Umbrella of Mercy
A Whack on the Side of the Head – now that’s an interesting book title! One might be tempted to buy it for the title alone.
Apparently many did. The publication has been read by millions, translated into eleven languages, and used in seminars around the world.
Subtitled, How you can be more Creative, Roger von Oech’s best-seller was first published back in 1983, and hence you might think of it as old hat by now. However, it's one of those books that has stood the test of time.
The author identifies ten attitudes or "mental locks" which limit a person’s creative thinking:
The Right Answer
That's Not Logical
Follow the Rules
Be Practical
Play Is Frivolous
That’s Not My Area
Avoid Ambiguity
Don't Be Foolish
To Err Is Wrong
I'm Not Creative
He then provides a chapter on each of these areas and explains how each can be unlocked.
Von Oech’s premise is this:
Crazy, foolish and impractical ideas are your stepping-stones to practical ideas. Sometimes you need to break the rules in order to find them.
Yet here’s the challenge. Bringing such creativity into planning meetings is often a dangerous thing to do.
Here’s the challenge. Bringing creativity into planning meetings is often a dangerous thing to do.
The leader stands up and says, “Okay, team, we have an event to plan (or a problem to solve). Let’s do some brainstorming. Remember, there are no bad ideas!”
Yet while it may have been said that there are no bad ideas and that it’s safe to think outside the box, the history of such meetings all too often demonstrates just the opposite.
Those who dare to swallow hard and give voice to their thoughts don’t receive nods and smiles that say, “Go on…tell us more.”
Rather they face eye-rolls, scowls, shakes of the head, and quick interruptions – “That won’t work!” or “We can’t do that!”
Is it any wonder that creative meetings end up being anything but that? In fact, they can end up being dangerous places.
I know what this is like. I’ve attended meetings like this. Sadly, I’ve led meetings like this.
A safe place for creative thinking
This is why a concept one of our staff heard at a conference was so welcome. It originated with von Oech as a way to set the context for true brainstorming.
Just before communicating a daring and possibly unworkable idea, the staff member placed her cupped hands over her head like an opened umbrella and said, “Umbrella of mercy here, okay?”
It was a simple way of telling us, “I’m taking a chance in sharing this. I’m going out on a creative limb. Will you extend some mercy to me as I share this half-baked idea?”
“Umbrella of mercy” is a simple way of telling us, “I’m going out on a creative limb. Will you extend some mercy to me as I share this half-baked idea?”
The practice caught on immediately. During future brainstorming sessions, this simple gesture and short phrase reminded the group that the speaker was taking a risk.
And the nods that were offered (even the mirrored gesture that was returned) encouraged the speaker to present his/her idea in all of its rawness.
Some of our best ideas surfaced in these umbrella-of-mercy moments. We may have looked stupid making the gesture, but it ended up being one of the best tools we implemented.
Crazy, foolish and impractical ideas are your stepping-stones to practical ideas. Sometimes you need to break the rules in order to find them. – Roger von Oech
Such a whack on the side of the head might be just what’s needed. All it takes is someone to do the whacking.
Why not consider bringing this umbrella to your next elder meeting, staff meeting, or team meeting? It might well open the door to some great discussion.
If not…well, there’s another book Roger von Oech wrote. Maybe that will help.
Its title?
A Kick in the Seat of the Pants.
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