My high school theater teacher would never let us do improv games or activities; he said they were reserved for advanced theater students. This was at the height of the popularity of the American version of “Whose Line is It Anyway,” and I honestly felt a bit irritated that he was preventing me from getting to try my hand at improv. I continued to view improvisational skills as desirable and took any opportunity to practice and improve my skills. As my career has progressed, I see how they benefited me as an educator and museum professional and as a team member and entrepreneur.
Early in my career, I got involved with the National Informal Science Education Network (NISEnet), and leaders in that organization professed the powers of improv. They gave me opportunities to not only practice these skills but learned to facilitate them in my museum. I have since used them as a crucial part of my training programs to break down barriers, get participants to become more comfortable with failure and become better communicators and team members. After reading Alan Alda’s book If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?: My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating I gained yet another renewed sense of passion for improv as a training tool.
So was my high school teacher wrong? It depends. He may be right if you are looking to develop improv as a theatrical performance. The art of improvisation in theater is a different skill set than classical theater. Still, if we consider it a tool for building communication skills outside of the theater, he was wrong, and it should not be reserved for only those who have mastered other theater skills. (I feel like a bit of an evangelist for improv.) Here are the key things that I believe improv can help your team master.
Breakdown Barriers
Improv can be a great team-building activity. Improv is about collaboration rather than competition. Teams gain a sense of pride from developing a narrative together. While there is no pressure to be funny, it often turns out that way, and laughter is a great way to break down walls. I’ve observed that teams that I work with the most often haven’t had much opportunity to be silly together, and the trust built out of knowing it is safe to be silly is so valuable. I’ve seen that a few hours in an environment where the first thing that pops into your head is the correct answer can prove cathartic and refreshing.
Become More Comfortable with Failure
You will mess up and look silly, but this is a safe space to do this, and becoming more confident in the face of perceived failures will build resilience to more significant challenges in participants’ regular line of duties.
Become Better Communicators
The essential skill needed in improv is listening! Learning to listen instead of responding when building a narrative or responding to elements in a game will help you be a better listener and communicator outside of the training session. You can’t cut someone off with your joke; instead, you need to learn to offer up building blocks that your fellow participants can use as springboards. The “yes, and” mentality essential in improv will benefit participants in many other areas of their lives.
Become Mentally Agile
Improv training can help improve your ability to respond to unexpected circumstances when they arise. Listening, exploring ideas, giving them a chance, and accepting offers from people around you all help people deal with uncertainty and ambiguity.
Become Better Team Members
Many teams haven’t had the chance to laugh together, and laughter can be a strong social glue. Finally, the “yes, and” mentality is fundamental. “You look good by making others look good,” Mullarkey said. Regardless of their status back in the office, everyone contributes suggestions and ideas and finds it rewarding to see them taken up.
If you have ever facilitated improv activities, you might, after reading these benefits, be saying to yourself, “I know improv builds excellent skills, but how do I get a reluctant team to see the advantages and actively participate? In my next post, I will address these challenges and advise you on creating buy-in on your team.
Want to know more about Empowered Development Consulting? Reach out to me, Meghan Scheidel, and find out how Empowered Development Consulting can help you.