Since I missed seeing the Savannah Bananas in person, I decided that the next best thing was to read their story in the book Banana Ball. Founder Jesse Cole describes the evolution of the crazy team/movement.
One of the behind-the-scenes processes they use to create the energy that has captivated thousands involves “Over the Top” (OTT) sessions. Every single week, the team introduces something new into the Banana Ball experience. That is a lofty goal, and to achieve it requires participation from everyone in the room.
“We are never afraid of bad ideas. I mean, never,” wrote Cole. “Anything to get the flow going. Bad ideas usually lead to good ideas. We have our buckets, similar to idea themes, and we just start throwing out ideas. Everybody has to come up with an idea for each bucket. If we get these crazy reactions and animated responses, that’s when we know we’re headed in the right direction. If there’s a lot of pausing and stammering and quiet, then we’re stuck.”
To push the envelope as they do — every week — it requires a level of trust that most organizations fail to achieve. I’m teaching a culture class where we’re studying psychological safety, and OTT sessions could be a good illustration of that concept in action. If people are hesitant to speak up, if they are afraid of being ridiculed or of their idea being laughed at, or if there is fear of providing a ‘wrong’ idea, safety doesn’t exist. Apparently, in Bananaland, trust is high and the safety net is strong — leading to phenomenal success within the organization.
Two takeaways: 1) work first to create psychological safety so that people can speak freely about ideas or issues, and 2) don’t just brainstorm for ordinary ideas — shoot for Over the Top to achieve something truly special.
Source: The Unbelievably True Story of the Savannah Bananas by Jesse Cole, 2023
