The Magic of Improv (and What It Teaches About Life and Teams)

What could standing on stage with strangers, making things up on the spot, possibly teach you about teamwork, innovation and trust?

As it turns out… a lot.

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself near Yosemite, standing in front of 100 adult campers at Camp Utopia… improvising.

For years I’ve done improv, but this was the first time I played with so many new people. It was a powerful reminder that the principles of improv can truly lighten your life, deepen your connections and help you innovate.

The first rule of improv is the famous “Yes, and…” It means acknowledging someone else’s world and adding your own. It’s simple and yet, it changes everything.

For me, improv is more than a performance. It’s a mindset:

• Be fully present You can’t plan ahead because you never know what’s coming next.

• Work as a team Your role is to make your partners look good (and they’ll do the same for you).

• Let go of the outcome Sometimes your line works, sometimes it doesn’t. Either way, “end scene” just means you get to begin again.
  

It’s a beautiful metaphor for life and teamwork: trust, adaptability, courage, and connection - all happening in the moment.

And it’s also a perfect metaphor for innovation. In both improv and innovation, you start without a script. You build on each other’s ideas. You take risks, fail fast, recover, and keep creating. The magic happens not in control, but in co-creation.

The workshop I joined was about creating a new form of improv.

In our final show, ten of us shared the stage, weaving tiny scenes that echoed and overlapped. It was chaotic, exhilarating, and utterly magical. Together, we built an imaginary world that existed only for that brief moment and then it was gone.

When I tell people I do improv, they often say, “That sounds terrifying!” And it can be. But that’s exactly why it’s worth doing. Because when you step into uncertainty with curiosity and trust, you discover how brave, open, and connected you can be.

As we move into the holiday season, maybe give yourself, or someone you love, the gift of improv.

You might just find a new way to say “yes, and…” to life and to innovation.