Participants collaborate during an Oak and Reeds workshop.
By Dave Collins, Founder & CEO, Oak and Reeds
Companies today know that collaboration is key to success—business continues to go global, remote work is becoming the norm, and siloed departments are giving way to cross-functional teams. In fact, Harvard Business Review reported that in the last 20 years, collaboration in the workplace has increased by 50%.
While it doesn’t always come naturally to everyone, increased team collaboration has many business benefits. Research shows companies that actively promote collaborative work styles are five times more likely to be high performing. Collaboration can also lead to higher employee engagement, improved communication and public speaking skills, and a company culture that supports bold ideas.
So how do you create a culture of collaboration in your workplace? I like to lean on the classic improv rule “Yes, and.” While “Yes, and” has long been used (and overused) in business, it’s still a great starting point, no matter where your company is in its collaboration journey.
“Yes, and” means treating all ideas with respect.
My interpretation of “Yes, and” is to treat all ideas with respect. But like any other business buzzword (see: think outside the box, synergy, best practice, blue sky thinking—I could go on), you can’t just pay lip service and expect to reap the benefits. That’s why it’s important to understand the business situations where “Yes, and” can help teams collaborate effectively and thrive.
The Pros and Cons of Collaboration
“Yes, and” is helpful in many workplace scenarios because it generates a conversational flow that builds toward winning ideas. It also creates an inclusive environment, where more people feel comfortable contributing. That said, “Yes, and” can lead to unproductive ideas, sidetracked meetings, or delayed decision-making. And saying “No, but” can actually be constructive, if you know something won’t work based on prior experience. In his book Everything’s an Offer, author Robert Poynton explains the trade-offs inherent in choosing whether to “accept” (“Yes, and”) or “block” (“No, but”) new ideas:
Realistically, you can’t be 100% on board with every new task and proposed decision—life doesn’t work that way. But it’s important to be thoughtful about when it’s more productive to say “Yes, and” versus “No, but.”
Workplace Applications of “Yes, and”
Here are a few workplace scenarios where “Yes, and” can help your teams collaborate more effectively.
Brainstorms
The purpose of brainstorms is to put all possible ideas on the table in real time—the critical thinking and judgment should come later. Leveraging “Yes, and” in brainstorms helps people overcome their fear of being judged or rejected in front of their colleagues. It helps them turn off their internal editors and feel more comfortable sharing incomplete thoughts that others can add to, not pick apart. Lastly, rather than thinking about what you’re going to say next, “Yes, and” forces you to be an active listener so you can creatively build upon others’ ideas as they’re sharing them in real time.
Interviews
When interviewing candidates, “Yes, and” helps guide your interviewee to share objective evidence of their skills. In this scenario, the “and” in “Yes, and” is a follow-up question—which gives candidates an opportunity to provide more context about the challenges they overcame at work. This helps hiring managers be better listeners, and reduces bias toward people who are good interviewers but don’t actually have the right skills.
Team Meetings
In meetings, “Yes, and” can help show support for colleagues who are more junior or lower “status.” An inclusive environment means that people can focus on the idea itself—not who’s pitching it. You can even assign roles during a meeting so different people push and pull on ideas in new ways. For example, one person can be the “Yes, and” person, another can be “No, but,” and another can be the “wild idea” person. Assigning roles gives your colleagues permission to experiment with different approaches to make a conversation richer.
Questions to Consider
Now that you’ve learned how “Yes, and” can help improve collaboration, take a few minutes to apply these insights to your own workplace.
How can adopting a “Yes, and” mindset in certain scenarios help you be more supportive of your teammates?
What are three specific workplace moments (e.g., regular meetings or common interactions) where you could remind yourself to accept—rather than block—ideas? How will that help create a culture of collaboration?
Where and when is “Yes, and” not the right approach? Why might it fail?
Interested in training your team on collaboration? Learn more about Oak and Reeds’ Team Collaboration workshops.