Second City Theater Case Study

Thank you for posting such an insightful discussion as to how Second City Theater employs various strategies for managing change across different organizations and business environments. As you mentioned, the Second City Theater relies on its long-standing history and core values to overcome the many challenges the organization has faced in the many years that the theater company has been in business. When others companies moved to television, for instance, Second City Theater changed their company culture to include television. Despite being fearful at first, such drastic changes allowed the Second City Theater company to not only save the company but further expand the business by appealing to different markets and taking on new endeavors,
Outside of the context of improv, however, the ability to make quick decisions, as well as anticipate and adapt to the unknown, are just some of the attributes that correlate the technique of improvisation and positive leadership behaviors. For example, improv can help organizations better communicate with one another. According to Sara Finch, of the directors of learning for Second City, improv teaches organizations to support, trust, and embrace the ideas of others by learning to manage uncomfortable or difficult conversations, improve active listening skills, and create a supportive environment that supports employee growth and development (Kelly, 2012). Ultimately, techniques taught by improv comedy benefit the organization since they can help leaders to remove some of the rigor and structure that is typical for performing a job or duty that may eventually impede both the individual and the organization’s growth (Kelly,
The first rule, for instance, is to agree by saying “yes”. According to Kelly (2012), by saying something as simple as the word “yes”, leaders show that they are open to new ideas, while also demonstrating the characteristics of effective leadership, such as positivity, agreeableness, self-confidence, and optimism. The second rule, on the other hand, is to use what the Second City Theater refers to as the “yes AND” philosophy (Carr & Robbins, n.d.). By adding the “and” at the end of the first rule of improv, the leader shows that they are interested in building a team with collaboration in order to achieve a shared goal or vision for the organization. Additionally, the concept of “yes AND” is great for establishing a platform for brainstorming and resolving conflicts as well (Kelly, 2012). Alternatively, the third rule of improv is to simply make a statement, which means that effective leaders and followers find ways to become a part of the solution to a problem through the act of asking questions and problem-solving (Kelly, 2012). The fourth and final rule of improv that applies across organizations is the concept that there is no such thing as mistakes, just opportunities. As the video mentions, part of the premise in any good business is the potential for failure and Second City Theatre