Improv-ing on Soft Skills

Terri Williams

Who knew Improv could be such a great team building exercise?  If you are working with a new team in your organization, you should consider it, as DAC delegates found out to their surprise and delight. The Virtual Night at the Improv session was more than a hoot:  delegates also learned a lot about communication skills in four skill-building games.  Here’s what happened: 

Conference attendees were divided into breakout groups and led through four improv games.

The first game – Alliteration Alphabet – had attendees describing themselves with one word that started with the same letter as their name and adding an action to go with the descriptor.   We soon found out it’s easier to remember a person’s name if you think of a descriptor to go with that name and an action to match. 

The second game, “Yes, And” had our groups building on random stories using And instead of But.  But can be a negative word. And builds on someone else’s thoughts positively. 

The third game called “Question Only” was a tough one.  You had to answer someone’s question with a question.  The delegates struggled not to simply answer the questions they were asked.  We learned that by following up a question with a related, relevant question, you will learn more about what the point of the first question actually was and you will go deeper into the subject. 

The fourth game was simply a Zoom dance demonstration with everyone following different delegates’ moves when they were highlighted.  Fun was had by all, but there were important lessons learned as well. In fact, some of those lessons learned will help leaders see their colleagues in a different light, increasing their ethos and building flourishing employees.

Special thanks to Improv Niagara for a great time – and valuable business communications session.

Join us next year LIVE in Niagara Falls October 16-18 for DAC Acuity 2022 when the educational extravaganza will continue in-person! Take advantage of early-bird tuition rates and reserve your spot now!