The Magic of “Yes, And”
“Yes, and.” These two little words can change your life and your business.
This short, but meaningful phrase is the cornerstone of improvisation. Without “yes, and,” you’d have no scene, no story, and very few laughs. With these two words, you can go anywhere. When used properly, “yes, and” is an incredibly powerful tool. Sure, that’s great, Linnea, but I have a budget to build and a family to support - I’m not pretending to have a picnic on Mars with a bunch of 20-year-olds. True, so let’s get to the significance of “yes, and” and how it can be applied in real-life. In improv, saying “yes” means to agree with the idea presented. The “and” means you add a piece of information to that idea. In essence, “yes, and” means to agree with an idea and contribute to it. You can’t build anything without this concept. No bridges, no relationships, no budgets, no nothing. Here’s a short demonstration by Tina Fey that will help solidify the idea.
Got it? Good. So, let’s discuss how “yes, and” applies to business with a little role play scenario. Pretend you work for a phone brand and are brainstorming new product features with your team.
Co-Worker: “Hey, what if we made a phone that could also play music?”
You: “No way. Nobody wants that. People only want to make calls and send emails from their phones.”
Congratulations! You’re Palm Pilot. (Remember them? Me neither!)
BUT, what if you instead said: “YES! That’s a great idea. What if phones could play music AND take pictures?!”
Congratulations! You’re Apple! (Go buy yourself something nice with your stock options.)
That, at its core is “yes, and.” Your co-worker had an idea (music), you agreed, and contributed your own idea (a camera). There are, of course, times you don’t want to say yes (like if someone suggests something dangerous, hurtful, or just really stupid), but in general, you want to get into the habit of saying yes whenever possible. Your teammates and employees will feel supported, you’ll come up with new ideas, and your company will continue to evolve and grow. Not every idea will be a winner, but some of them will be, so give them the attention they deserve and let them play out.