Yes. And...

The most important rule from improv acting is also my favorite tool for questioning or disagreeing with a boss. 

Improv is the art of acting out a scene without any preparation. Think "Whose Line Is It Anyways". When Actor 1 says,"Wow, isn't this cake delicious. Yum!" Actor 2 replies,"Yes, and I love the ice cream too!" But, if Actor 2 replied,"No, we aren't eating cake." The scene would come to a halt. The audience would be confused and it would end.

When your boss has an idea or gives you an instruction, you may think,"Oh no that will never work" or "The team will NOT get on board with this." You immediately want to say no. When you shake your head, you may be scared to be labeled as the "naysayer". You may have fear if you say no, you may not be invited back to the inner circle. 

Instead of "Oh no that will never work!" use "Yes, and I am curious about how that will work."

Instead of "The team will NOT get on board." use "Yes, and I am nervous the team may have a hard time with this. Any ideas on how to get them on board?"

It's problematic if your leader can't take feedback, but we all know it happens. Use "Yes, And..." and lead from where you stand! 

Caroline Crawford