COURSE NUMBER:  MBA 294.1

COURSE TITLE: Improv for Business Leadership

UNITS OF CREDIT:  1

INSTRUCTOR SPONSOR:  Prof. Cort Worthington (will be the course sponsor, but will not take an active role in the course beyond providing guidance to the student organizers)

STUDENT ORGANIZERS:  Emily Tsay and Camille Nickow

E-MAIL ADDRESSES: emily_tsay@mba.berkeley.edu, camille_nickow@mba.berkeley.edu

MEETING DAY(S)/TIME:  Thursdays, 4-6PM, Fall B only

This course will meet on 10/27, 11/3, 11/10, 11/17 and 12/1, with a graduation show on 3/7 from 4-6pm

CLASS FORMAT:  Hands-on active 2 hour sessions in small group setting of 10-15 members.

BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE: Weekly attendance and participation in the graduation show.  Grade will be Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. Since there are only a few sessions, only one absence is allowed in order to receive a satisfactory grade.

ABSTRACT OF COURSE CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES:  

Overview:  Students in this course will learn the fundamentals of improvisation and how to put on a show. These skills will not only teach improv, but will develop key business related skills like being able to connect with others instantly, how to make any situation fun and comfortable, cooperation and listening.

Week 1: “Yes and” and Deep Listening. These two skills, which all of the other skills are founded upon, not only will make you a strong improviser, but will improve your communication in all areas of business.

Week 2: Perspective and Relationship. With the fundamentals in place, you will learn the basics of how to put on great improv scenes, while deepening your communication skills and your ability to see things from others’ perspectives.

Week 3: Group Dynamics and Your Voice. Here you will learn how to navigate the two essential improv dynamics: team building and bringing out the funniest “you” possible.  Essential in creating productive and innovative teams in the workplace, you will learn how to build a team’s trust in one another, how to create a positive group dynamic, and practicing letting your voice be heard while still taking into account multiple perspectives.

Week 4: Creating from Scratch. Build your creative confidence by taking risks and exploring ways that you and your team can work together to create something from nothing.  Experience the fun of letting loose, coming up with ideas, and collaborating in a playful environment.  Create the muscle memory for how innovating feels like and bring that confidence into business.

Week 5: Performance Skills.  Learn the tricks of the trade on how to focus, think quickly, and manage stress on stage.  Practice skills that will help you confidently stand up in front of a group of people and be a more effective communicator and authentic leader.  

Graduation Show: It’s show time!  It’s time to hit the stage at put into practice what we’ve learned the past 5 weeks in front of a live audience!  This is your opportunity to take a risk and be vulnerable, being present and your best self under stress, and creating magic with your teammates!

Guest Lecturer Bio:

Chris Blair is a long time improviser,  actor, and instructor. He has trained in both San Francisco and Chicago with many improv schools, including iO, Bats, and UCB. He is one of the founders of Endgames Improv, and currently performs on the main-stage team, The Recchia. Along with teaching improv, he also teaches courses in Communications and Public Speaking. He’s run corporate improv workshops with top Bay Area companies, including Google, Airbnb, NetIP, and Salesforce.