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When you hear the word “improv,” what do you think of? Do you picture a stage, spotlights and the pressure of everyone’s eyes on you? Maybe you see the cast of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” hamming it up on stage, leaving the audience (and themselves) in stitches.
Improv can be all these things – but it doesn’t have to be. It can also be a set of practices and philosophies that help build resilience, observation skills, teamwork and communication. In other words, these are the skills that take clients from being jobseekers to valued, long-term employees.
How does it work?
While improv may seem like spontaneous, off-the-cuff comedy, it’s actually grounded in a set of important rules and guidelines. It’s these rules that make improv work, and the skills developed through improv work for you. There are three foundational rules that set the stage (pardon the pun).
Yes, and
This is the “golden rule” – and it packs a double punch. The first part is about saying “yes” – accepting what others bring to the table rather than shutting their ideas down, even if they don’t align with yours. It’s acceptance first, then figuring out what to do with what you’ve accepted next. That’s where the second part of the golden rule comes in – “and.” It gives you the opportunity to contribute your own ideas to the conversation, building on those others have provided. Saying “yes” first can be challenging and requires that you let go of preconceived notions about what should be happening and accept the reality being built around you. Following with “and” gives you the power to add to the story, making it even better.
Make your partner look good
This rule means your goal in improv isn’t to stand out as the star of the show, but in many ways, to do the opposite. It’s making sure others shine – lifting them up and giving them the support they need to appear strong, confident and capable. Finding ways to help others succeed becomes a way of life in improv – and the great thing is that everyone else is working hard to help you succeed as well.
Be fully present
The quick-fire nature of improv requires a level of mindfulness difficult to achieve without practice. This rule directs you to observe not only your physical presence and how you’re interacting with others, but also to watch and listen to everything happening around you. Each word, each movement and each facial expression are prompts you can use to move the scene forward, so you have to catch every one of them.
What’s so special about improv skills?
The skills developed through improv connect strongly with Skills for Success – those the federal government has identified as the skills every Canadian needs to be successful in learning, working and life. They include foundational skills like reading, writing, numeracy and digital literacy – all fairly easy to define and measure. Harder to measure are the other five Skills for Success:
- Adaptability
- Collaboration
- Communication
- Problem solving
- Creativity and innovation
These skills are harder to define and assign a skill level to – but every one of them can be built through improv.
Adaptability: The only way the golden rule of “yes, and” works is when people are adaptable and ready to accept how the input of others changes the direction of their work. Improv is built on unpredictability, and getting comfortable with it helps build flexibility and a willingness to adapt in an ever-changing environment.
Collaboration: Improv is an ensemble activity – no single person dictates how it will go. Team members, focused on making each other look good, need to be open-minded, supportive and ready to contribute at a moment’s notice. It’s a recipe for becoming a valued member of any team.
Communication: Strong verbal skills are required in improv, both to clearly express yourself to the ensemble and be heard by a potential audience. Layered on that are the skills developed by being fully present, listening carefully, paying attention to tone and observing body language. Improv provides the building blocks for strong, dynamic give-and-take communication.
Problem solving: When something unexpected happens in improv (which is most of the time), your problem-solving skills get a workout. The more time spent creatively thinking of ways to turn an off-the-cuff comment or facial expression into an improv masterpiece, the more possibilities you can see in other unexpected situations off the stage.
Creativity and innovation: It takes only one viewing of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” to recognize the creative strength of these improv professionals. Creativity is the foundation for a wealth of skills, from seeing unexpected solutions to creating new processes or products. Thinking outside the box is a powerful skill, particularly when combined with these other skills for success – being a team player with strong communication skills ready to solve problems.
Two simple activities to build Skills for Success through improv
1Create an unusual restriction for yourself when completing a common task. For example, when moving around your workplace, only turn left. Set a timer and see how long you can go without ever turning to the right – even if it means spinning almost 180 degrees to the left when you want to turn right. Think about how concentrating on that restriction changed how you completed the task.This activity builds problem solving, adaptability and creativity skills.
2 Pick a common object – it could be a head of garlic, a stapler or a shoe. Work with a partner to take turns looking carefully at the object and describing its:- Shape: Is it tall, squat, long, round or flat? From far away, what could someone mistake this object for? What could they mistake it for if it were 10 times larger or 10 times smaller than it really is?
- Smell: Get as specific as possible. Garlic may smell “garlicky,” but does it smell earthy, buttery, musty, spicy or oily? Does your partner smell anything different?
- Colour: How many colours can you identify in the object? Give each colour five different names. The sole of a shoe may be brown, chestnut, mahogany, coffee-coloured or chocolate.
- Texture: Describe the texture to your partner as if they couldn’t see it. Use detailed descriptions and comparisons, so they can picture it clearly in their minds.
This activity builds collaboration, communication and creativity skills.
