Be a “yes, and” boss
I’ve never trained for improv comedy, but there is a core tenant to the craft that leaders should practice: saying “yes, and…”
The idea is to build off of what your troupe members say or do in a scene.
If you don’t immediately see why this plays a critical role in building scenes, picture one where it is not applied:
The idea is to build onto momentum and energy. Otherwise, you risk slamming the breaks on the scene and the audience’s engagement in the moment.
While the goal of meetings and improv are different, the technique is just as valuable.
Let’s put ourselves in a business context and see how a meeting could play out with or without the technique deployed.
With the “yes, and” technique deployed:
Without the “yes, and” technique deployed:
Whether or not the idea is a good one is not the point. There will be plenty of time to evaluate the concept before resources are committed.
By practicing “yes, and” you are accepting and building onto your team’s suggestions, and demonstrating that you’re open to their ideas. This gives the team permission to continue sharing original thoughts.
If your default is set to “no, because” you are signaling that you aren’t open to new ideas and creating an environment where your team assumes their job is to do, and not think.
Improv leaders know that the best scenes are constructed through masterful collaboration where everybody involved adds something to the mix.
The best business leaders know that too.
Want to practice “yes, and” right now? Share this post with your network and add your thoughts!
