Celebrating the small wins

Every class I teach — but especially Introduction to Improvisation — is an adventure. The students are exploring something new to them, meeting new people, probably visiting a new space. Maybe they’re excited, nervous, or even second-guessing their decision.

From my perspective, I’m trying to get a read on the group — get a sense of any previous experience, notice who might need a little more prompting, support, or reigning in. Most importantly, we’re all trying to figure out the chemistry: Will everyone get along and support each other? Will there be any tension?

When you bring together people from different backgrounds, ages, and perspectives — each with their own goals and motivations — it can be a tinderbox… or it can be a huge victory. I recently taught an intro class that checked all the boxes for an eclectic mix. And what a gift that was — for me, and I’d venture to say for them, too. While their differences sometimes brought challenges, those same differences ultimately made them stronger as a group.

They coalesced into a team that supported, encouraged, and acknowledged one another. They celebrated their successes and their ability to collaborate. For their graduation show, I challenged them to tackle some improv games I wouldn’t normally assign to a beginner class — and they accepted and ran with it.

They performed a fantastic show in front of friends and family, and then they celebrated. They were happy, relieved, and proud. And so was I.

We should all celebrate those small victories — accepting a challenge, taking a chance, overcoming an obstacle, supporting a friend, being part of a community. Each one is a win — and nobody needs to lose to get the W.

If you’re curious how improv can help your team connect, communicate, and celebrate wins together, explore what we do at Engage Unscripted. You might just find yourself taking a victory lap.