Spoiler alert: It wasn’t about becoming funny.
In my year-end review last December, my then-VP, Carolina Mata (now SVP for employee communications), delivered some feedback that stuck: I needed to get more comfortable with the uncomfortable.
That very night, my wife and I attended a Christmas improv comedy show. I found myself simultaneously cringing for the performers—watching them blend random audience suggestions into coherent sketches—and marveling when they actually pulled it off. At the end, the host announced they had an “Improv for Beginners” class starting soon.
The universe had spoken. Here was my path to embracing discomfort.
It’s not about being funny
I am not traditionally a “joiner,” But I walked into the first session eager to go with the flow. Turns out, waiting for me was a great group of others who wanted to let their guard down and try something new. After some funny icebreakers, we jumped into the core improv concept of “Yes, and.” As in, running with whatever is thrown at you. By the end of that first night, we already practiced “three-line scenes” – a simple back and forth to get into the flow of “Yes, and.” Our journey to becoming improvisationalists had begun.
Here’s what surprised me most about introductory improv: you’re not expected to be funny. This isn’t a stand-up comedy boot camp. It’s about keeping dialogue and scenes moving toward an outcome while establishing your character (C), your relationship to other characters (R), your objective (O) and where this is taking place (W). The CROW acronym becomes your North Star. Follow it, and humor emerges naturally without forcing it.
Much like good employee communications, actually. It’s not just about knowing the voice of someone we are writing for, but also understanding their objectives for communication and where the reader is in their ongoing journey.
Active listening changes everything
So much of my daily workday had been spent trying to anticipate what someone wanted from a conversation, which prevented me from truly listening. I was listening to solve instead of listening to understand true needs.
Active listening, it turns out, means being fully present in the moment—not just waiting for your turn to talk or mentally crafting your response while someone else is speaking. In improv, when I didn’t listen carefully, my responses sent scenes careening in the wrong direction. Active listening also meant not talking over scene partners so they could establish their point and direction—which was often completely different from what I was building in my head. Sound familiar to anyone who’s been in a client meeting lately?
“Yes, and…” beats competing every time
Improv isn’t about competing with your scene partners; it’s about helping everyone succeed. You build on their momentum and set them up for success. You’re looking for a positive outcome —a path that unites the team and makes the audience comfortable.
This mindset shift has been a huge benefit to my communications work. Instead of positioning myself as the expert with all the answers, I’m focused on helping my clients and colleagues look good. How do I build on their ideas rather than replace them?
The comfortable uncomfortable
I completed both Improv 101 and 102, but that’s where my journey ends. I met incredible people who were all trying their hand at discomfort and bringing their authentic selves to have fun with like-minded folks. Going further would signal I was interested in becoming a true performer—and while that might be fun, it’s quite the lifestyle commitment.
But the real lesson wasn’t about performing; it was about showing up authentically when you don’t know what’s coming next.
Turns out, that’s pretty much the job description for employee communications anyway.
Want to talk about improv, communications, or how to get comfortable with your own uncomfortable? Let’s connect.