Build on others’ ideas with "Yes, and…"

Make every idea in a group session a platform to build from, not a proposal to assess.

Why it works

"Yes, and" is an improv principle that sustains momentum in collaborative ideation. "No" or "Yes, but" activates the originator’s threat response and stops the idea’s development before its potential is explored. "Yes, and" signals safety and adds information — it forces the responder to build a mental model of how the idea could work, which often produces the unexpected combination that neither person would have reached alone.

How to do it

1. Train yourself to begin every response in a collaborative session with "Yes, and" — literally say those words.
2. Add something genuine to the idea: extend it, specify it, combine it with something else.
3. Reserve critical evaluation for the explicit evaluation phase.
4. When you hear yourself about to say "yes, but," pause and ask what a "yes, and" version of your response would look like.

Evidence

"Yes, and" is a foundational improv norm with strong face validity in collaborative settings. Research on psychological safety in team ideation shows that environments where contributions are welcomed (not immediately evaluated) produce higher creativity and more candid communication. (observational)

"Yes, and" as a formal protocol has not been independently tested in randomized trials; the mechanism rests on psychological safety and improv practice literature.

Sources

• Edmondson (1999), psychological safety and team learning, Administrative Science Quarterly

Common mistake

Using "Yes, and" verbally while body language communicates "no" — the protocol only works when the additive posture is sincere, not performed.