At Improv Niagara, we offer improv workshops to all sorts of teams, from Fortune 500 companies to local community organizations. We’re often asked.. “OK but… how does it work? What do these workshops LOOK like? Will I be thrown on stage to perform an impromptu stand-up comedy routine?”
Let us ease your worried mind. (Improv helps with that, too!)
An improv workshop consists of a series of exercises or “games” that are designed to focus on specific skills. Originally, in the context of theatre performance.
Over time, a lot of research has gone into demonstrating the tremendous benefits improv games have in the workplace (and in life in general); public speaking, active listening, collaborating, communicating, teamwork and so much more.
The workshops typically begin with icebreakers, getting people comfortable with one another, and with this the principle of acceptance, or “yes and,” – a way of creating an atmosphere of non-judgement in which to learn, to try new things, to take risks, and to fail. (Getting over of the fear of failure is a tremendous benefit practiced in improv training.)
Then we move onto games that are more skill-specific. The games are normally done in one big group, smaller groups, or pairs.
An example would be, if our focus was on active listening. The Game LAST WORD, FIRST WORD. An excellent game to encourage strong listening skills.
In pairs, one person will say any sentence. Their partner will respond with a sentence beginning with the last word of their partner’s previous sentence, ensuring they have listened to the entire sentence to the very end. Benefit: This benefits listening to understand, versus listening to respond. It demonstrates respect and shows that you value your partner’s contribution.
It’s difficult to get a sense of how well these games work by just reading their description, which is why it’s such a hands-on, interactive experience. So here are a few reputable articles on the benefits of improv:
Forbes. Four Reasons to Take an Improv Class: https://www.forbes.com/sites/robasghar/2015/08/12/four-reasons-you-need-to-take-an-improv-class/?sh=739f7fc6764a
NPR: The Rules of Improv Can Make You Funnier. They Can Also Make You More Confident: https://www.npr.org/2022/10/19/1129907651/improv-can-build-confidence-heres-how-to-apply-it-to-your-everyday-life
The Harvard Gazette: For More Than Just Laughs: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/05/improv-skills-can-translate-to-social-and-professional-skills/
If you’re ready to help your team reach higher goals, personally and professionally, give us a shout at info@improvniagara.com and let’s get your team improvising.
