People often ask what inspired me to start Improv to Improve. Why improv for business? The idea of Improv to Improve was created over dinner with a close friend who has now become my business partner. However, the spark, the light bulb for incorporating improv with business skills, was lit many years before.
During my senior year of college as a BFA performance student, I decided to take a beginner, level 1 improv class at a local improv theatre for an independent study course. The class was made up of 10 unique individuals. There was one woman in particular who stuck out to me; she was extremely quiet, almost still. In a private conversation she explained, in a barely audible tone, that she joined the class per request of her therapist after she suffered a minor nervous breakdown while working as a flight attendant. The woman appeared weak, shy, unconfident and frightened on that first day. I remember thinking, “How will she be able to do this? Why is she here? Improv is not for her.”
Although I made these assumptions; I was VERY wrong. This woman showed up to every class, and tried her best every time. Slowly she spoke up more, had more energy and confidence in her body, and she even made me laugh a few times while performing! What was even more striking was what happened before, after and during breaks. She was communicating confidently with others in the class, and her body language was completely different. She stood up straight and almost looked taller! She was transformed into a stronger, more confident person, and she was even able to return to her job as a flight attendant. Improv was for her, and improv is for you! The skills learned in applied improvisation can be beneficial in all aspects of your professional and personal life. These skills are vital to succeed in the workplace.
At Improv to Improve, we facilitate improv for business workshops because we know it will make your team members stronger and better communicators, as well as improve their productivity at work. Confidence and strong communication CAN be taught, and our improv games and debriefing activities will do just that. Discovering these soft skills can be applied to daily life was my inspiration to start our company, Improv to Improve.