My #1 rule is to have fun, but never at another’s expense.
The #1 rule in Improv is YES AND..
This week I hosted a team building event at the Broadway Comedy Club that was a first.
Everything started out business as usual. A wonderful group of retail sales folks arrived to find our happy hour cocktail hour mini buffet of sliders, wings and fries. I add my own selection of tortilla chips and gluten free crackers with hummus, guacamole, salsa, 9-layer dip and cheeses. The team enjoyed a drink or two before we started.
Every workshop begins with a warm-up. Standing in a circle we play a series of games where the team passes the energy, focusing and listening to the team, contributing with big energy in their moment. These games warm up the individual and team dynamic.
We follow with series of games that teach the team to make choices, respecting all previous choices made by scene partners. We teach to let go of that judgmental voice. That voice that tells us we are not good enough. That voice that says someone else is not good enough. That voice that is so worried about being perfect it is impossible to be good – impossible to truly let go and have fun.
When we let go of that voice we can open up ourselves and discover the world. We truly listen to ourselves, our team, our clients, our friends and loved ones. We tap into a smarter more creative subconscious.
HAVE FUN
MAKE BIG CHOICES
MAKE BIG MISTAKES
let go of that fear of failure…. let go of your ego (which is an overcompensation for insecurity). Just live, listen and respond…. trust your team. TRUST YOURSELF!!!! The you and your world will work better for you than when you thought you were in control of it….
OK back to my story…
This party was unique. The team was originally going to go to an after party at a local pub. But it was <10 degrees Thursday. That morning I snapped this on my car’s dashboard
So we made arrangements to have the team hang out for a few more drinks and set up three beer pong tables. The group of 12 slit into six teams, and battled it out.
It was quite the impressive display of sporting effort. A few had some very hidden talents.
By the end a championship was crowned but all truly had a blast.
Improv is a powerful way to bring the team together and learn some life skills they don’t often teach in school, or in many cases, skill we all learned but have forgotten to employ over the years.
But ANYTHING that gets the team having fun and laughing breaks down the walls of distrust. It is impossible to feel fear and hate while you are truly laughing and having fun.
Find ways to break the monotony in the office space.
Learn to HAVE FUN as a team!!!!
New York Improv Theater 