ExploreFlexSupport ... and Keith Johnstone

As I sit at my keyboard today, I think I've been falling prey to something I cautioned against in an earlier article - namely the striving for originality.  So, as a remedy, I thought I would turn to that great crusader against the mania for originality, Keith Johnstone, and see what ideas I could draw upon from his book Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre.

Lo and behold, I ran across a passage that echoes my observations in my earlier article about people who try to impress others with the originality of their arguments and observations during problem-solving discussions.  Says Johnstone:

"My feeling is that the best argument may be a testimony to the skill of the presenter, rather than to the excellence of the solution advocated.  Also, the bulk of discussion time is [often] taken up with transactions of status which have nothing to do with the problem to be solved."

In other words, positioning, posturing, and one-upmanship, rather than using the ExploreFlexSupport Model:

Exploring the possibilities presented by others' perspectives;

Flexing one's viewpoints, assumptions, and (yes) biases; and

Supporting others in developing their ideas - and supporting the group in moving the group forward productively!