Published on Forbes/Leadership on June 27, 2014
This article is by Jesse Scinto, a lecturer in Columbia University’s Strategic Communications programs.
“If you’re not funny, there’s no real-life consequence,” Rick Andrews tells students in his improv comedy class. “People just don’t think you’re funny. That is not a big deal.” Then he exclaims, “Okay, let’s get two people up there!” The next scene begins.
An instructor at New York’s Magnet Theater, Andrews has taught not only nearly 700 three-hour improv sessions there but also dozens of corporate training courses for companies like Google , PepsiCo, MetLife, and McKinsey. Since improv training centers began popping up in the 1990s, businesses have increasingly turned to them for help with team building and communication. It’s not uncommon for improv troupes to descend on corporate offsites or for bosses to recommend improv to reticent employees.
How does improv training improve communication?
The premise is simple. Improv performers don’t know what will happen onstage until they’re up there. Each scene begins with a suggestion from the audience. The performers start with that prompt, making up the story as they go along. Although they improvise, the process draws on time-honored principles—the first among them being “yes, and.” Simply put, “yes, and” means performers accept whatever their scene partners do or say as part of the reality of the scene and then build on it with their own contributions. They must be present in the moment, listening carefully, and contributing freely. These skills turn out to be particularly useful in workplaces that rely on adaptability.