Improvisation starts right here
When plans change the day before the offsite
“Unfortunately, we have to drill a hole in the wall next to the conference room. All day tomorrow.”
This is message I received from the hotel the day before a team offsite.
A few months of planning, 20 people from all over Germany, train tickets booked, materials prepared. And now: a last-minute construction site.
The hotel offered us the restaurant as a replacement room.
But no one could guarantee that there would be no drilling noise there.
Postponing was of course not an option.
Too many dependencies. The participants had built their availability around this meeting. Too many calendars that couldn't be rearranged at a moment's notice.
So: take a deep breath. Smile. Pause.
And then I remembered improv theater.
There, a simple but powerful principle applies: “Yes, and...”
Say yes to what is. Play with it and add something.
So: yes, there will be drilling. And we'll make something good out of it.
The weather was wintry but dry. So we quickly planned more time for walks and talks.
And if necessary—according to our playful Plan B—we would simply move the discussions to the wellness area.
This image alone brought back the lightheartedness we needed to become creative again in the situation.
That's what improvisation is all about:
not chaos, but agility. Playfully embracing the unexpected.
A flexible attitude that says: We'll find a way.
In the end, it turned out to be a successful offsite with sunshine, exercise, and good conversations.
Fortunately, the drilling was only noticeable as a slight background noise in the restaurant.
And on day two, the short-term construction work was completed and we were able to use the conference area again as normal.
In improv theater, there are many principles that are also valuable for teams:
- Make your partner look good: Make the other person great. Cooperation instead of competition.
- Allow yourself to fail: Fail cheerfully. Transform mistakes instead of avoiding them.
- Be present: Be in the moment. Don't think five steps ahead.
- Let go of control: Take risks so that something new can emerge.
These principles are #resilience in action.
Those who improvise remain capable of acting.
Inner flexibility in the sense of #improvisational ability means trusting the moment that something good can emerge without demanding perfection.
When was the last time you improvised and noticed that something good came out of it?
