Improvisation (often shortened to “improv”) is a performance art in which the characters, plot, and dialogue are all made up on the spot in front of an audience. For the past 12 years, I have been performing and teaching improvisation. Although most of my improv background has been oriented to comedy, I have led many corporate group workshops as well. In these workshops, the goal is less about comedy/entertainment and more about linking improv and workplace skills. Corporate improv workshops are similar in many ways to the group coaching methodology described by Northouse, and I think the activities I do in improv workshops would make a great addition to group coaching sessions.
Improv workshop participants take the stage in small groups or pairs and make up short plays together, usually inspired by a suggestion (like a location or activity). Because there isn’t any time to think before talking, all ideas that are expressed are considered “truth” in the scene and supported by the other players. This is the improv concept called “yes, and,” in which all ideas are accepted and then more ideas are added in support of the original idea.
Like improv, the self-portrait drawing in group sessions is a spontaneous expression of the self. The only difference is, in an improv scene, the spontaneous expression manifests in the form of action and lines of dialogue. According to Northouse (2016), the group coaching participants share their self-portraits and take turns talking about their portraits and listening to others’ feedback. This is very similar to the sharing and supporting dynamic that takes place between scene partners in improv.
“Group members get the opportunity to know each other much better–even though some of them may have worked together for many years” (Northouse, 2016, p.311). This sentiment is similar to what participants have written in my corporate class evaluations. Many of them point to the fun environment, stating that it was an unusual but fun way to get to know their coworkers on a more personal level.
Sometimes made-up scenes can be emotionally heavy. In one class that I co-taught with a licensed therapist, students were invited to share a problem they were facing in their real lives and then asked if they would like to roleplay through some possible solutions. One student came forward and shared that she had to fire one of her employees and was (understandably) dreading it. Another student joined her on stage to play her employee, and the two roleplayed the situation. Although there is nothing that can prepare someone perfectly for a difficult conversation like that, the student did indicate to us that she felt a little better.
Similarly, according to Northouse (2016), group coaching provides a way for people to express emotions and bring “repressed feelings, fears, and covert conflicts to the surface (Northouse, 2016, p.311). Both improv workshops and group coaching sessions offer people a safe space outside of their normal work environments to work through emotions and understand themselves and others a little better.
Northouse also points out that group coaching encourages an environment in which participants are willing to experiment, thus avoiding what the author refers to as “psychic prisons” (312). Similarly, improv is all about play and taking creative risks. Coupled with the principle of “yes, and,” the risks creative they take are met with acceptance and enthusiasm by others, not judgement and cynicism.
Improv skills include active listening, accepting the ideas of others, quick thinking and decision-making, making others look good, focusing on the present moment, being adaptable, and cooperating with others. Improvisers who are trying to create entertaining scenes for an audience employ all of these skills in order to accomplish that goal. It’s easy to see how the skills that make a successful improvised scene can also help make a successful working environment. Check out this cool article by Forbes.
In the article Business Improv Creates a Culture of Change and Innovation, Sarah Gee points out three benefits of adding improv to corporate life: improv gets people working outside of their comfort zones, improv helps people overcome embarrassment so they can shine and be leaders, and improv allows people to take action and lead by example (Gee, 2011). Northouse (2016) makes a similar point to the latter in the description of “mirroring”: “Imitative, mirroring behavior–or identification with the other–is an important part of the interpersonal learning process and a very powerful force for change.” Improv mirroring exercises include Follow the Leader, where two people face each other. One person takes on the role of leader and moves their body while the follower mirrors the leaders movements. Then they switch.
Improv activities would fit well as part of the group coaching sessions described by Northouse. The goals and philosophies are similar, and the addition of interactive activities would add to the benefit.
References:
Gee, V., & Gee, S. (2011). Business improv creates a culture of change and innovation. The Journal for Quality and Participation, 34(3), 30-33. Retrieved from http://ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/docview/907558302?accountid=13158
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.