Improv Helps You Work
When I was a kid, I was extremely shy. I had been told one too many times to be quiet and stop talking. So eventually I did: I put my hand down and kept to myself. Through improv, however, I reconnected with that outspoken, creative, little kid and now I use my improv skills at work and in all areas of my life.
Yes And?
Improv (in my mind) is based around 3 important things: Community, personal relationships, and “Yes And-ing”. It is a misconception that the point of improv is to be “funny.” While yes, we do want people to laugh, it is much more about inventing something magical on-stage, together, With other people! Improv cannot work with just one person. Improv is all about making new and unique connections, and just going for it. The thing everyone knows about improv “Yes And” is often misunderstood, it’s not the “Yes” that is important but the “and.” It’s about agreeing to someone else’s idea and adding your own contribution.
Community
Improv is all about community. How are you expected to perform with people you don’t know or trust? Equating this to the work world, your relationship with the people you work with matters, a lot! Your relationships shine through the work you do. If you are comfortable with the people you work with, your work will be so much better. Now, I’m not saying you need to be best friends with everyone you work with, but making sure everyone feels safe and supported is extremely important. Being able to throw out new ideas is scary, knowing that your community has your back regardless of the quality of your ideas, is what pushes people to take risks, and make unique connections.
Relationships
Getting to know the people you work with on an individual level, outside of work, helps you get a much greater understanding of who you are together, as a community. I think about it like this: In every group, there are individual relationships that make up the larger community. Those unique combinations of people make up the whole group. So, in order to make a more creative work community, it is worth it to get to know each other separately! Have your spinoff episode with the person you don’t always talk to. Sometimes different combinations of people work amazingly well together. Sometimes you connect with people you never thought you had anything in common with. Go on platonic dates (plates) with the people you work with. Get to know them outside of the work environment!
And…
And and and. Never start a sentence with and. Well, I DID. “And” is honestly the most important word in my life. “And” is all about finding out how YOU can contribute to an idea. Don’t just say yes. Figure out how your own ideas can stack on top of someone else's. Improv is about creating a made-up world together. Each person brings a unique perspective, idea, character, location, whatever it is. The ability to create something collectively is what makes improv so magical. Someone has a great new idea at work, fantastic! How can you help? What does it make you think of? Your additions don’t have to be life-changing, but make sure you are contributing! Don’t leave all the heavy lifting to one person, and don’t take on all the heavy lifting yourself. If everyone is “and-ing” you can all create something incredible together.
A Little Improv Exercise to Try with Your Co-workers (Or friends!)
Okay, in conclusion, improv helps you be more creative and think on your feet and make fun connections blah, blah, blah. Yes, you know, you just read the whole thing. Now here is an actual practical little improv game you can try in your life to make fun connections!
Convergence
The goal of Convergence is to have two people say the same word at the same time. This game is all about getting everyone on the same page, and getting people to make connections together.
Everyone stands in a circle, and whenever two people are ready with a word they step into the middle.
The group then counts
Group: “1, 2, 3”
On 3 the two people in the middle will say their words, for example:
Person 1: “Pig!”
Person 2: (at the same time) “Disney!”
The two people go back into the circle and now the group must figure out what word is between Pig and Disney. These words can be anything, you may think of Charlotte's Web, Mickey Mouse, or Capitalism. Any idea is correct!
Two new people step into the circle and after the count, blurts out what they think is between Pig and Disney. For example:
Person 3: Disneyland!
Person 4: (at the same time) Wilber!
As you can see, you start narrowing in on concepts that are closer and closer together. The rounds repeat, with different pairs of people saying words, until two people say the same word (and make the same connection!)
Once you make the same connection or a convergence, the entire group celebrates! Dance. Run around. Cheer. And then start a new round!
Improv is a great way to trust yourself and others. Try adding a little improv to your workplace, and see how “Yes anding” can change your work environment.