Del Close – Jason Hensel

The first rule of improv is “yes and.” There are other rules, or rather guidelines, however “yes and” is the one and only rule that truly matters. Without agreeing to the reality presented to you, progress trips over itself, and you and your co-performer are left staring at each other.

Much like improv performers, company leaders and managers should learn the “yes and” rule and stick it in their hearts. I’m flabbergasted at the number of times over the years I’ve experienced a “yes but” manager. Maybe there’s a “yes but” class at MBA schools, or maybe mentors train managers in the art of “yes but.”

Stop the “yes but” cycle of abuse, I say!

No one likes to have an idea agreed to with conditions. When you do that, you stop progress. The employee starts immediately placing restrictions on ideas. It’s more fruitful to agree and add to the proposal.

Of the following examples, tell me which is better:

Employee: “I plan to recycle all the aluminum cans in the break room.”
Manager: “Great, but that’s a lot of cans and you’ll have to do it all yourself.”

Employee: “I plan to recycle all the aluminum cans in the break room.”
Manager: “Great, and I know a place you can take them that offers the most money.”

If you’re truly a leader, or want to be one, you’ll see the benefit of contributing to an idea and moving forward rather than holding back and letting fear, doubt, or pessimism dictate your decisions.

The great improv teacher Del Close once said to “follow the fear.” What he meant by that is you should go toward what makes you uncomfortable, do things that scare you. For a lot of leaders, agreeing to an idea wholeheartedly scares the snot out of them. That’s exactly what they should do, though. Agreement isn’t the endgame, however. You have to add to the conversation, move it forward.

Do me a favor. This week, with everyone you interact with, make “yes and” a part of every conversation. It will seem uncomfortable and forced at first. Over time, though, it will become instinctual. After the week is over, reflect and let me know if you feel happier with your decisions and that life is moving forward.

If you’re creating an atmosphere of agreement, I can guarantee that your employees will agree to follow you. If you’re a but leader, though, employees will find any excuse to counter your decisions. Don’t be a “yes but” leader. Be a “yes and” leader.

(Image via Flickr: visualpun.ch / Creative Commons)

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The great improvisation teacher Del Close often said that performers should play up to their audiences, that they should treat them like poets and geniuses. This idea, though, shouldn’t be relegated to theater only. It should guide choices for anyone that creates and works with an audience, whether you’re a writer, a teacher, or an event planner.

Because here’s a truth: Like attracts like. If you cater your content for idiots, all you’ll ever get are idiots consuming your content.

Perhaps that’s what you want to do, and if so, great. Keep on keeping on. Personally, I’m unable to go down that path. I’ve always struggle with “write to an eighth-grade level” or “be overt with how it’s applicable to the audience.” To dumb down content, for me, is appalling.

The best part about improvisation is discovery. It’s an incredible feeling when you’re on stage and you discover that your ideas and actions match your co-performers’ ideas and actions. In other words, it’s magical when you hit upon group mind. It’s double magic, wizard-style, when that group mind spreads out into the audience. You can hear audience members gasp when you gasp. You can sense that they know it’s time for a callback at a particular moment and you do, too. And when the show is over, you get a rousing round of applause because everyone, on stage and off, discovered something magical together. The show will be unforgettable for a long time.

You can apply the same idea to writing and reading. In fact, reading is an action. A person may look passive reading a book or magazine, but she’s not. Her brain is making all sorts of connections and working in overdrive to sort out meaning and context. And guess what will make that book or magazine article memorable. Yep, discovery. Actively participating in the reading process, along with the writer who is pouring out info to guide you, makes for a much more fun and enjoyable experience.

You can’t have that, though, if you’re treated like a dummy. For example, consider if William Faulkner started off The Sound and the Fury with “This is a story about the disintegration of Southern values.” That takes the fun and mind growth out of reading it. Isn’t it more interesting and more rewarding as a reader to discover that on your own, to make that connection yourself or talking it out with others?

The question is: Do you want to create content that’s memorable, or do you just want to relay information? The answer depends on who you want as your audience. As I mentioned, if you want to continue with a passive audience, that’s fine. Me, though, I’m sticking with active participants, because through discovery comes change and enlightenment. And, really, this world could use more discoverers.

(Image via Flickr: John Goodridge / Creative Commons)

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Jason Hensel

Are You a But Leader?

The Value of Discovery