Turning the critics into builders

In any decision-making discussion, it’s easy to get stuck in critic mode — picking away at every option on the table until there’s nothing left. And then you’re back to square one, which can frustrate team members and stall progress.

When you notice your team stuck in critic mode, try asking questions that will get them into builder mode instead. For example:

• “If you could keep some part of this idea, what would you keep?”
• “What’s one thing you would change to make this approach a more workable option?”
• “Is there something here we could test and learn from?”

When you tackle ideas with this mindset, you improve on the good thinking that is already there. You shape, you finesse, you build — eventually molding the clay of the idea into a workable form.