At first, it may seem there is little correlation between the lighthearted, humorous world of improv comedy and the serious, no-nonsense world of business leadership. After all, we tend to think of one as play and the other as work. They’re at two opposite ends of the spectrum, right? Maybe so, but business and improv have much more in common than you might think–or at least, they should.

Recently, I witnessed firsthand the similarities between the two worlds, and learned a few things about how improv skills can be applied to leadership success. As a board member for the Healthcare Businesswomen Association (HBA)–Chicago Chapter, I’m part of an association that endeavors to provide membership value and engagement as well as skill building around the topic of leadership.

At a recent event, we had the privilege of being entertained by members of The Second City, the Chicago venue which has served as home base for many famous comedians, including Dan Akroyd, John Belushi, Steven Colbert, Tina Fey, and countless others. Although I’ve watched these great stars and appreciated their brand of humor over the years, I’ve never really thought about improv or understood its methodology before. At the HBA event, I was enlightened by how well the techniques and fundamentals of improv comedy could translate effectively into a corporate setting.

Improv, or improvisational theater, is based in spontaneous and un-rehearsed entertainment that develops on-the-fly through collaborating with those in the comedy team. Success with improv requires the players to:

• Live in the moment. Rather than pre-planning and over-thinking each word, improv depends upon honest, reactionary reflections, which often brings about the most humorous situations.
• Actively listen. Listening is essential to keep the improv scene moving and believable. Its only funny if the dialogue builds off each previous moment, creating a natural flow. Only through engaged, active listening can the momentum be sustained.
• Share the spotlight. The goal is not to outshine the other improv actors, but to help each person bring out their inner “rock star, and hence, succeed collectively as a group.
• Trust each other. A team improv effort is upbeat, positive, and intent on drawing consistent laughter from the audience. Each improv member must trust the rest to only have the best intentions, since their goal is exactly the same. There is no benefit if one player sabotages the other. If one fails, they all do.

Here are some fundamentals for business, as taught by the very successful Second City:

• Use a “yes, and…” technique: Transitioning with “yes, and…” before you speak affirms the previous speaker’s dialogue and then builds on their input, moving the conversation forward in a positive manner. “Yes, and…” is fundamentally different to “yes” alone, which seems to punctuate a closure, not a continuation of the idea. It’s also worlds apart from the dreaded, “no, because…” which naturally sets a negative and perhaps even combative tone.
• Bring a brick, not a building: True collaboration requires framing out ideas piece-by-piece, not starting with a finished product.
• Listen to understand: Receive your colleagues’ information completely before formulating a response. Don’t absorb only part of what they are saying and base you opinions and reactions on anything less than the whole picture.
• Take responsibility: You and you alone are responsible for your own clear, positive, and comprehensive communication skills. You can’t rely on others to understand your message; you have to deliver it in a way that makes them understand.

We can’t all be comedians, especially not to the caliber of the Second City standouts. But as leaders, we can apply the basics of improv–committing to the moment and really listening to each other–to become standout WOWs in business. Think about how many times you tune out other people’s words in favor of formulating what you plan to say next. Think about the flawed strategy behind shutting out a team member’s perspective and opinions because you’re only concerned with getting your own ideas across. If that’s what everyone is doing, nothing will have been heard, and nothing will be accomplished.

The lessons in team dynamics taught by the Second City are something every business, company, or team can benefit from. I encourage you to check them out online or consider bringing them in for your next business meeting. Their message, skills, and talents are not just about entertainment and humor, they are about empowering each other to harness the best within each member of the group to ensure success. Funny thing is…that’s just what a WOW leader should do.

–Sheri Staak