Goal: Conduct workshops on how Improv can improve communication while taking a break from the regular agenda.
I’ve completed several free Improv workshops for Toastmasters clubs and they’re always fun. (Toastmasters International is an organization of public speaking and leadership development clubs.) Members (called “Toastmasters”) are creative people who love to break from the usual agenda to use their sense of humor and interact with others in an unconventional way.
Some memorable teaching moments from these workshops have stuck with me. One gentleman initially kept his hands in his pockets during the exercises. It’s an easy guess to figure out how this posture compromised his commitment. With hands in pockets, his body language said, “I’m not totally here or care about the training.” Once I encouraged him to keep his hands out of his pockets his energy changed and so did his involvement. He became invested in what he was learning.
I asked Toastmasters in a different club for specific challenging situations to role play using Improv. A young woman mentioned that other people in the course of her day were rude to her. I coerced her into participating in a scene where I acted rude to her so she could work on responding. At first, I noticed she continually stood slightly behind me, distancing herself from the audience. Also, her body language was conveying her discomfort. After pointing out these things we worked on helping her be more confident. She was successful and benefitted from the insight.
Overall these workshops enable club members to interact better with each other. They also work for any team that needs to get better acquainted. Does your team need help? Improv could be the answer.
