Do you have an epic dream (or a modest goal) that you can’t seem to accomplish…yet? Let’s collaborate!
As a group therapy facilitator for deeply depressed individuals, Barbara Sher discovered that, although her group members were painfully ineffective at solving their own problems (keeping them stuck in their depression!), they were remarkably adept at solving other peoples’ challenges. Fueled by exasperation, a desire to be useful, or detached reason, these highly depressed group members saw solutions that a single individual spinning through life couldn’t identify alone.
Organically, these sessions turned into Success Teams, a concept she expanded upon to include hundreds of participants per session over the course of four decades. In one of these large-scale sessions, for example, an older insurance salesman expressed his lifelong desire to be a cowboy, but the obstacle was that he had no idea where to begin. Another participant eagerly offered a few weeks of work on his ranch, and thus a cowboy he became.
In another example, a woman juggling multiple responsibilities hungered to relax on a cruise, but didn’t have the money for a ticket nor childcare for her disabled child. One participant offered free cruise tickets that he had won and had no use for, and another participant offered to freely care for the disabled child to meet her nursing license requirement.
In the spirit of Barbara Sher’s Success Teams, a Yes Party follows a similar format: Each presenting attendee (let’s call them Achievers) announces 1. Their specific goal (or broad dream!), and 2. The obstacle preventing them from achieving it. The other attendees (Supporters?) will offer solutions and resources, if available, toward achieving the goal. That’s it.
Alone, we can only do so much. With collaboration, we have access to infinite ideas and physical resources. Whether you’re fueled by a desire to accomplish a goal, or to be useful, or to engage in creative collaboration, or to build community, there is a spot for you on a Yes Team.
Bring a snack or drink to share if desired. Some refreshments provided.
