Steve Carell. Eddie Murphy. Tina Fey.

3 big names in comedy with roots in improv.

Improvisational comedy or theatre is about making up dialogue, character, and stories in the moment.

As part of their basic training, actors learn to say two words: “Yes, and… ”

Here’s how this works…

The first person starts a story, “A unicorn galloped past me… ”

The next person says, “Yes, and I chased after it.”

“Yes, and” shows acceptance of the story, idea or remark.

This boosts creativity but it also does something subtle and more profound…

It teaches you to accept someone else’s input before sharing your own.

“Yes, and… ” helps motivate, encourage and inspire people.

In a meeting or conversation, when someone offers their input, don’t fall back on the common, “yes, but…” which feels like pushback or criticism. Use “yes, and… ” instead.

It’s a simple word switch that makes all the difference!

Remember the last time you used “yes, but…” in a conversation? How did it go?

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