpose. Give a try and please post comments on your experience with other visitors to the Deliberate Innovator.