In the age of quiet quitting, burnout, and the great resignation, adding improv games might improve company communication and could lead to a more fulfilling workplace.
BOISE, ID / ACCESSWIRE / April 7, 2023 / Recently, American society has been inundated with stress, tension, and anger. Unsurprisingly, these tensions have trickled into the workforce; 94% of workers report feeling stress at work, while nearly half of American workers report that such high stress is making them emotionally check out, which is leading to increasingly high resignation and turnover rates.
For workers who remain at their jobs, high stress levels can make workers lose focus, struggle with time management, feel unhappy at work, and can even lead to some workers becoming angry at coworkers. Many in the workforce report that teams are fracturing, communication is breaking down, and overall productivity is slowing down.
One unlikely solution for companies with high turnover rates: add laughter to the workplace. Megan McCaleb of Improv Team Culture suggests improv can reduce these problems and has seen firsthand how integrating improv games can bolster company culture.
"There's no denying that the world is dealing with some severe challenges right now," McCaleb starts. "Now more than ever, it's important to infuse humor, connection, optimism, and creativity into the workplace to tackle these challenges and communicate our messages clearly," she says.
Generally, people struggle to communicate their thoughts, feelings, and ideas. It seems today's increased stress levels are adding fuel to the fire by making it more difficult for people to have civil, calm discussions. However, multiple studies report how participating in improv can improve communication skills,reduce anxiety, and help groups develop flow and boost collaboration.
By far, the main benefit of playing improv games at work is that it allows workers to relax, laugh, and have fun. Research shows the more we laugh, the less stress we feel, and studies indicate that on average, happier workers are 12% more productive at work.
But McCaleb says you don't need to be a comedian to participate in improv. "You don't have to be funny, but you do have to be able to think on your feet, move and adapt, and be open to change in the workplace."
All in all, McCaleb hopes that the use of improv becomes more widespread in company culture to battle the great resignation statistics, prevent quiet quitting, and lead to a more productive and fulfilling work landscape.
"My greatest hope is that our up-and-coming leaders break old habits, patterns, and cycles and choose a more collaborative way to support humanity," she says. Ultimately, McCaleb hopes that learning how to laugh at the office can lead to a brighter workplace, and possibly, a happier world.
ABOUT:
Improv Team Culture originated in 2010 and provides virtual and in-person innovative, interactive business workshops for companies of all sizes. Through the use of improv comedy, Improv Team Culture boosts team building and skills training for a more productive, stress-free work environment. L​earn more about Improv Team Culture by visiting their website. For additional information, follow them on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
CONTACT:
Megan McCaleb
(208)863-4292
[email protected]
SOURCE: Improv Team Culture