“Hope we get to ‘play’ together again in the future, it was a really fun and worthwhile experience.”
We had a wonderful time facilitating a professional development workshop for a team at the National Research Council!
Why they came to us
Like many teams, this one has been through change, with more potentially forecasted on the way. They first and foremost wanted to gel as a team and smooth the introduction of new team members.
In their day-to-day work, they also find they need to roll with conversations and pivot quickly.
This team had already done a lot of professional development in change management, facilitation and communication, but was looking for something different. So they came to us!
What we did
Based on our first call and in collaboration with this team, we created a Thinking on Your Feet using improvisational techniques workshop.
This training allowed us to actively practice rolling with change and uplifting our fellow colleagues:
- We started with a simple icebreaker to get everyone on the same page.
- We transitioned to energizing exercises that provided some movement in a day of seated meetings.
- Fun exercises highlighted team support and working with unanticipated circumstances. These were balanced with insightful debriefs on how to apply the lessons learned to everyday work.
- We ended with a honey roast! This is a sweet way to acknowledge the contributions of each team member and bring everyone together.
The result
“What stuck with me is how easy it all flowed!”
This workshop (like all) ended with a lot of smiles. When people think of improv for staff training, some may be hesitant, nervous, or even scared about what we’re going to do.
At the Improv Embassy, we take great care to make everyone feel as comfortable as possible. Participants who are hesitant at the beginning are always put at ease once we create a safe environment to practice and play these important soft skills.
This resulted in each team member being able to participate to their fullest extent. Debrief discussions were open and honest and this team had really great takeaway lessons for their work.
Takeaways
Some takeaways I’m still thinking about from this workshop:
- It can be difficult to receive compliments when acknowledging effort isn’t built into our general work society. However, when given the opportunity, we see that team members really do notice everyone’s wonderful contributions.
- Getting on the same page with our colleagues before going into meetings or presentations allows us to have each other’s backs in a way that makes it easier to roll with unanticipated situations.
- When asked a question, it’s cool to say “I don’t know, I’ll get back to you,” instead of trying to invent an answer. (Hey, we don’t always encourage just making stuff up in improv!)
Want fun professional development?
We’d love to develop staff training for your team too! Click HERE to inquire about our workshops.
Best in workplace laughter,
Krystal Merrells
Corporate Team Lead at the Improv Embassy