Trust: The Foundation of a High-Powered Team

Strong teams run on deep trust, and trust doesn’t come from a memo. On stage and at work, it’s built the same way: through authenticity, a willingness to be vulnerable, hard work, and genuine curiosity about the people beside you. Improvisers rely on these skills every time they step into a scene with no script and no safety net. Say “YES!” brings those same techniques into the workplace to strengthen authenticity, trust, and resilience, especially when change has everyone a little off balance. Participants won’t need any acting experience or a taste for the spotlight. The exercises are playful, low-stakes, and designed so that everyone can join in. Workshops run 2 to 4 hours, in person or as live virtual sessions, and both formats are fully facilitated and built for active participation.

The Program

• Warm up the room. Quick, low-pressure games loosen everyone up and get people laughing together.

• Practice real listening. Improv exercises sharpen attention and responsiveness to what others are actually offering.

• Take smart risks together. Teams practice trying, stumbling, and recovering in a space where mistakes become material.

• Bring it back to work. Participants connect each skill to meetings, collaboration, and navigating change on the job.

What You Get

• A 2- to 4-hour workshop, in person or live online

• Facilitation by a founding member of Portland Playback Theatre with 20 years of experience in workplace training

• Deeper trust and stronger working relationships

• Greater comfort with authenticity and appropriate vulnerability

• More resilience and adaptability during change

• Practical improv tools your team can use the following Monday

Suitable Groups

• Teams going through reorganization, growth, or leadership change

• Newly formed or merged teams

• Leadership and management teams

• Professional services and client-facing teams

• Arts, healthcare, and nonprofit organizations

• Any team that could use more laughter and less guardedness