We all know the game. Get people (children or adults) in a circle; one person starts whispering a phrase or sentence in the ears of the person next to her, then she whispers what she heard to the next person. This is repeated all the way around the circle until it reaches the person who started it all off. Then she tells the group what was whispered to her and what her original phrase was; then everyone smiles and laughs.

The game is a powerful tool in listening and communication. Yet, I also think there is something interesting to learn about how ideas change. When we launch our ideas into the world, they will evolve and change as they interact with people, systems, and the world. We often cling to our ideas and can view the original idea as the ‘true’ one; the only ‘correct’ one.

What would happen if we released our ideas more freely, more generously, and expected them to change. Expecting them to evolve because they need to, they must if they are to survive and grow. What if we use the telephone game in real life to intentionally evolve and grow our ideas?