November GS CARES Value of the Month… Collaboration!
Because of its proximity to The Second City, Chicago is often considered to be the birthplace of improvisational comedy (known more commonly as improv). Actors engaged in improv have an agreed upon set of rules prior to even setting foot on stage. The result? The most effective (and entertaining) Collaboration imaginable.
For the months of November and December, Giant Steps’ Value of the Month is Collaboration. To prepare, we examined some of the Rules of Improv and how they relate to the constant Collaboration our staff and families engage in to provide excellent services to our students and participants.
Say Yes.
The first Rule of Improv is “Say yes.” Effective Collaboration begins with everyone at the table ready to accept one another’s ideas. Collaboration dies when anyone in your group is negating every idea brought up by the group.
Say Yes, and…
The second Rule of Improv is an extension of the first. Collaboration would also die if the only thing people did was agree with one another. “Yes, and…” allow for all good ideas to be the foundation for great ideas. It also encourages those who may struggle to get started to join in on the momentum of a mobilized group of thinkers.
Make Statements.
The third Rule of Improv encourages collaborators to generate content over questions. When collaborating with someone who is only asking questions, they are essentially forcing the rest of the group to do all of the work. Making statements means you are contributing ideas to the group. Those ideas may or may not stick, but as mentioned before, the statements might be the start of great ideas to come.
There are no mistakes, only opportunities.
At Giant Steps, it feels like we prepared for the fourth Rule of Improv all throughout the months of August and September when we were focused on Growth Mindset. People who are afraid to make mistakes rarely generate the creative solutions that Collaboration is all about. If a whole group agrees to view all “mistakes” as opportunities, people become just vulnerable enough to work together well. Some of the best ideas come from what amounts to happy accidents.
For the remainder of November and through December, we will continue to keep these rules in our minds to ensure we are not just working together well, but also that we are ensuring our students and participants receive the best possible programming our effective collaboration allows.