Getting to “Yes, And”

Slate.com [March 2014]

Seth Stevenson from Slate is onto something. His article showcases the growing trend of improv for business, and how companies large and small are turning to improv for everything from listening skills to mindfulness to crisis management. The unexpected marriage of business and improv has helped showcase the key elements that successful individuals in both share - authenticity, clear communication, collaboration, and full engagement.

In both improv and in business there is a process of coming to terms with making mistakes. Most people are afraid to make them. They hide mistakes, or pretend they didn't happen. But what if this actually prevents employees from learning and sharing their experiences with others so that they don't do the same thing? And what if a silly workshop could make it possible for employees to see that it's ok to try something new, it's ok if your performance is not perfect, and yes, its ok to MAKE MISTAKES!

The corporate improv world has grown substantially since this article. Happy to see that large companies like Google and Salesforce are learning to embrace the powerful teaching that improv can offer.