- Improv at Work
- Posts
- Lesson: I got your back
Lesson: I got your back
The ultimate support for your team
Tyler Farley
July 26, 2024
Edition 17
To all the new folks, welcome. I am stoked that so many people continue to show an interest in improving their soft skills.
According to LinkedIn’s 2024 Workplace Learning report, 91 percent of global executives say soft skills are more important than ever.
Picture this:
You and your colleague are about to walk into a difficult meeting.
Right before you enter the conference room, your colleague pauses and turns to you.
They look you in the eyes, smile, and say: “I got your back.”
“Wow, I feel supported and happy”
This is how we start every improv show, every week.
My teammates and I go one-by-one and 1) tap each other’s back, 2) look each other in the eye, and 3) say “I got your back.”
This often-manic ritual grounds everyone to the fact that we are a team. Even if anxiety is running high, we are not alone on stage.
Goal: Become a true team
Improv cannot be done alone. The best shows are when a team is grooving and having a great time together. If you’re having fun, the audience is having fun.
The same can be said for the office. Teams that are comfortable together and support each other will likely be high performing.
A physical tap on the back may not always be possible (or appropriate), such as in remote work.
This poses an interesting challenge: How can you show your coworkers that you support them?
You could literally say “I got your back.”
You could send an email before a big presentation saying, “I know you’re going to do great tomorrow!”
Maybe you could make your team matching t-shirts with custom caricature art of all of you smiling together on a roller coaster?
How supported do you feel at work? |
Thank you for reading 😇
Thoughts? Reply to me below.
Tyler