Yes And

One of the basic lessons taught in improv is called "yes and". The general idea is that you can push a scene along by supporting what your fellow performers are saying. Whatever circumstances you are given and no matter how the scene unfolds you except it, support it, and heighten it... yes and! After all, whose to say that pretend dog couldn't be blue or the its-not-really-there door knob you opened on stage is covered in honey. When performers modify their response ever-so-slightly with a "yeah but" it totally changes the momentum on stage. You might be agreeing but you are still resisting. And even worse yet, the approach of "no matter what you say I'm going to argue it" can totally stop a scene in its tracks! Improvisers are trained to "yes and" as a way to look on the same page with each other. Taking this mindset into the workplace and it has the same outcome. Its easier to collaborate and foster good team meetings with a little "yes and" support!