I just got off my first international Skype call. I spoke with a social worker specializing in communities in crisis. She was calling from a war zone. And believe it or not, the call was about improvisation. That’s right, we talked about improv, and the intense effect it has had on her work and life.

Barb Lauer worked in Baltimore’s inner-city volunteer corps in 1988-89 with my good friend, Eric Berg. Eric and I attended Yale together and also performed in Yale’s first improv troupe, the Purple Crayon. After he graduated ahead of me, he took his fellow-volunteers to catch a Purple Crayon show in Baltimore where the Crayon happened to be touring.

After a very funny and memorable show (Barb can still remember specific scenes, 20 years later), Eric let everyone in on the critical foundation for improv. “Yes, and…”. Improvisation exists because of those 2 little words, “Yes, and…”. No matter what an improviser contributes onstage, she’ll be met with agreement. Her troupe members will say, “Yes!” Better yet, they’ll add, “and….” The “Yes!” confirms the person’s contribution, makes their idea real, keeps the scene moving. The “and” is the critical aspect of accountability. No one can just sit back and agree. We have to say “and..” and add our own contribution. We have to play, too.

To me, the really impressive part is that Barb really heard this. She recognized this technique of “Yes, and…” as a tool for communication anywhere. And then she took another leap. She was willing to try it. So as Barb’s career took her through communities in crisis such as Russia, the Balkans, Indonesia, Liberia and Afghanistan, she used, “Yes, and…” to open communication with other cultures and with people in oppression.

One of the most amazing stories she told me concerned a student parliament in Liberia in 2006-2007. A couple of 17-18 year-old boys came to her and said that they wanted to form a student parliament. This was, as Barb clearly elucidated, a CRAZY idea. Everything inside of her screamed, “No! You have no idea what sort of barriers you face! The Liberian government is not strong! Your countries are oppressed, dealing with disease and internal strife, what are you thinking?!”

Instead she took a deep breath, paused for a moment and said, “Yes, and tell me more about why you are interested.” The boys had excellent reasons. She said, “Yes” again and asked another question. They thought, brainstormed, and again had an excellent response. So she just kept using the “Yes, and..” + question template.  For the following months, the kids worked on how to make their parliament a reality. Every time a barrier would arise in her brain, she just handed it back to them. “Yes, and tell me how you think we can get other kids willing to engage in this?” And they came up with all of the answers.

The first student parliament was comprised of 100 teens from all 3 areas: Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. They discussed issues that affected them directly, such as the use of child soldiers, and their desire to attend school longer. The second parliament that Barb witnessed occurred only in Liberia, and this was a particular triumph. The teens invited 6 adult members of their parliament to attend and answer questions. All 6 accepted and attended. The adults were being asked questions they’d never heard before, and although the teens remained respectful, it was a strong, breakthrough experience for everyone involved. As Barb remembers it, “I could feel the kids understanding, start to see and realize what politics, government, civic responsibility could mean to them. To their futures. I take no credit, not one whit, for this. All of the ideas were theirs. I just kept saying, “Yes, and…””

What Barb fails to take credit for, is the fact that if she hadn’t said, “yes” that very first day, the student parliament might never have occurred.

So why am I writing about this? This blog is supposed to be about engaging colleagues and clients. What do you believe is the connection here? When did any of us last say “Yes” to an idea that was not only crazy, but entirely unprecedented? I believe that I live and breathe the improv way, but I am humbled and pause as I consider, “Would I have had the courage to say “yes” to those teens? When have I let my screaming, scared, barrier-filled brain kill a crazy idea in a far less serious situation?” The answer is: many times. When I take that breath, just like Barb, and use the “Yes, and” + Question template, wonderful things can happen.  (www.ImprovEdge.com)