Alright folks, gather ’round, let me tell you about my recent little adventure – I’m calling it “Coach Capers”. It all started last week when I decided my team needed a little… oomph, you know? Something to get them out of the rut.
So, first thing I did was hit the web, started digging around for some fresh coaching techniques. I wasn’t looking for anything too corporate-y or touchy-feely, just some solid, practical stuff we could actually use. Found a couple of interesting articles about using improv techniques to boost team collaboration, and I thought, “Hey, why not?”
Next up: Planning. I carved out a couple of hours on Friday afternoon, told everyone to clear their schedules, and kept the reason vague. A little mystery never hurt anyone, right? I even managed to snag a conference room with decent whiteboard space.
Then came the fun part: I raided my kid’s toy box! Seriously. I needed props – silly hats, oversized sunglasses, inflatable bananas… you name it. The more ridiculous, the better. My thinking was, the goofier the props, the easier it would be for people to let loose and stop overthinking things.
Friday rolls around, and I kicked things off with a quick explanation. “Alright team,” I said, “We’re doing something a little different today. No pressure, just wanna shake things up and get those creative juices flowing.” Then I unveiled the box of props. The looks on their faces were priceless – a mixture of confusion, amusement, and maybe a little bit of terror.
We started with some simple improv games. One was where two people have to have a conversation using only questions. Another was building a story one word at a time. It was awkward at first, I’m not gonna lie. People were hesitant, stumbling over their words, but slowly, surely, they started to loosen up. The inflatable banana definitely helped.
Here’s the thing I noticed: As people got more comfortable being silly, their ideas started to get better. They were less afraid to throw out unconventional suggestions, and they were actually listening to each other more attentively. It was like the silliness had unlocked something.
We wrapped up with a brainstorming session, using some of the improv principles we’d practiced. We tackled a real project challenge we were facing, and I encouraged everyone to build on each other’s ideas, no matter how outlandish they seemed. And guess what? We came up with some seriously innovative solutions that we hadn’t even considered before.
Afterward, I got a lot of feedback. Some people thought it was the dumbest thing we’d ever done. Others said it was surprisingly helpful. But everyone agreed that it was a good way to break up the monotony and get us thinking outside the box.
So, what did I learn from this “Coach Capers” experiment? Well, for one thing, don’t underestimate the power of silliness. Sometimes, the best way to get serious about solving problems is to stop taking yourself so seriously. And two, a little bit of unconventional thinking can go a long way in boosting team creativity and collaboration.
Will I be doing this every week? Probably not. But it’s definitely something I’ll keep in my back pocket for when we need a little jolt to get things moving.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go put away these inflatable bananas before my kids find them.
