Stop listening politely. Start building together: What “Yes, and” can teach credit union leaders about collaboration

Credit union members have such a powerful position—from sitting on the board to voicing opinions about branch experiences or rates—their voice demands to be heard. Leaders know it. Boards know it. Frontline teams know it too. It’s practically part of the brand identity: member-owned equals members-have-a-say.

But are we truly listening to members or just giving them lip service? If member experience scores are any indication, it appears there’s some work to do. Banks are gaining ground as credit unions’ scores are flattening.

And it’s not just members we’re half-listening to. Many internal meetings still feel like a polite exchange of updates rather than a place where people actually build ideas together.

It’s time to get real: most listening inside organizations is performative, not collaborative. We nod. We thank people for their input. And then we return to the plan we already had in mind. That’s not listening. That’s waiting your turn.

And according to improv actress and seasoned credit union executive Cynthia Campbell, it’s one of the biggest barriers to innovation, engagement, and trust.

I first met Cynthia through a mutual industry colleague who said our approaches to leadership felt aligned. They were right. Her improv-rooted methods are a fascinating approach to team building, and I couldn’t wait to explore how they connect with my own listening frameworks.

So in one of our recent conversations, we started by digging into the “Yes, and” approach.

When people hear “Yes, and,” they often think of politeness or forced positivity. But as Cynthia explained, the improv version has very little to do with being nice.

“'Yes, and' isn’t fluff. It’s taking in everything you’re given—words, nonverbal cues, the whole scene—and advancing it together.”

In improv, no one is waiting to deliver a perfect line. No one is crafting a rebuttal. They’re listening for meaning, momentum, and opportunity—and then adding something that moves the shared story forward.

Cynthia reminded me that “Yes, and” is a mindset, not a meeting technique. A posture of openness, curiosity, and collaboration—long before anyone starts talking.

“Collaboration isn’t a scheduled item. It’s a mindset. You prepare to hear others and remind yourself you’re on the same team.”

Compare that to most leadership meetings, where everyone arrives with their own agenda, their own talking points, and very little space for real advancement.

The power of “Yes, and” isn’t in the “yes.”  It’s in the “and.” The “yes” signals: I hear you. I see you. I value your idea. The “and” signals: Let’s build something with it.

Cynthia shared an example:

“Someone proposes a camera for a phone. Instead of shutting it down, you add features, possibilities, connections. You show you’ve got their back.”

That shift—from defending your idea to advancing ours—changes the tone of the entire room.

It softens power dynamics, increases trust, unlocks creativity. And it helps teams move from filling seats to active participation.

This is exactly where listening breaks down in credit unions: we hear, but we don’t advance.

We collect input but rarely build on it in real time. We ask for feedback but funnel it into pre-decided plans. We “listen” in a way that keeps us safe, not in a way that keeps us moving.

In my coaching work, I see the same patterns Cynthia sees: leaders default to proving, solving, and fixing—not advancing. Not because they don’t care, but because they’re moving too fast.

As Cynthia put it:

“Most meeting frameworks don’t allow any margin for collaboration. People are back-to-back. There’s no space.”

Listening-led leadership asks you to slow down just enough to:

It’s the difference between collecting ideas and building ideas. It’s the difference between a group that politely nods ... and a group that actually innovates.

It’s also one of the strongest ways leaders build trust. When people feel listened to—not interrupted, not “managed,” not redirected—they open up. They take risks. They bring you their best thinking. They collaborate across silos.

As Cynthia shared:

“Being agreed with changes the tone of everything. It opens the conversation instead of shutting it down.”

Cynthia hears this a lot, and her response is simple:

“'Yes, and' isn’t about agreeing with the idea. It’s about advancing the conversation.”

The goal isn’t to implement every idea. “Yes, and” doesn’t mean suppressing disagreement; it means delaying judgment just long enough to explore an idea’s potential.

In fact, healthy disagreement is essential to innovation. But when disagreement shows up too early, as reflexive skepticism or defensive posture, it shuts down exploration before it starts.

“Yes, and” creates a brief zone of psychological safety, where ideas can be stretched, tested, and evolved collaboratively. Once an idea has been advanced and fully seen, disagreement can then enter the conversation more productively—rooted in shared context, not opposition.

It’s not consensus. It’s collaboration. And it only takes a minute. Literally.

Try this in your next staff meeting, strategic session, or cross-functional conversation. When someone offers an idea, pause before moving on and say:

“Before we continue, let’s popcorn six quick additions to this idea.”

Cynthia uses this technique because it:

It’s fast, low-stakes, and wildly effective. And the message it sends is powerful: we build ideas here.

We build ideas in the open, not behind closed doors. We build ideas together—across departments, across roles, across the organization.

Every credit union says they listen to their members. But as Cynthia pointed out:

“The data suggests otherwise. Member service scores are flat or falling. Banks are gaining ground.”

We can’t keep listening politely and calling it collaboration. We need to listen in a way that invites co-creation—with our teams, our members, and our communities. We need more margin in our meetings, more breathing room in our problem-solving, and more willingness to build on each other’s thinking.

The future of credit unions will belong to the leaders who stop trying to be right and start trying to build.

Not “yes, but …”

Not “yes, later …”

Not “yes, we’ll take that under advisement …”

Yes, and.

That’s where the momentum is. That’s where the innovation is. And that’s where the collaboration credit unions need will finally begin.