The moment they walked onstage, sighed loudly, and announced "I guess I'll be the CEO again," I had a full-body flashback. I didn't know whether to yes-and them or ask for a TPS report.
Two years ago, as a corporate COO buried in quarterly reviews and strategic planning, I wrote a CUInsight Article about my first improv class called, What do improv and business have in common. The parallels between stage collaboration and corporate dynamics fascinated me. I was enamored by how improv lessons translated directly to my business world.
Now, with six months of entrepreneurship under my belt, I am deep into my second year of improv training and playing and I've uncovered something striking: Those problem partners who kill scenes with their blocking, joke-chasing, and general chaos? They're not just bad improvisers. They're your coworkers.
The revelation that changes everything
I can spot workplace dysfunction from the back row of a theater. The person who blocks every creative idea in the conference room steamrolls scene partners with the same dismissive energy. The colleague who turns every serious discussion into their personal comedy hour. They bring the same performance energy, just no stage lights this time.
Improv strips away all pretenses. No PowerPoints, no org charts, no carefully crafted personas. Just humans trying to create something together in real time. When someone brings their dysfunction to the stage, it becomes impossible to hide.
Frankly, it's not hiding well in Corporate America either.
The six types of collaboration killers
Through countless scenes with countless partners, I've identified six distinct types who show up everywhere: boardrooms, theater stages, PTA meetings, family dinners. Once you see the patterns, you can't unsee them.
The scene hog / meeting monopolizer
- Onstage: It is as if they are saying, "Don't worry, I'll do the whole scene. You just stand there and react to my monologue."
- In meetings: Takes up all the airtime, doesn't let others contribute meaningfully. Interrupters.
- Why it's exhausting: Teamwork becomes a hostage situation run by their personal TED Talk.
- How to handle: Ask direct, anchoring questions about shared goals; insert clear boundaries around airtime at work; in improv pivot the emotion of the scene.
The blocker / idea killer
- Onstage: "No, we're not on a spaceship. We're just two squirrels in a tree and you're wrong."
- In meetings: "That won't work. Here's why..."
- Why it triggers you: You just spent precious creative energy building something and they demolished it like a toddler flipping Monopoly. It's not just rejection; it's the systematic destruction of possibility.
- How to handle: Stay emotionally present; call out the contradiction while staying grounded in character on stage and focused on the mission at work.
The joke-chaser / class clown
- Onstage: "Oh look, I'm a doctor with a banana for a stethoscope—haha, banana penis joke!"
- In meetings: Derails serious discussions with inappropriate humor, constantly goes for the laugh instead of the solution.
- Why it hurts: You're trying to build something with heart and they're doing stand-up with a laugh track only they can hear. They're not playing with you; they're performing at you.
- How to handle: Ground the scene (work or improv) in sincerity; support the joke while adding depth. "I know you're joking, but this matters to me."
The power player / empire builder
- Onstage: "I'm the king, I control the weather, and you're my footstool."
- In meetings: Always positions themselves as the authority, avoids vulnerability, dominates conversations.
- Why it kills creativity: Real collaboration and creativity is about shared ownership.
- How to handle: Acknowledge their expertise while exposing the gaps in their knowledge. "I see you positioning yourself as the expert here, and I'm curious about the blind spots we might be missing.”
The checked-out zombie / ghost employee
- Onstage: [monotone] "I guess we're married or something. I don't care."
- In meetings: Minimal engagement, flat responses, clearly mentally somewhere else.
- Why it's maddening: Collaboration requires energy, and they're doing witness protection theater. It's like trying to dance with a sandbag.
- How to handle: Inject energy; make it personal; react truthfully to their apathy, in character on stage, and sincerely in real life.
The inappropriate one / boundary crosser
- Onstage: "I'm your sexy cousin who's also a homophobe—it's called edginess, babe!"
- In meetings: Makes comments that cross professional boundaries, uses shock value instead of substance.
- Why it's toxic: Psychological safety dies the moment someone weaponizes discomfort. You signed up for teamwork, not damage control.
- How to handle: Stay calm. If safe, redirect in-scene or in-meeting. Exit if needed. Speak privately after. "That was gross. Try again with respect this time."
The one technique that solves 80% of workplace drama
Most corporate "collaboration training" teaches a watered-down, team-building version of "yes, and" that misses the entire point. Real "yes, and" isn't about agreeing with everything. It's about truthful acknowledgment before addition.
- "Yes" = I'm listening, I see your reality.
- "And" = I'm willing to build with you, in truthful reality, even if it's not my idea.
It's not agreeing. It's acknowledging the reality and working together. That tiny shift? Total game-changer. If people just listened before adding their two cents, we’d have fewer turf wars and more actual progress.
The business truth improv exposes
In an improv scene, you literally can't succeed unless you trust the other person and build something together in real time. No PowerPoint. No agenda. Just presence and courage. Corporate culture worships control. Improv thrives in chaos organized by trust. That's why it works.
Improv isn't about being funny; it's about being present, adaptable, and listening. These are the exact "soft skills" HR professionals say we're lacking, and I argue they are not soft at all.
Improv makes people more human.
Your challenge
When Derek starts doing his usual Derek-ing, don't roll your eyes. Don't check out or mirror his nonsense.
Instead, treat the meeting like an improv scene:
- Say "yes, and" to the human, not the chaos. "Yes, I hear you're concerned . . . and here's what I'm building toward."
- Make your offer bold and clear. "Here's what I can do today to move us forward."
- Stay emotionally present, even when it's awkward. That's leadership: not the title, not the deck.
And if all else fails? Take a breath, channel your inner scene partner, and repeat to yourself, “I'm not here to win. I'm here to build.” That’s what improv shows us. And that’s how real teams grow.
Reflection
When was the last time you played at work?
When did you last build something with a colleague instead of around them?
