Minisode 10: Want Your Team to Show Up For Each Other? Improv Can Help!
Leaders, did you know that improv can truly help your team show up for each other?
On today’s minisode, one of our improve it! facilitators, Claudia Martinez, is here to talk to us about how you can use laughter and improv to bring your team together, whether it’s virtually or in person.
Listen in on this fun and insightful conversation.
About the Guest: Claudia Martinez is honored to be working at improve it! You can see her in Laugh Breaks, and as a co-facilitator for all workshops. When not facilitating, you can catch her on-stage at The Second City on the incredible BlueCo. She’d like to thank Celine Deon for teaching her the language of love, and everyone on the improve it! team for their love, support and talent. If you dig her follow her on instagram @claudboom
Connect with Erin Diehl:
Erin Diehl is the founder and Chief “Yes, And” officer of improve it! and host of the improve it! Podcast. She’s a performer, facilitator and professional risk-taker who lives by the mantra, “get comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Through a series of unrelated dares, Erin has created improve it!, a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn and grow. Her work with clients such as United Airlines, PepsiCo, Groupon, Deloitte, Motorola, Walgreens, and The Obama Foundation earned her the 2014 Chicago RedEye Big Idea Award and has nominated her for the 2015-2019 Chicago Innovations Award.
This graduate from Clemson University is a former experiential marketing and recruiting professional as well as a veteran improviser from the top improvisational training programs in Chicago, including The Second City, i.O. Theater, and The Annoyance Theatre.
When she is not playing pretend or facilitating, she enjoys running and beach dates with her husband and son, and their eight-pound toy poodle, BIGG Diehl.
You can follow the failed it! podcast on Instagram @learntoimproveit and facebook, and you can follow Erin personally on Instagram @keepinitrealdiehl here. You can also check out improve it! and how we can help your organization at www.learntoimproveit.com. We can’t wait to connect with you online!
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Minisode 10 Transcription
Erin (00:00):
Welcome to improve it! The podcast! Claudia, I am so happy to have you on this show today. One of my favorite people on this planet earth. My favorite humans. I could talk, we were talking before I hit record and I could talk to you.
Claudia (00:25):
What an accolade coming from probably one of the best humans I know.
Erin (00:30):
Stop. Keep going. No, I really mean it. And I'm just so happy. Our audience is gonna hear you today. They're gonna get to know Claudes. You're one of the funniest people that I know as well. Okay. Tell the improve it! Audience, the improve it! Fam we call ourselves who you're and then what you do at improve it.
Claudia (00:49):
Hi. Yeah, everybody. It's weird. Cause I know it's just gonna be audio. So I'm trying to make people get to know me through my voice. So anyway that encapsulates it, um and I'm Claudia Martinez. I am a performer, improv sketch. I've been doing it for the past, oh God, what 14 years and I am a performer with improve it and I have the most fun. This is probably the funnest Job out of all the jobs that I have that are connected to that. And for the sole purpose that also, I believe that our, what we do really does translate into the office. I've seen it done where it feels very plastic and however formula you figured out, Erin it's, it gets through to people and it gets them to be more inclusive. And that's really all improv is - it's everybody dropping the idea that you have up with the most brilliant idea every time. I mean, have you have funniest have that with the brilliant idea, the solution, the, I mean, it's exhausting. So, so what we do is, is saying, no, this is a team effort and you get so much more satisfaction when you show up with a team and you'll look what we did versus, oh God, I did it. And only I, that you guys are worthless. That's horrible. It's a horrible existence. So anyway,
Erin (02:31):
No, it's a perfect example. And I'll tell you this, like I just that you saying those things means a lot coming from you. You're one of my favorite people to watch perform improv truly it's I remember Jed and I talk about the, this, we were just filming all of our videos for our pre-work. We're calling them improve vis and remember that. And the, this was like a month ago and Jen and I both said after that, we're like, I have never left so hard. Like my cheeks hurt <laugh> I had mascara stains on clothing, but you're so funny. And I know you've been doing this work a really long time, and it means so much for you to say that because we really do try to find ways to get people, to feel cohesive, to feel included, to walk in a room 20 in to out one cohesive team. So knowing your knowledge of improv and all things, why do you think it's a teaching tool to help teams support each other?
Claudia (03:33):
Well, it really highlights the of, and sometimes observing. Like I think we think the best I can do is talk and give something and sometimes it's just giving the floor to somebody else. I think it's just so powerful to, and just in everyday life to remember, am I really, because I think we blow over so much gold in a day to day conversation or like our, our legitimate need as humans is to, and we're not because we're thinking the I, the time versus like what is given to us now. So I, I believe improv in general is just such a great tool to remember that all we have to do is listen and it's easier, you know, it's like it's like shoveling versus sweeping, I guess. Well, they're not, they're not the same, but it's so much more work to like shovel some oh, OK. Shovel, like a hard cement piece versus shovel. I'm getting there versus shoveling like soft ground, you know? Yeah. It's no, you don't have do that. And sometimes I think we do much and it's because we're not listening,
Erin (05:00):
That's it? And I feel like what, okay, first of all, I wish everybody could have seen you shoveling cuz that was great object work here, object work, object work. But I also feel the same way. Obviously created a vastness about it. But I do think in provide general lends itself to allowing people to just have fun, to let go and also allow those things to happen naturally versus force. So you, I like to use the word plastic, right? Like these, these things are not like, you know, yes, we have workshops that are for, you know, we take off a shelf and then we customize them. But the real magic happens in the room. In the zoom. It happens when we're standing in front of a group of people we've feel that light bulb effect. We feel you can feel you and I are both energetic beings. We feel energies and you can feel energy. And so if the energy of the room is off, improv is a tool that brings a little levity to it. It also is a tool that allows people to open up and just be vulnerable, which is a really scary word for a lot of people, especially leaders. But let me ask you this, how have you seen teams in your experience transform in this work? What's a, do you have an example?
Claudia (06:13):
I think you're absolutely absolutely. Right. it's, it's almost like creating a safety mechanism in, in like we're all the same here. We're we're about to look like fools maybe, and we've accepted that. So if, if we, if we can make a mistake, then it's okay. Right. Because we're all in on it. And I think a lot of people are afraid of making mistakes and looking like fools, but that's why the gold happens. I've seen that in all of our workshops. I know a lot of, most of the, the live ones where people, you, you see a very slow transition from kind of like dip in their toes, in the water and seeing if it's OK to taking a full dive and going, oh my gosh. If, if I hadn't done that, you know, I wouldn't have experienced some freedom and really is, it's just freedom. It's like, I can, I can take risks. And I think that's the brilliance and the ideas it's like, when you take risks, you get outside the box, you allow people to say silly, dumb things, then something great comes out massive, but I've seen it happen every time, every time, every time it's every time and you get to the end of it and they go, whoa, I didn't expect that to happen.
Erin (07:37):
That's it. That's it. You know? Did you expect what I'm about to do? You did cuz I set you up for it. Cause we're gonna have, we're gonna do a little silly thing here. Oh and here it hear it as CLA knows, get ready. It's going up. Be real fun. Cause I'm already singing. That's part of that pun. Hey, what? That just came out. That's just it. So, so we're gonna show arm, prove it for am here. What we mean by support. And this game is a game that we do in one of our workshops, our team, building collaboration, workshop, all about support, all about which we'll, we'll go through what the, the actual purpose of this game is. I always say there's a method to our badness here. Yeah. So there's a reason why we do this. But so this is called hotspot is one of those games like as an early improviser, I just remember being like, oh God, like do not make me do this.
Erin (08:28):
But then after you do it and we do this at the very beginning of a workshop because it just breaks down barriers. It's called hotspot. So we're just, I'm gonna come up with an, an idea, like any suggestion at all, and then bay on that word. Claudes can you start singing a song, any song at all? And I'm gonna start singing it with you. And if I don't know the words, I'm gonna pretend like I do. Yes. I'm gonna pop in and I'm gonna get your back and I'm gonna start singing a song. You sing with me and we'll go back and forth, back and forth. But the idea here is if we have a team of people, so I don't want the improvement. They have listening right now to be like, oh my God, you're gonna make my team sing. Listen, there's a method to the madness here. So I promise you, we also encourage the worst singing that you possib do. So like, if you're a bad singer, we want you to be the worst singer that you could ever be ever. Okay. So I'm gonna, which is
Claudia (09:23):
What's gonna happen, Erin. Me too. Me too. Because we, you told me what gonna happen. I told, I think this is the best game you could picked because I also terrified of it. It's okay. Because I trust you and I'm OK to look like a fool. That's
Erin (09:40):
It. That's it. And you know what? And I trust you. And so we've got each other's backs. Let's go. I'm gonna, do you want me to, let's go. Should I, should I start? Because I'm, I'm asking us to do this game. Yeah. Set, Set. The
Claudia (09:55):
Let's ready to put the turkeys in. All
Erin (09:57):
Right. Turkeys are coming. They are they're stucked. They're
Claudia (10:01):
Stoked.
Erin (10:14):
Oh, of course you say pizza. And I just go, oh, let me just Yu start off Yu. I've got food in ma
Claudia (10:26):
Yu, Yu.
Erin (10:27):
I got food in ma this is the only first I know
Claudia (10:31):
Yumi Yu. I
Erin (10:32):
Got food in God.
Claudia (10:35):
You gotta get me. Oh, and I'm supposed to jump in. OK. Yeah. Yeah. Oh boy. Love pepper Rogan. Do you know what else you can put on a pizza? How about hot sauce? How about ranch? How about ketchup? How about
Erin (10:53):
Sauce? I see it. I blah, blah, blah, blah. I'm Beyonce right now. I, my hate
Claudia (11:05):
Pizza. How did that happen today? I said no way I gonna, but I ate now. I, you, it ordering some wings now. <Laugh>
Erin (11:21):
I want my baby back baby back baby back baby back. You
Claudia (11:26):
Chili, baby back ribs. OK.
Erin (11:31):
All right. Not literally a choir. No. I would say not, not supposed to go on tour, but I'm gonna give a of applause. I'm
Claudia (11:39):
Gonna give a very hot run of applause. Cause you should not supposed to go.
Erin (11:44):
Not supposed to tour, not this group, but
Claudia (11:49):
I think what happened was we said, I see what you're doing and I'm gonna support it. And that's the most important thing about anything in improv or anything that you get thrown into is like, this is probably not the most cohesive song and by probably, I mean, for sure asterisks for sure. But what happened was, and I know you saw it and I'm sure the audio listeners saw heard it is that we just supported. And it was like, sometimes the best thing you can do is just repeat what someone is saying. If you dunno what to do, repeat
Erin (12:24):
That's right. And then also when you repeated, you made me feel like I was actually singing a song, which I wasn't. We were just repeating a verse. Right. And the purpose too, just for the listener is we're doing this, this this sexual activity with two people it's usually played with like 10 or more. We're standing usually in a big circle. We're doing this over zoom. One person pops in the circle, they start singing a song and everybody on the outside, the circle sings with them. And then they, the goal is to get that person outta the hotpot as quickly as, and so we were giving you a, a, a show choir version from two people kinda
Claudia (13:08):
Remix.
Erin (13:10):
Yes. Remix what you would see in a original hotpot. So let me ask you this though. So like for example, I had no clue what I was singing with. Yummy, yummy food in my, not a clue mm-hmm <affirmative> but then you came in and you supported me. You, you kind of tagged me out and started your own song. Did I let you go on too long? Or did I save you at appropriate time?
Claudia (13:37):
No, in fact, I feel like we were excited to jump in because I was thinking, I know the, the whole game is to then you jump in and take over, but there were some times we were just overlapping with each other and just having, and I was like, there goes, like you said, not gonna be a Whitney Houston, number one hit. But, but it, it felt good to not feel sometimes. And you
Erin (14:04):
Love you. I just, you know that
Claudia (14:06):
Well, and you know what? I have you.
Erin (14:12):
I, well
Claudia (14:16):
I get so emotional when you say that <laugh> baby <laugh> I guess so.
Erin (14:22):
OK. We're not gonna do a re one of the best. No, probably one of the best, but I will. I that's. I mean, that's really it it's making, so if we put this in context, okay. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> into thinking about a team and not feeling supported. Let's say, you know, Susie is the person in the center of the circle and Susie is having a hard time at work feeling like people are supporting her feeling like she has a team that is showing up for her. She's in that hotspot, she's feeling the heat. When you were the person in the center of that circle, trying to get out of the circle, you get the armpit, sweat, you feel nervous. Yeah. Right here. You and I had each other's backs pretty well. Yeah. But if somebody, if you had left me in there maybe a second or two longer, I would've had to apply an anti perp sprint.
Erin (15:08):
And so what happens is then as Susie, I start to feel like, okay, where's my team. Are they supporting me? But because you and I, I feel like, and it's a natural thing for improvisers are very supportive human beings. We're trying to help each other very quickly get out of this hotspot. But I've seen this game work where somebody's in the hotspot. They make it through a verse. And then of course, and they're on the, yes, they're like, come get me, which is a feeling a lot of people feel right now, especially working from home, especially like where we're at right now with COVID and this pandemic, they feel like things on top of things keep getting piled on top of them. And they're afraid to ask their team to support them. So what would you, you say to somebody listening today, what is a way that someone could ask for support for their team or from their team?
Claudia (16:00):
Hmm. Well, yeah, that's a tough one. Especially if you feel like people don't see you, which is a common reason why people don't ask for help, right. They're going well, they're going, I don't want people think that I dunno what I'm doing. Cause then you lose respect or, you know, whatever in, in that circle. And also I think as someone who's observing, there's a, there is an element of people trying to be too kind like not railroad Jew. You know, I think a lot of times why people stay in the circle too long is people are like, oh, they're pretty good. I'm not gonna interrupt that. But they don't know that you're not, that you're flailing or that you're ready to get tapped out. So I think I think it really is a, an exercise in personal like checking in with yourself and going, do I, can I trust that my teams will, my teammates will be there and more likely than not, they will be, but it's just as easy as going. I gotta do a self check. I'm overwhelmed. I need some help. And you know, reaching out by asking for help, doesn't make you weak. I think at times it go, it helps you realize this is a team effort. I don't know, asking for help is so hard. Isn't
Erin (17:19):
It? It's so funny that you say that. And I hear this more, more often than not, like I would say this comes up in almost every team building workshop, because a lot of times people feel like they can't ask for help because then they feel like they don't know how to do their job or yeah. They look like you said weak or so I, I think what we should normalize, and this is just my personal opinion is asking for help when we need it. But also at the same time, checking in as a teammate and say at the end of every day, is there anything I can help you with? That's how I like to end the day with our team. It's just saying our internal team and improve it. Like I'm gonna check out. Is there anything I can help you with right now or in the morning? And that right there, that practice, that, that exercise gets us in the habit of, of asking somebody, do they need help? And then when you actually need it, you can be the person to ask, say, actually, can you help me with this PDF or whatever, actually, an I need help with this document. And, and then, you know, from there they feel less, they feel like their, their their ask for help is more welcomed. It's so hard. It's so hard
Claudia (18:29):
Is I think it's more, I think what I was trying to get to is what you just mentioned. It's, it's almost easier to observe and notice someone's struggling and go in and say, Hey, or not even, like you said, not even have to, but I'm thinking about practice of improv. And when you're in a scene, you know, something needs to get edited. You know, that someone needs support, you know, when someone looks overwhelmed or like something's ready to change. And if you don't act on it, then you're, you're just as part of the that's because you don't, you see it and you don't extend yourself. And I think if we were be much more that we wouldn't be, I mean, when, when people, you know, aren't noticing you'd,
Erin (19:30):
That's it. Oh, that's, that's it. And full circle. Wait us, put that into perspective on stage. That's exactly it. We would never let somebody just flail. Right? We would never let them flail because in it, of
Claudia (19:42):
Course, sometimes it does happen and it looks bad, doesn't it?
Erin (19:44):
Yeah. It looks and you, as the audience member are watching it and you're like, somebody, somebody edit this scene or somebody get tagged. This person out seems
Claudia (19:51):
Over. Yeah. Ended, ended
Erin (19:53):
Now. <Laugh> and I think that's, that's a great metaphor for how to look at it with a team. You would never let your teammate just continue to suffer on stage. You never let your teammate continue to suffer working from home on slack, on zoom, wherever it is. But what I have to say is first and foremost, Claudia, mark youre, You <laugh> wait. What was I? What's an, I can't think of another Whitney song, but I, if I, if one comes to mind, I would sing you out with a Whitney. Oh God.
Claudia (20:25):
Yeah. How did we on that? I
Erin (20:29):
Dunno, but what I, your, my body got, no, I don't know the bodyguard. That's where I was clean queen of the night
Claudia (20:35):
Queen queen of the
Erin (20:36):
Night. It's fine. But here's what
Claudia (20:40):
Here's, we'll talk. <Laugh> we'll,
Erin (20:41):
We'll put some, some more SLS in
Claudia (20:43):
The show. Now I'll put a playlist together. Yeah,
Erin (20:45):
Please Audi. Improve it. Fam we'll put some blanks to Whitney songs in the show notes. <Laugh> but Claudia, honestly, thank you so much for just doing what you do. And if, if you haven't seen Claudia perform, we do these things called laugh breaks, and they are fun. Short form improv little breakups in your zoom meetings. And Claudia is always on laugh breaks and is so hilarious to watch also our workshops. This is a, this hotspot is a game we play in our in-person workshops, but we also have them virtually Claudia is a co-facilitator for us and a joy to have in the room or in the zoom. How about that? <Laugh> all right. Same as you, my friend. I it's my pleasure. Always, truly it's honor to.