1438 W Henderson St, Chicago IL 60657-2104

T: (773) 459 8942 F:(773)755 5785

Helping to make organizations better, one conversation at a time

Organizations are made of the people in them and the interactions between those people. IMPROVing Organizations focuses on maximizing those interactions. We believe that teaching skills that make interactions better will, in turn, make the organization better.

A skilled set of improvisers demonstrate exceptional levels of teamwork. Together they build something real from virtually nothing (maybe a word or phrase), through their combined ideas and interactions. The world of business has much to learn from them.

The same skills that allow improvisers on a stage to create an engaging, moving or funny scene out of a suggestion from a member of the audience can be honed by anyone:

Only by listening well can improvisers create the reality of a scene.

How would better listening skills help the people in your organization?

Only by trusting their scene partners will an actor feel safe to make bold choices.

How would an increase in trust help your organization?

Only by embracing spontaneity do they make statements that move a scene forward.

How would your organization benefit from people not censoring their ideas?

Only through acceptance and building on the work of others are they able to move an idea forward.

Do people in your organization look to build on the work of others or topple it?

A scene has to lead somewhere. It's the storytelling created by the actors that helps us make sense of the action.

Are the stories told by the people in your organization aligned to your goals?

More than half of a message that an improviser gives to their partners and an audience is non-verbal communication.

Would the ability to leverage the full power of those messages help with the communications inside your organization?