The Power of Being Heard...

Yesterday I watched a documentary on how IDEO seeks to be innovative.

Specifically, it centered around the question...How does IDEO seek to innovate?

One of the key starting points is that no idea was allowed to be immediately rejected.  Every person and every idea was to be heard and given a place.  To be clear, many ideas were ultimately discarded, but never immediately and never without being given a place.

Why was this crucial?

Because it meant that people were validated.  People felt heard...valued...listened to.

And why is that important?

Being heard is a crucial...maybe the crucial...step towards unity.  Unity is different than agreement.  Unity doesn't necessarily require complete agreement so long as all parties involved have been heard, valued and listened to, then it is possible for unity to blossom.

In the IDEO example, after everyone had been heard, valued and listened to...ideas were narrowed...eventually small teams were formed around just a few of the ideas...prototypes were constructed...and ultimately one new product was birthed.

Undoubtedly there were members of the team that didn't fully agree that every element of the final product was the best option...but it seemed clear that the whole team was unified in the thought that the final product was the best possible product.

Unification is key.  And it starts with being heard...valued...listened to.

It holds true in business.

In marriage.

In family.

In non-profit organizations.

In politics and government.