In the 2008 film Yes Man, Jim Carrey learns a valuable lesson in adopting a more positive perspective on life. To get out of a rut, he has to learn “the power of yes”. After being forced to say ‘yes’ to every opportunity, his romantic life, work life, and personal life all drastically improve.
Now, we all know that real life isn’t like the movies.
But some aspects of this idea are more than just Hollywood fiction. The “yes, and” concept is an exercise from the improv world that has gained traction from leadership coaches and the business world as a whole. It’s about being a constructive collaborator and seeing the best in all ideas brought to the table.
It’s about taking what’s being offered, accepting it, and building on it.
Putting the “Yes” in “Yes, And”
In the world of improv, “yes, and” is often used as a general rule-of-thumb on stage. The big idea here is that you can’t use the word ‘no’. You have to accept what the other actor is offering and contribute positively to the scene with your own ideas.
In improv, the word ‘no’ stops an idea dead in its tracks.
Imagine you are improvising a scene, and your partner cries, “It’s raining chocolate milk!” If you were to reply with something like, “No, it’s not!” – the scene is over. Rather than thinking about where the idea can develop, you are stuck in a loop debating its very existence.
By working together, saying ‘yes’, and accepting what is offered, actors and improvisers create a scene that carries momentum—and doesn’t leave the other person hanging. It’s an excellent way to foster collaborative storytelling and idea development.
The “And”
That being said, it would also be boring to stop at just agreeing with what is offered. That’s why the “And” is essential. The concept as a whole includes working together to push the narrative forward. So, adding to the earlier example, you might reply, “Yes, it is raining chocolate milk… and I think we can use this bucket to catch it!”
“Yes, and” can be viewed as the very definition of collaboration. Because at the end of the day, collaboration doesn’t involve simply accepting people’s suggestions and ideas—it also means adding your own thoughts and building off one another. It also means recognizing ideas and accepting them in a constructive way.
Why “Yes, And” Matters in the Workplace
How can you use “yes, and” not just on the improv stage but out in the business world as well? While the workplace is not quite the same as an improv stage, there are plenty of applications for highly collaborative and creative thinking techniques.
1. Better Collaboration
One of the issues across every industry and business is that the phrases “build strong teams,” “be more creative,” and “manage conflict” are all a bit intangible. To foster collaboration and create an open work environment, you need tangible concepts and good habits you can actually apply every day.
Businesses that actively encourage more collaboration are 5 times more likely to be high-performing. That’s why the “yes, and” mindset is valuable—because it’s more concrete. If you can bring this mindset to meetings, everyone involved will feel a stronger pull towards collaboration. As a practice, if there are people you notice you are constantly rejecting their ideas, throw in a few “yes, ands” in there.
2. Being Agreeable
You can’t practice “yes, and” without developing and improving agreeableness, a personality trait found in people also described as cooperative, polite, kind, and friendly.
As you can imagine, agreeableness is a key factor in fostering collaboration. And it’s not just good for your work life—it’s also helpful in your personal life. People who score highly on “agreeableness” are happier than those who score low. Saying yes more and accepting others’ ideas will certainly make you more agreeable.
3. Creative Project Building
Whether working on the content for an ad campaign or onboarding team members — there’s always a creative process that can be improved on through collaborative exercises. For example, input from new employees can be extremely helpful, and using the “yes, and” concept in this situation can help to encourage new ideas and build on existing ones.
Whatever the project, you can improve creative brainstorming with exercises in communication and collaboration. On its most basic level, the “yes, and” concept is about taking all the ideas, no matter how absurd, and considering them. Even if only momentarily.
4. Reducing Conflict
Another great reason to apply this concept is to improve communication. Interpersonal conflicts between team members and customer complaints are always tricky to navigate. “Yes, and” allows you to validate others’ perspectives more often than not and earn trust along the way.
For example, if you are presenting to a potential client with a colleague and you disagree with them, quickly and flippantly dismissing ideas can come across as rude and show the client that you’re out of sync. Rather than throwing in a “No, but…”, answering with “Yes, and (to build on this idea…)” is less likely to irritate your coworker, and you’ll come across as a unified team, sparking confidence in whatever you are selling.
5. Building Empathy
Instead of cutting someone off and correcting, it’s preferable to show you’re reflecting on what they said and are clarifying a particular aspect. A great example of this is how therapists commonly use the practice of Active Listening to communicate with their clients.
Essentially, you’re making the conversation more collaborative and validating their concerns—even if you happen to disagree. This skill is essential for anyone in a leadership role.
Anyone in a client-facing role also benefits from active listening because they’re collaborating to find a solution to their client’s challenges.
How to Adopt a “Yes, And” Mindset
The easy improv exercise is a great way to start building simple habits in the workplace. With practice, you become more receptive – and even when you need to reject an idea, it can help soften the reaction. If done regularly, it makes accepting different ideas and building on them easier.
We’re not telling you to say ‘yes’ to everything like Jim Carrey’s character did. Sometimes, saying ‘no’ is unavoidable – and very important. However, you can use “yes, and” as a means to reframe your perspective. Much of everyday communication can run more smoothly, boost rapport, and create a more harmonious environment if we try using this mindset.
Improve Collaboration with Improv
When it comes down to it, being an agreeable and constructive person can open doors for you. Whether you’re working as a freelancer, an employee, or even as a manager, the “yes, and” concept can help.
Maybe you plan to host your own improv night, or just use it as a brainstorming strategy. Either way, it is a fun and healthy tool to keep in your bag of tricks.
Sometimes, saying “Yes, and”—figuratively and literally—can be just what you need to promote some good old healthy collaboration.
