Who Said Team Building is Easy?
There was a time when I was improvising for a living. That might be an exaggeration; I was hardly making a living. I was surviving and having a wonderful time doing so. I was part of an improv company called Chicago City Limits. We met while studying at Second City with the improv guru, Del Close. We formed our group, moved to New York City, and set up shop.
We began to fill seats after we received a good review from the New York Times, and the corporate people came knocking at our door. They wanted us to teach their people to do what we did. They wanted us to help them learn how to work together, think as one, and how to build on the ideas of others. In other words, they wanted team building.
Learning to build a great team has its challenges. It takes effort and more than a bit of generosity. The first step is learning to listen. It is no small feat, but the rewards of listening are many; one is improved communication, and nothing trumps that. A team also needs to know how to disagree, and when they do, disagreements become stepping stones to new ideas.
One corporate group we worked with was angry and frustrated with each other. Instead of appreciating their different perspectives and using that as an open door to creative solutions, they dismissed each other, and their numbers tanked. Our team-building workshop taught them to find common ground and develop good listening skills. They developed trust and appreciation for each other’s ideas even when they disagreed. Before the day ended, they behaved as a team with a clear idea of keeping their teamwork on target.
Today, when asked why we at Exact Communication use improv exercises in our communication workshops, the answer is simple: There is no better way of allowing every individual in the group to shine and to give people the experience of connection and communication. You can talk about these concepts all day, but they stick when experienced.
Our team-building workshop is like no other. It immerses you in the process of team-building. You will leave your comfort zone and enter a new space where collaboration becomes magical and communication exhilarating.