Can improv improve teamwork? : how can the tools of improv be used by leaders to create high performing teams by improving active listening, increasing psychological safety and, as a result, boosting creativity?

Improv is a collaborative practice founded on clear and positive principles such as being in the moment, listening intensively, co-creating and making sure that your team-mate looks good. By keeping a sense of lightness, positivity and fun, an environment can be created in which experimenting is safe and productive. It enables groups to interact and perform highly effectively by ensuring the presence of key interpersonal skills. In a fast-moving corporate world of constant and unpredictable change, the requirement that professionals have good interpersonal or social skills is high. It has been stated that psychological safety, the phenomena where individuals have the confidence to speak out, feel safe to make and admit to mistakes, ask questions and feel ready to trust their co-workers, is the foundation for high performing teams (Edmondson, 2019). By using the tools of improv within a training or team building context, leaders can create an atmosphere where team members can feel secure to be themselves, communicate effectively and have a safe space to deal with mistakes. By putting an emphasize on creating psychological safety leaders are creating a starting point for creativity to thrive and for performance to soar. This paper will introduce the central aspects of improvisation and examine how they can be used to develop and support effective teamwork. An improv class was held for MPM students and feedback collected. The feedback gave a clear indication that improv tools can be highly beneficial. The principles of improv collaboration - being co-creative, having fun, listening powerfully, supporting and creating a safe space to take risks - helped people to connect and to perform, offering much promise for their application by project leaders and their teams