At the New York Improv Theater, we host corporate groups weekly in Times Square and travel to events from D.C. to Boston and beyond. We employ a version of the workshop outlined in this eBook to teach team building, leadership, sales, and service skills. While we customize our workshops to your team’s specific needs and challenges, the specific games we play are less important than the principles they embody. There are thousands of improv games to choose from, and we often adjust our selection based on your team’s skill levels and evolving needs.
Our Three #1s:
We begin every session by emphasizing three foundational principles:
- Walter’s #1 Rule: HAVE FUN but never at another’s expense. Improv thrives on a playful and supportive atmosphere where everyone feels safe to take risks and be themselves.
- #1 Improv Rule: YES AND… This principle teaches psychological safety, the number one factor in team success. By focusing on making your teammates look good, you create a collaborative environment where everyone feels empowered to contribute.
- #1 Comedy Skill: Listening This is also the number one skill in a great leader. Active listening involves not just hearing the words, but also understanding the underlying emotions and intentions. It’s about listening with your eyes and being open to changing your perspective based on what you hear.
Warm-Up Games:
- Zip Zap Zup: The classic game warms us up individually and as a team, teaching us to listen and respond quickly as we pass around simple words and gestures.
- Pass the Face: An improv version of telephone, where players pass around a silly face, gesture, and sound. This exercise highlights the importance of non-verbal communication and observation.
- What Are You Doing?: We break out of our shells a bit with silly pantomimes – swimming, biking, running, rock climbing – to spark creativity and spontaneity.
Team-Building Games:
- Ten Scenes Ten Minutes: In smaller teams scattered around the room, players spontaneously create a series of simple conversations based on a location or scenario. This activity builds quick thinking, collaboration, and storytelling skills.
- Eight Things or Categories of Eight: Each player is given a topic to list eight things, while the team encouragingly counts to eight after each offer. This game promotes creative thinking, quick recall, and supportive teamwork.
- One Word Story: Players create a short story, one word at a time. This exercise fosters collaboration, active listening, and builds a sense of shared creation.
- Yes! And… Short Stories: Players create mini-stories one sentence at a time, starting with the words “Yes! And…” This exercise reinforces the power of agreement, collaboration, and building on each other’s ideas.
- I Am a Tree: We learn to make simple choices, listen, and “Yes, And…” as we build a series of pictures. This game develops trust, non-verbal communication, and the ability to create a shared vision.
Masterclass of Performance Games:
Unlike most corporate training improv companies, we believe in ending the session with a taste of actual performance games you might see in a show like “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” or performed by local troupes, including our own off-Broadway show. These games showcase the potential of improv and demonstrate how far the team has come during the session. Many fear improv as the ultimate expression of the unknown, but we show that creating stories without a net is easier than we think. We simply have some fun for the final 30 minutes of a 2-hour workshop as smaller groups take the stage to create original skits and songs – just like we do in our professional shows!
Ready to take the next step?
Contact us today to learn more about our team-building workshops and how we can help your team reach its full potential!
Get our eBook FREE via Kindle Unlimited!
Get “Improv for Business Success,” for more tips, exercises, and case studies on how to harness the power of improv in your workplace! Just $2.99 via Kindle and FREE via Kindle unlimited!!!
- GET TICKETS to our signature show, featuring the professional cast of EIGHT IS NEVER ENOUGH delivering hilarious interactive musical comedy improvised based on audience suggestions and participation. Live form Times Square and touring nationwide since 2002!
- LAUGHTER STARTES HERE – Improv 101
- COMEDY 4 TEENS Weekly Classes
- COMEDY 4 KIDS Weekly Classes
- EMAIL for more information about shows, classes and private events! Corporate clients get free tickets to all shows and free drop in sessions for ongoing classes.
The New York Improv Theater is a one stop edutainment center for corporate team building, office / holiday parties and more. Our comedy shows and workshops deliver high impact results. Clients include Google, Mercedes Benz, META /Facebook, TikTok, JP Morgan Chase, Accenture, Morgan Stanley, Twitter, Roblox, Rimowa, EI Digital, Accenture, Datadog HQ, Milbank, BING/Microsoft, Band of America – Merrill Lynch, Home Depot, Ernst & Young, Johnson & Johnson, Louis Vuitton, Coach, UBS, BDO, AMEX, Master Card, Macy’s, 360i, IBM, GM, Kraft, UNILEAVER, HBO, Prudential, Convene, Conference Board and many more… (NYC DOE VENDORS)
You must be logged in to post a comment.