What if your manager or client gives you more work than you can handle?

What do you do when your manager or client asks you to take on more work—when your schedule is already packed?

Most of us have two typical responses:

Say 𝘆𝗲𝘀, and brace yourself for even more 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴.
Say 𝗻𝗼, and worry about coming across as 𝘶𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘧𝘶𝘭.

But there’s a better way—a skill borrowed from improv that can change everything.

Imagine this: You’re in a meeting, and your manager suddenly asks you to “take charge” of an urgent project. Your calendar is already full, but saying no feels risky.

Or picture this: A client asks for extra work, and the deadline is tight. Saying yes means you’ll struggle to keep up with everything else, yet saying no might feel like letting them down.

This is where “𝗬𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱…” comes in.

The phrase “Yes, and…” comes from improv theater. Instead of rejecting an idea, performers use it to build on each other’s thoughts, creating a sense of flow.

In a work setting, it works much the same way. Here’s how it sounds in practice:

“𝘠𝘦𝘴, 𝘐’𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘥𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬.”

With “𝗬𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱…”, you keep your response open and positive while setting clear boundaries. It helps you stay engaged without overcommitting.

The magic of “Yes, and…” is that it also:

• Shows you’re willing to collaborate
• Acknowledges that your time and energy are limited
• Puts the choice back in their hands, giving them a sense of control

Next time someone asks you to do more than you can handle, try these two simple words.

Let me know how it goes 🙂