Ban “but” for a day

“But” shuts down ideas. It closes people off. It fills the air with defensiveness.

Instead, try these swaps:

👉 “And” to build on what they said
👉 “While” to hold two truths
👉 “Because” to explain your reason

Get rid of “But” and notice how the tone softens. Notice how people stay more open. Notice how ideas progress more.

Try banning “But” within your team for one day. See how it changes the tone of your conversations. 

And see how it changes the quality of your ideas.