Leadership lessons from pop culture
The BIG Takeaway™
newsletter
Oct. 3, 2022

This week's BIG Takeaway:
Think "Yes, and..." instead of "Yeah, but..."
Video: YouTube
Don't be a Debbie Downer
One simple phrase changes everything

The context: The two videos above focus on a "yes, and..." versus a "yeah, but..." mindset.

  • In video No. 1 Stephen Colbert interviews Keegan-Michael Key and they discuss the pillar of improvisational comedy, the phrase "yes, and..." PLEASE watch this video.

    At 1:05 - "Every rule of improv is the exact opposite of show business." NOTE: Strike the word "show" and the message is the same.

    At 2:01 - "Agree and add on to it. Agree and add on to it." 

  • Video No. 2 is the classic Debbie Downer skit from SNL.

    At 1:36 - "Roy of Siegfried and Roy. He was attacked by his own tiger and suffered devastating injuries."
​What we can learn: A simple change in mindset can help encourage a psychologically safe workplace.
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  • "Yes, and..." builds on ideas and makes them bigger. "Yeah, but..." is an idea killer. "Yes, and..." also encourages participation, inclusion and models appreciative behavior.

  • Key does bring up an important point using heroin as an example that not everything should have a yes and. 

  • However, it's really a simple choice - do you want to be a "yes, and..." leader or a "yeah, but..." leader?

My take: Yes and is one of our six SAFETY pillars; with that in mind these two videos should be required watching for all leaders.

  • ​​Key nails it. Instead of thinking "it's all about me," improv and the phrase "yes and" is all about the team. 

  • Thinking "yes and" brings people into the conversation instead of pushing them away. It also requires listening and trust.

  • Debbie Downer? Watch how people get up and leave the table. They can't take it. Substitute employees leaving or shutting down and you see the problem.

    ​Side note: A lot of people use "yes and to say "yeah but."
    😀"I think we should call our clients!" 
    ☹️"Yes, and, our phones will die, it will take all of our time and work won't get done." 

    Buzz kill.
This week's BIG Takeaway:
Think "Yes, and..." instead of "Yeah, but..."
Let's put this into action
👉​Things you can do on your own
​
  • ONE: Listen for when you say or hear the following phrases: "yeah but," "the problem with that is," "that won't work because," and "we've tried that before." What does the interaction look like?

  • TWO: Watch this video with SNL alum Tina Fey from an interview she did with Google. In two minutes you will learn the "yes, and..." philosophy. 
📢​ Things you can do with others
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  • Work with your team or other colleagues to dig deeper into this topic using our simple conversation prompts. Instead of a book club I like to think of this as our "movie-or-TV club." ​

    This week's prompts are in this discussion guide we created for an earlier newsletter. 
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That's all for now

But wait! Here's something NEW: Read our weird news story of the week.  
  • "Erin Christensen, 38, of Maddock, is charged with misdemeanor counts of providing false information to law enforcement, tampering with physical evidence and unlawful possession of furbearers."​
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​Thanks for reading and please remember:
  • We archive our stories and put them here for the world to read so feel free to have a look.
  • If you have any ideas or feedback Contact me with your thoughts.
Rich Trombetta
​@trombettarich

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Our why:
We believe EVERYONE has something to offer. It's is just a matter of making it EASY to create the environment for them to do so.


Our vision:
Companies will make the effort to keep people psychologically safe at work as they do to keep them physically safe on the job. 
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