CORPORATE TRAINING
APPLIED IMPROVISATION FOR BUSINESS
WHAT IS AN APPLIED IMPROVISATION WORKSHOP?
In a nutshell:
Applied improvisation takes the principles, ideas and skillset of improvisation and applies them beyond the theatre to create personal or team development. An applied improvisation workshop is a fast and effective way to create meaningful change and profound learning.
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”
APPLIED IMPROVISATION FOR BUSINESS
An improvised performance requires powerful team-work and finely tuned communication to create new ideas, new stories and even whole plays entirely in the moment. To this end, improvisers are trained in the art of listening, storytelling, communicating, and to develop their own creativity, confidence and resilience to thrive as they step into the unknown.
Outside of the theatre, the same principles and training exercises can help:
- Teams become more collaborative, dynamic, supportive, innovative and effective.
- Individuals become better communicators, more confident and creative, as well as more adaptable and better able to deal with change.
Improvisation isn’t chaos – it’s a system of rules & principles that create freedom within structure. Improv exercises allow people to work within these structures to explore a particular skill or principle. Games and exercises are designed to test behaviour and help experiment behaving in new ways. They allow the participants to gain insights about themselves and others and how we affect each other. Often the rules of a game itself are enough to generate the skills required. The practical nature of the games and exercises also have the triple advantages of increasing of the engagement of participants, simulating real-life situations in low-risk environments and an increase in the level of knowledge retention.
WHAT CAN YOUR BUSINESS GET FROM AN APPLIED IMPROVISATION WORKSHOP?
In a nutshell:
An Improvisation session will impact on the effectiveness of both the team and the individual on a huge variety of themes.
WHAT CAN YOUR BUSINESS GET FROM AN APPLIED IMPROVISATION WORKSHOP?
Sessions can target …
- Building High Performing Teams (HPT)
- On boarding new staff more effectively
- Better collaboration and communication
- Improving trust, relationships, and emotional intelligence
- Increased creativity and innovation
- Building effective storytelling skills
- Improving confidence and resilience
- Better adaptability and thinking on your feet
- Enhancing leadership and followership skills
- Improving influencing skills
- Improving soft skills
- Better change management
- Well-being – creating a more positive environment & business culture
WHAT DOES AN APPLIED IMPROVISATION WORKSHOP LOOK LIKE?
In a nutshell:
People are engaged in lots of practical exercises in pairs and groups, followed by debriefs to maximise the impact and extract the key takeaways. Sessions can be designed for any size of group or any amount of time.
WHAT DOES AN APPLIED IMPROVISATION WORKSHOP LOOK LIKE?
How many people?
The ideal team sessions typically have between 8 and 20 people, but we can run sessions from four or five people, up to a conference sized audience.
How long is a session?
Session times are entirely flexible. Ice-breaker and conference sessions usually last from 30 minutes up to three hours. Team sessions can be anything from 90 minutes up to a half-day or a full day. We treat each event as unique and tailor it to the class size and time available.
What happens?
A session with us involves a combination of theory and practical exercises tailored to the needs of the specific group. The practical content can vary from 50% up to 95%, depending on the theme and the client, and most exercises are done in pairs and small groups.
We always start with a general introduction to applied improvisation – what it is and what it isn’t. For example
- It IS an adaptable set of principles and skills that you can apply to yourself and your team
- It ISN’T comedy training – no one has to be funny, or tell jokes.
Next, ice-breakers to help everyone feel more comfortable, and relax even the most nervous participant. We also discuss the theory behind what we do and how to get the most from the workshop. The class will be up on their feet, engaging with each other pretty quickly. We try to foster a supportive atmosphere of playfulness, where it’s okay to take a few risks and step out of your comfort zone.
The core concepts of improvisation will be introduced, and then these will be developed into the chosen theme of the session. Appropriate theory is built in along the way, but the practical elements are where the most insights and skills can be gained. The group is debriefed after each exercise to highlight core teachings and how they can be applied. The most common themes include team-building, creativity & innovation, communication & presentation skills and storytelling.
The session usually ends with a fun group exercise and a final Q & A.
WHY PICK AN IMPROVISATION WORKSHOP OVER OTHER TRAINING?
In a nutshell:
It’s effective, it’s fun, it’s practical, it’s inclusive, and anyone can do it. Improv is a dynamic experiential type of learning that harnesses how the brain works most effectively for fast impactful learning.
Why pick us?
Don’t take our word for it. Here is some of the feedback from our clients
WHY PICK AN IMPROVISATION WORKSHOP OVER OTHER TRAINING?
The huge skillset from the world of improvisation can be learnt and applied to all aspects of business, but that’s not the only reason to choose one of our workshops.
EFFECTIVE.
The concept of improvisation as a tool applied for learning is a fresh approach to personal and team development. Experiential learning is considered the most powerful type of learning as its how we all learn naturally. The exercises can be deceptively simple at times but followed by debriefs and reflections they can lead to some surprising insights and allow an understanding of how an experience can be applied next time for better results. (A key principle of the Kolb learning cycle). Plus improv is fun and fun heightens learning retention.
PRACTICAL.
An improv workshop offers a chance to practice real skills in an active environment and see what works and what doesn’t. To think creatively on your feet and solve problems in real-time. Practical sessions also immediately have the effect of bringing everybody present. There will be no death by PowerPoint. Everyone will be up on their feet and “doing it” very quickly.
FUN.
The sessions will be enjoyable and playful. This does not mean telling jokes and trying to be funny, and this does not mean being frivolous. Evolution has a reason for play. Play is known to
- Improve the ability to learn
- Increase openness to change
- Require trust and foster trust
- Allow people to test boundaries and skills in a low-risk way
- Stimulate creativity
So if we combine learning with a positive emotion (i.e. making it fun and enjoyable), the experience is more likely to stick.
ANYONE CAN DO IT.
No previous experience is necessary! No acting or any sort of performing expertise is needed. Even shy and nervous people will find these sessions safe and supportive. Recent studies have shown that regular improv practice reduces anxiety and increases resilience.
No one gets to look foolish or has to do anything they don’t want to, or that will leave them feeling exposed. We will create a safe and supportive environment where people are encouraged to step outside of their comfort zone and take a few risks.
INCLUSIVE.
The sessions are tailored to be totally inclusive. In an improvisation session, hierarchies are left outside, and everyone starts equal. The temporary removal of hierarchies allows the channels of communication to be wide open. In this environment, everyone from the boss to the secretary can contribute and be heard. Sessions allow work cultures and effectiveness to be examined in a safe and thought-provoking way. It is perfect for exploring status and team dynamics.
WE LIVE IN A VUCA WORLD.
In the real world, things rarely go as planned, and similarly, every step of an improviser is a step into the unknown. Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity are terms that perfectly sum up the unpredictability of an improvisers world. They are well versed in creating and communicating on the fly, under enormous pressure to perform, and with an expectant audience waiting. The stakes are different in business, but the skillset is still applicable. The world is becoming less and less predictable, and strategy and planning need to embrace that. The improviser’s mind-set is ready to embrace unexpected problems and look at how to turn them into opportunities.
THE EDGE.
In today’s world multiple businesses and organisations chase every contract, and slim margins make a difference. We start with the assumption you are already good at what you do. We won’t make you technically better at your job – but we can give you the EDGE over your competition. A tennis player may have a great technique – but often it’s the non-tennis aspects of the performance that make the difference between winning and losing. The player goes to the gym to develop their overall physical fitness and consults coaches to deal with the mental side of the game. An applied improvisation session can enhance the other aspects around your business to give you the edge. So if you want to improve team spirit, trust, collaboration, innovation, leadership, presentations etc. come and talk to us.
Our Team
Team and self-development can be challenging, but we are experts in establishing a warm and positive training environment allowing people to step out of their comfort zone and try out some new skills and new ways of behaving.
Our teachers have a diverse background beyond improvisation, and most have non-performance degrees, including Computer science, Maths & Philosophy, Business Management, etc. As such, they are experts at coaching people of all backgrounds and helping them to get stuck in and have some fun.
SESSIONS INCLUDE …
1. TEAM BUILDING
In a nutshell:
An improvisation session for team-building combines all the fun of gaming events like paintballing or bowling, and creative activities like drumming or ice-sculpting but also adds real practical benefits, and a new applicable skillset to develop better communication and collaboration and make the most of a team’s potential.
“It is the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) that those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.”
1. TEAM BUILDING
Takeaways
- Create a High Performing Team (HPT)
- Increase trust and team-spirit
- Improve soft skills
- Improve collaboration & communication
- Increase resilience & adaptability
- Improve innovation & creativity
- Put team agenda ahead of individual agenda
- Improve work culture & motivation
- Reduce silos, personality clashes & internal barriers
- Explore status dynamics and how they impact on you and your team
- Explore the impact of actions & interactions in real-time
- Improve your staff retention
Improvisation is a team-building activity like no other, in that not only does it impart useful and applicable skills, but it can also be fantastic fun! It is rooted in the mind-set of collaboration rather than competition.
The sessions can be framed as pure team development with the takeaways emphasised and debriefed along the way, or simply as an enjoyable team bonding session with “hidden” benefits. Either way, we won’t let the laughter obscure the learning. There are serious benefits to our fun! And participants don’t need any previous drama, acting, comedy or improv experience whatsoever – anyone can learn to do it.
Plato said “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation” and to play requires trust. Building trust is at the heart of our team sessions, with exercises designed to help participants listen and learn about each other, support each other, and make each other look good.
In any team, everyone wants to be heard, valued, and be able to contribute, and improv activities give the opportunity for all of this to occur in real-time. People will learn new ways to develop as individuals as well as how best to collaborate and retain the focus on the overall team goals. Expect to see your team fully present, improving their active listening and bringing out the best in their colleagues.
A session can also really help bust silos within departments, between departments, and develop a more positive attitude to change, risk and failure. Teams will find themselves working faster, finding solutions more easily, and innovating better.
SPECIAL NOTE: Want to improve staff retention? Happy teams are not only more productive but also stay together longer.
2. ONBOARDING NEW STAFF
In a nutshell:
An improvisation session allows new staff to accelerate through the induction process, developing trust and building meaningful relationships.
“Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.”
2. ONBOARDING NEW STAFF
Takeaways
- Orientate staff quickly and effectively
- Banish first day nerves
- Get to know each other in an authentic way
- Build connections and trust between the team
- Improve soft skills
- Set a positive workplace culture
- Fast-track to a High Performing Team
We know first impressions are important, so how can we bring staff on board in the most effective way?
It’s good to get off on the right foot, and you can only meet someone for the first time once, so the early days of a new job are always important. Getting to know the people, getting to know the environment, getting to grips with the role and the work culture can all be nerve-wracking and sometimes stressful. The journey from new recruits to a High Performing Team starts on day one and ideally should be as fast as possible.
In the theatre, improvisation is excellent at creating an ensemble high on trust and communication. And since some rehearsal periods are very short, it has to happen very quickly. This process is very similar to the “forming storming norming” process that goes on in any business team before they are ready to perform effectively together. There is no quicker way for people to get to know each other and work together than a session of improvisation exercises. They are practical, fun, and allow people to build relationships as they build skills. New staff find them particularly useful when they are looking to absorb workplace standards. The principles of improvisation will enable you to create a workforce that embraces your work culture, is prepared to change and adapt, and is mutually supportive.
SPECIAL NOTE: An improvisation session is fun. Get people smiling on day one, and they will be communicating better on day two.
3. CREATIVITY & INNOVATION
In a nutshell:
A session for creativity and innovation taps into the creative process innate in improvisation. From generating ideas faster and more effectively, through to their development and refinement. We’ll also explore how to deal with creative blocks and the inhibitors to a truly innovative workplace.
“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.”
3. CREATIVITY & INNOVATION
Takeaways
- Improve idea generation & brainstorming
- Create a culture of innovation
- Maximise the use your resources
- Learn how to avoid killing ideas too soon.
- Harness a FLOW state for creativity
- Stop fear of failure undermining contributions
- Make the most of everyone’s creative input
- Explore the role of play in creativity
There are many things you can control, but creativity isn’t one of them – so how do you harness and develop this elusive quality?
Improvisation is by its very nature creative –arriving “in the moment” beginning often with nothing or a simple starting point. The agreed rules and principles of improvisation allow creativity to blossom as long as you don’t let judgement creep in too soon. And collaborative creativity presents the opportunity to make huge leaps in innovation. Insights can appear more quickly and be more be profound when your team learns to harness the mind-set of the improviser.
There will always be successes and failures in the creative process and how you deal with these is crucial. Creating an atmosphere of non-judgement is essential but easier said than done, and if people begin to fear taking a risk, you lose the opportunity to get the best from everyone.
Improvisation develops not only the creativity of the individual but also their resilience and focus. And team support means everyone remains valuable and inclusive to the process.
In this session, you’ll create that culture of innovation for the whole team and learn how to generate ideas more quickly and blast through creative blocks. Everyone will develop a healthy attitude to the role of mistakes and failure and discover how these can often turn into opportunities.
SPECIAL NOTE: “An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.” Edward H Land, Scientist
4. COMMUNICATION & PRESENTATIONS
In a nutshell:
Improvisation is all about interaction, collaboration, and performance. A session for communication & presentations shines a light on the interactions we have in the workplace and refines them to achieve better meetings and day to day relationships with colleagues, and better pitches and presentations with clients.
“The two words ‘information’ and ‘communication’ are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through.”
4. COMMUNICATION & PRESENTATIONS
Takeaways
- Give better presentations
- Give better feedback
- Develop more confidence while public speaking and during Q&As
- Creating a rapport and connection with your audience
- Learn the basics of storytelling
- Improve listening skills
- Build trust and relationships
- Explore the value of being present and “in the moment.”
- Explore status dynamics and how they impact on you and your team
- Develop better emotional intelligence
- Explore verbal and non-verbal cues
- Explore the impact of actions & interactions in real-time
Communication is a complex social activity. It’s the words we say, it’s the body language we use, it’s our facial expressions, it’s our emotions, and it’s completely improvised. It impacts on everything. From dealing with co-workers to giving presentations, to pitching for sales. So how do we improve it?
Listening is at the heart of all good communication, and listening skills can be honed and improved with practice. Applied improvisation exercises can be used to catch more information when listening, not only in terms of content but also the emotional and physical cues. When we miss verbal and non-verbal clues about how our colleagues and clients think and feel we are not genuinely connecting and hearing the full message. To listen effectively, you also need to be fully present and not merely waiting to say your next sentence.
And what about your message? Applied improvisation sessions can have a massive impact on presentations. How do you ensure your message is landing? It’s about the difference between a fabulous production of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet and a drab and uninspiring one. The words are the same. The difference is in the performance. Too often in pitches and presentations, nearly all of the focus is on the content and slides, and not enough on how it’s delivered. The theatre has an enormous amount to offer in terms of exercises to bring the voice and the body to life. This isn’t about acting and being dramatic; it’s about being more authentic and natural and developing your self-expression. Improv exercises are there to hone the messengers as well as the message. Public speaking is often listed as people’s number one fear, so it makes sense to spend time learning to speak with charisma and confidence and become comfortable in off the cuff speaking and Q&As. Finally, don’t forget about your audience. You can’t prepare your speech or presentation in a vacuum and then expect it to land every time. Every audience is different, and you need to be able to shift gear by adjusting your performance to the precise set of individuals sitting in front of you to create the best connection.
Overall improv training offers a brilliant, practical and fun framework to teach active listening and communication skills. Because the exercises we use are essentially a microcosm of the conversations your staff will have every day, and through repeatedly exploring them, your team will become better communicators.
SPECIAL NOTE: An improvised performance is public speaking WITHOUT a script.
5. STORYTELLING
In a nutshell:
Stories are the most powerful and memorable ways to communicate. A storytelling session will teach you how to build compelling stories that are both authentic and deliver your message.
“Humans are not ideally set up to understand logic; they are ideally set up to understand stories.”
5. STORYTELLING
Takeaways
- Construct meaningful and effective stories
- Simplify and clarify your message
- Tell your story to connect to your audience
- Learn how stories can create any narrative you want
- Choosing the right ingredients for the right result.
Stories are about grabbing and keeping the attention of other people. Everyone loves a great story. Stories can amuse you, scare you, thrill you, keep you on the edge of your seat or warm your heart. However, storytelling is also the best way to communicate ideas, persuade others, and to get what you want.
Storytelling is crucial in today’s world. The ability to tell a great story is a powerful skill applicable in so many areas of life and business. Business stories can give a compelling reason to buy from you. A good brand identity can inspire trust between your business customers, employees, and suppliers. Facts and figures are important, but stories create meaningful memories that have a more significant impact, whether the message is to impart information, generate sales, or make a connection. Stories can take dry information and make it interesting, funny, or moving.
Storytelling is already hard-wired into the human brain, and with practice, it can be developed. The session will explore the theory behind what ingredients make the best stories, how to make your message more personal, dynamic and memorable.
SPECIAL NOTE: Facts tell, stories sell.
6. WELL-BEING
In a nutshell:
Improv Training can be the perfect addition to your well-being programme.
“When people go to work, they shouldn’t have to leave their hearts at home.”
6. WELL-BEING
Takeaways
- Cultivate friendships within and between the teams
- Create an opportunity for individuals to learn, grow and flex their creativity muscles
- Nurture safety and trust within the workplace
- Explore the value of being present and “in the moment”
- Reduce conflict and stress
- Reconnect the mind and body
- Improve confidence & resilience & emotional intelligence
- Increase appreciation and gratitude
- Increase in your team’s engagement, cohesiveness and overall productivity
A happy workforce is a productive workforce. Employee well-being is an important issue that companies are striving to address to ensure that their employees remain happy and motivated at work. Besides the physical aspects to well-being such as a healthy diet, exercise, access to natural daylight, etc., equally important is support for mental and social well-being.
Improvisation is an activity that ticks many of these well-being boxes. It provides real quality time together for the team – time that both improves relationships and adds personal development,
Improvisation is recognised as an effective team-building exercise, but it also has a great many applications for well-being. Improv exercises not only target and improve communication and collaboration, but they are also fun. People laugh and connect socially, learning about each other, building trust and community. This, in turn, fosters stronger relationships and better thoughtful feedback. Research proves that when working as a team, friends outperform strangers. Positive social exchanges decrease stress, anxiety, and depression while increasing feelings of happiness and calm. In summary, having friends at work helps you be better at your job and lead to a happier life overall.
A well-functioning team in which everyone feels valued and nobody feels stifled also helps build a sense of individual purpose in turn leading to personal development. The low-risk activities exercises are scalable in difficulty. Everyone can choose how far outside their comfort zone they wish to “play”. An exercise can be an opportunity to have fun but can also offer opportunities to build confidence, creativity, resilience, emotional intelligence and self-awareness. And improv brings you directly into the present moment too – not dwelling on the past nor worrying about the future. Being in the moment has direct parallels with mindfulness which also has proven benefits in well-being.
Finally, improvisation gets you out of the office chair. We know that most of us spend too much time sitting down. That’s why our watches keep telling us to stand up. Sitting at a desk for an entire eight-hour shift can take its toll on our physical and mental well-being. Improv is a great way to get away from your screen and reconnect our minds to our bodies.
SPECIAL NOTE: Ultimately, it makes good financial sense too. Workplace health and well-being programmes not only have a positive impact on your employees’ wellness, but they can also lead to a significant increase in your team’s engagement, cohesiveness and overall productivity. A healthy and happy workforce can reduce costs with reduced leave days caused by a stress or unplanned sickness.
7. ICE BREAKER SESSIONS
In a nutshell:
An improvisation ice-breaker session can add energy, light relief, get everyone relaxed and chatting and prepared for any training session, conference and exhibition.
“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation”
7. ICE BREAKER SESSIONS
Takeaways
- Guarantee everyone is energised and present
- Break down barriers, so everyone is talking to each other and meeting new people
- Create a positive atmosphere
- Ensure that everyone has fun
It’s the start of the day. People have arrived but haven’t settled yet. You want to break down barriers, get people talking, interacting and generally inject some energy into the room because there is a long agenda ahead.
Improv fits the bill. It can provide the perfect beginning to any training session, conference and exhibition. We’ll help create exactly the right atmosphere you need for the day ahead. A series of group and pair exercises will help bring people present in a fun but gentle way and add some light relief, especially for example if the day ahead is due to be a little dry and/or PowerPoint-based.
We can make a positive impact in as little as 30-60 minutes and also set the up the day to deal with any theme or learning objectives such as spontaneity, creativity, team-work, communication, or presentation skills.
SPECIAL NOTE: “Play is our brain’s favourite way of learning.” Diane Ackerman
8. VIRTUAL SESSIONS
In a nutshell:
When face to face sessions are inconvenient or impossible we can move online to deliver engagement, connection, creativity, storytelling, help with well-being and much more.
“All the world is a stage … and now we have to appear on TV too”
8. VIRTUAL SESSIONS
Zoom Team-Building
We will address the usual components of teambuilding; trust, helping participants listen to and learn about each other, supporting each other, and making each other look good. We will explore the improv mind-set and how it can help build strong relationships and a positive work environment. We will also look at the impact of the virtual workplace and how we can maximise its benefits (for instance, in the reduction of hierarchies) and minimise its downsides (it’s harder to read the room with less body language and non-verbal cues).
Zoom Ice-Breaking (60-90 minute session)
Zoom Team Well-being (60-90 minute session)
Zoom Team Party
If your team is based in multiple locations, perhaps across multiple countries, you CAN still have a great social event! Let us organise your virtual party and provide a truly interactive and fun experience. We have hosts specialised in helping people to mix and connect plus the technical knowhow to create the perfect event. Mixing the formal elements with the informal, there is room for speeches, interactive games and activities, live improvised music and time for stress free relaxed chatting in smaller groups. We will show you that you can have fun on zoom!
We can organise the whole event or just be part of your programme. Get in touch to discuss your personal needs.
Other Zoom Sessions
9. OTHER SESSIONS
In a nutshell:
Every improvisation by its very nature involves enhancing collaboration and creativity, but as well as the themes outlined already, we have many other off the peg, standalone sessions and can also tailor a session or programme to explore different topics specific to your needs.
9. OTHER SESSIONS
Confidence, Presence & Status (3-hour session)
Storytelling, You, & Your Brand (3-hour session)
Stories are more powerful than information and statistics. Stories allow us to provide messages in a context that makes them more easily relatable and meaningful. Using exercises from improvised theatre, we explore how stories and storytelling can be used to create a narrative for you and your brand.
Presenting & Performing Authentically (3-hour session)
If you watch “Romeo & Juliet” performed by bad actors, you will lose the power of Shakespeare’s prose and poetry. Similarly, a fantastic message can be lost if the performance or presentation is poor. This session will focus on presenting and performing with exercises drawn from the improvisational theatre.
Spontaneity, Adaptability & Resilience (3-hour session)
Design Your Own Workshop/Programme
We can build workshops focussed explicitly on sales, or change management, or leadership and more.
The more specific you can be about your outcomes, the more accurate we can be with the workshop or programme we design. What tangible results would you like to see? How will you know if you have it? Talk to us about creating a workshop or programme for your specific needs.
SPECIAL NOTE: A successful outcome starts by successfully identifying and articulating the problems you have.