“FREEZE!” I yelled as I clapped and turned around to take the place of one of my improv troupe members who were already on stage.  The premise of “blind freeze tag” is to automatically take the exact physical place of an existing person on stage when you call “freeze” and start a new scene.  I did just that, continued and then another called “freeze” and tagged me out.  This has been how I’ve spent my Monday afternoons for the past year – learning Improvisation at The Second City in Chicago.  I started my yearlong expedition as a way to expand my thinking, increase my creativity, and explore a new way to connect with my audiences when speaking.  I wasn’t disappointed!   Each week, I was continually taken out of my comfort zone as I froze, squeezed, and played.  What I also found was that there are many parallels between being a good troupe member and the skills I learned on teams during my 20+ years in the Navy.  Here are three basics that can be easily applied to your team and will make this year one for you to remember.

Commit
Stepping into a scene with “I suck, this sucks, or we suck!” written across my forehead is the surest way to disconnect with a scene member or an audience.  The same is true for solid team work.  I know it’s not always easy.  Believe me, I’ve been on teams (and in scenes on stage) where I didn’t always know where we were going or what my part was.  Regardless of the circumstance, I threw my whole self into the mix.  Doubt, dissention, and disagreements can quickly dissolve a team dynamic.  What we get as a mission or premise is irrelevant if we’re going to help our team move forward  – give it your all, give of yourself, and give it freely.  Keep insecurities and instabilities to yourself and commit!

Gifts
On my first day of improv class, our teacher shared that, “In improv, there are no mistakes, only gifts.”  What a fantastic premise!  What if we took this thought into our team decision-making matrixes?  How many times has your team been paralyzed from making any decision due to fear of making the wrong decision?  What if fear was taken off the table and a mistake was looked at as a “gift” or an “opportunity to learn?”  In today’s world, failing to make a decision is a decision to fail.  Every great team I have been on took risks, explored new avenues, and stepped out in possibility.  All it takes is an outlook change – “mistakes” quickly become gifts when we decide to extract something positive from the experience.  Give that gift to your team and yourself!

It’s Not About You
The thing I loved the most about this past year has been the feeling that, no matter what, I knew the person on stage had my back and I had theirs.  I’ve been on a few teams where I KNEW that but I’ve also been on some where people were more interested in serving themselves than the cause or each other.   Like great teamwork, improv is about serving one another.  How can I support this?  How can I support you?  What can I do to make this better and further the scene (cause)?  These are all questions that should be asked when looking to move your team forward.  Serving others and the cause can only help to make EVERYONE look great.  Die to self and give it to the team!  Move that scene forward!

This past year of improv training was extraordinary!  I learned a lot about myself and was able to re-connect with some of the facets of teamwork that I had always enjoyed and also enjoyed myself during the process (which is a MUST for me).  Now it’s time to clap, say “FREEZE!” and tag your way into a new scene that is filled with renewed commitment, a decision to give and take gifts, and serve others.  Make it count – Improv to Improve YOUR TEAM!