Being a good manager is tough.  You have to be part psychologist, coach, accountant, bookkeeper, captain, cheerleader, parent, visionary and fortune teller.

We arrived as the Island of Misfit Toys and left knowing that our quirks were strengths. Notably absent: Yukon Cornelius. Photo by Chris Glass.

As a manager or leader, you might find yourself venturing with your staff into the magical world of team-building, the 30,000-mile tune-up that promises to improve communication, productivity and collaboration.

I can hear your team groaning from here.

Having reluctantly participated in more than my fair share of these, let me suggest something completely different:  an Improv class.

I recently tried the free Improv 101 class at Coldtowne Theatre in Austin.  Chalk it up to Tina Fey’s book Bossypants, which convinced me that the rules of improv apply to business too.  Couple that with encouragement from colleague Vickie Sokol Evans*, Microsoft Certified Trainer by day and Improv performer by night.

Confession:  I almost didn’t go, chicken that I am.  None of my friends were willing to join me and my stomach was turning backflips as I drove there.  But I acted as if when I got there, and strode quickly toward the mild-mannered group milling about the entrance.

Erika led our Improv 101 class. Subtly in charge, not so large.

Erika, an obvious pro, was large and in charge, and quickly learned all of our names and made us feel at ease.  We warmed up with a clapping-telephone game that got our synapses firing and got us working as a group.  We also learned to use our voice, words and body for improv, and did several more fun-goofy games that exercised each of these.  By the end of the hour, I realized the Clark Kent types we all seemed to be at the beginning had emerged as improv superheros. I certainly was ready to take on the world after that.

I don’t know if all improv companies or classes are always this supportive and encouraging, but this first class sure was. We arrived as the Island of Misfit Toys and left knowing that our quirks were actually our strengths.

So if you have a team, especially a team of marketers or creative types, who need to work together better, or get their creative juices flowing or see each other in a different and more positive light, give improv a try.  More than likely, your team will emerge more cohesive, energized and confident.

A Real Example

Michael Jastroch, Executive Director of Coldtowne Theater, told me he recently worked with a large marketing firm who was having trouble working together to find creative solutions for their clients.  When marketers would float ideas, the first words out of someone’s mouth were usually “No, we can’t do that.”

“One of the basic tenants of improv is to say ‘Yes’,” Jastroch explained.  “But saying yes takes time to develop.  After doing a bunch of hilarious scenes, the group had a breakthrough and realized the power of the word yes.  Plus, they brought snacks.”

No egos were bruised in the making of this post.

Suzanne Doughty
@suzanne_doughty

*Vickie Sokol Evans is an amazing techie guru. Seth Godin must have been talking about her in his Time for a Workflow Audit post.

Other blog posts you might be interested in:

Tina Fey’s Rules of Improv Apply to Your Clients Too
Beyond LinkedIn Basics
Why to Sign Up for Twitter Even if You Hate It
Highlights of Social Media Success Summit