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The Business of Improv
by Renie McClay, SMT President
If you have seen an improv group perform, you likely have seen great comedy, had some laughs and experienced an enjoyable evening. So, what does improv have to do with training?
16 years ago I moved to the Chicago area. I was starting my career in training and had the opportunity to study with Second City, the world-renowned improvisation group. They have 5 levels of classes and I enjoyed all of them immensely. We performed in shows and it is an amazing amount of fun. After becoming a mom, this hobby was shelved. But I never forgot the energy and adrenalin produced by this great experience.
Years later, when my very theatrical 11-year-old son was interested, I began teaching improv to kids with a group called No Foam Productions. This time around, I began to see that improv principles are very relevant to business. Let’s see if you agree.
The goal of every improviser is to make the team look good. Period. When that happens, the performance works and the audience is pleased. We’ll look at a few of those fundamental principles that make good improv a reality.
Agreement – Accepting what your team member says is critical to successful improv. If your team member says she is holding an apple and you say no, it is a ball, the scene is in trouble. Taking what your partner says and making something of it is vital to success. We use the term “yes, and” - accepting what the partner says and adding to it.
Listen – You can’t accept what the team member says if you didn’t hear it. Listening with your ears as well as your eyes is important. Watching and listening to what is going on so you can support it is critical. Thinking ahead about what you are going to say next, or about where you want the scene to go, is dangerous.
Be in the Moment – Concentrating on what is now. Watching for subtle clues as to what is happening. This is not the time for planning ahead or making assumptions. Really focusing on the present is very important.
Not judging – A person’s idea is their idea and it is important not to shoot it down. Treating every contribution as an important contribution will increase success. Making a judgment on an idea may prevent a great solution from being considered. But more importantly, the entire team can be affected. If people see ideas being dismissed, they may be less comfortable offering their ideas. Accepting without judgment is important to create a supportive environment on stage. You can now feel free to express yourself, no matter how unconventional it may be, because you are comfortable that your team will support you in it.
There are more, but these are some fundamental skills to make improvisation work. What if all new product ideation meetings followed these rules? What if sales people saw value in supporting their peers and making their district look good? What if any brainstorming or process improvement discussions really used these guidelines?
At the upcoming SMT annual conference, we will practice some exercises that trainers can use to promote these behaviors. It will be fun and lively and my hope is that it will add to your trainer’s toolbox.
Renie McClay teaches improv for No Foam Productions in the Chicago area. No Foam uses improv as one tool to get behavior change in businesses. They specialize in helping corporations to inform, persuade and inspire their internal and external audiences through training and development, new hire communication, internal communication, marketing and branding video, CD and web communication. For more information contact www.nofoamproductions.com, nofoaminfo@nofoamproductions.com.
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