December 4, 2019
Throughout his lecturers at Stanford and work with companies like Netflix, Google, and Uber, Dan Klein argues that by using improv tenets and exercises (“Yes, And,” in particular), individuals develop skills needed to succeed in the workplace like embracing failure, building on others’ ideas, and being open to the next big idea.
One of Klein's clients, Netflix’s chief business development officer Bill Holmes says using applied improvisation created a short-cut to help build relationships within his multicultural, global team.
Holmes sought improvisation training to help "break down barriers and establish trust" between his staff members — and says he hasn't been disappointed.
"I think that builds a muscle, that it's OK to venture into the unknown and be supported by your peers,” says Holmes. “It essentially became a tool to establish bonds and trust very, very quickly."
Read the complete article and listen to the interview by This Working Life to find out how failures lead to trust, how fear holds us back from coming up with new ideas, and why high performing individuals need improv training the most.
More of a listener than a reader? That’s cool. We were fortunate enough to speak to Dan Klein on our podcast Getting to Yes, And. Listen to him talk in his episode Improvisation and Business.
Does your team need to learn how to trust, fail, and be more resilient? Contact us to learn how we use humor and the tenets of improv from our famous stages to foster team communication, innovation, and performance.
Photo courtesy of Getty: fizkes
