Whenever you propose a new idea to someone, or when someone proposes an idea to solve one of your problems, our automatic reaction comes out with a 'yes but' or 'no but' answer. This is because it's much easier to find why something would not work (i.e criticise the idea) rather than coming up with a creative solution.
Next time when someone suggests an idea/solution to one of your problems/challenges, rather than switching to 'But Thinking' mode, do the following two steps.
1. Hold off judgement : No matter how stupid/unpractical/crazy the idea/suggestion may feel at that time.
2. Switch your mind to "And Thinking" mode. This is where you look at the idea/suggestion from a different angle/lense/perspective to see how it could be changed/adopted/adjusted/built-upon to solve your challenge.
Although this sounds very simple, you will be amazed how much "But Thinking" is hard-wired to our system. By learning to use "And Thinking" technique by yourself and teaching others around you to do the same, you can drastically improve the quality of solutions for the challenges you face in your professional and personal life.
