Twenty-five years ago, John Polk made his debut at an improvisational comedy club, starting a comedy club in downtown Cleveland called Tthe Common Sense Novelty Group with several graduates of Second City Improv of Chicago.
Today, Polk is president of Affinity Group Strategies and extremely quick on his feet.
“A background in improv gives you the confidence to get the process going,” Polk says, explaining that in business, the faster you think in pressure situations, the better chance you have of success. “You (learn to) make it up as you go along.”
Polk, who once led the Greater Cleveland Growth Association’s Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE), credits his experience in improvisation as a key factor in his success in the business world.
Polk is not alone.
“Improv skills are tremendously useful in business,” says Michael Bloom, producer of Second City Cleveland. “They help with confidence, talking to people, public speaking, learning how to improvise and the ability to sell.”
Still not convinced that you or your staff could stand to improve interpersonal skills by practicing comedy? Consider this scenario: It’s your next board meeting. You stand up to begin your sales pitch or proposal and see vacant eyes and pursed lips. Without question, if nothing changes, you’re in for a long, unproductive meeting. Wouldn’t a laugh make for a good icebreaker to get things rolling?
Bloom certainly thinks so, and it’s one reason Second City’s launched a business theater program, which offers eight-week workshops, full and half-day intensive programs for businesspeople who want to learn improvisational skills and apply them to their jobs.
Exercises are designed to strengthen teamwork, creativity and trust, Bloom says. An exercise such as “Yes, and” hones negotiating skills. Instead of hearing a suggestion and immediately writing it off, participants are urged to build on the idea, one after another. The group may be given the prompt, “It’s a nice day.” Another participant might add, “Yes, and we should go to the park,” while another joins in with, “Yes, and we should take a picnic lunch.”
This type of exercise is especially useful for salespeople, says Bloom, because of how the profession is structured.
“It (improvisation) teaches you to take a step back, develop a thick hide and deal with rejection,” he says.
Other exercises are meant to build trust. Trust is crucial because people naturally tend to gravitate toward secure environments.
“I’m constantly amazed when executives say, ‘They don’t trust me,’ about their staff members,” says Joseph Keefe, executive producer of Second City Communications. “They place the blame on others instead of themselves. To get, you’ve gotta give.”
Trust building exercises include falling into the arms of a partner and being led blindfolded. Although these activities sound simple, the skills they strengthen are invaluable.
At the heart of improvisation is the ability to adapt and adjust quickly and efficiently, says Polk, skills that are certainly conducive to business.
“Entrepreneurs generally have improv in them,” he says. “They just need a road map for getting there.”
How to reach: Second City, (216) 621-4000; Affinity Group Strategies, (216) 221-7655
Courie Weston is an editorial intern at SBN.