At a glance

How Applied Improvisation Supported Collaboration Across an L&D Team

Introduction

A Learning and Development team at a major UK retailer invited AndAlso to deliver a bespoke L&D team development workshop using applied improvisation. The aim was to help colleagues relax, connect, participate fully, and work together more effectively.

The session needed to engage people with different levels of confidence and familiarity with improvisation. From the outset, AndAlso facilitator Rebecca MacMillan created a relaxed atmosphere while maintaining the pace and momentum needed to keep everyone involved.

The response was immediate. The client said the session delivered what the team had wanted, with participants relaxing quickly, engaging fully, and enjoying the experience together. The positive experience later led to a repeat booking for September 2026.

The workshop is one example of how AndAlso’s business improv training turns familiar workplace themes into practical, shared experiences.

The challenge: strengthening collaboration across an L&D team

L&D teams spend much of their time helping other people develop. They also need space to examine how they communicate, collaborate, and respond when situations feel unfamiliar.

For this group, the challenge was to create an experience that would support stronger communication and collaboration while introducing an appropriate level of stretch. The client wanted something highly participative that would involve the whole team and generate a shared experience they could reflect on afterwards.

Why applied improvisation suited the brief

L&D professionals are used to discussing development. Applied improvisation gave this team an opportunity to experience key workplace behaviours directly. Participants had to listen, respond, collaborate, and contribute without knowing exactly what would happen next, creating an appropriate level of stretch while keeping the emphasis on mutual support and shared success.

Applied improvisation was particularly suited to the brief because it helped the team practise:

• Active listening.
• Confident contribution.
• Collaboration under uncertainty.
• Responding positively to unexpected ideas.
• Supporting others in the room.
• Building trust through shared experience.

The format also gave the team a learner’s-eye view of interactive development. AndAlso’s Improvisation Skills for Trainers and Coaches programme explores how similar techniques can support participation, adaptability, and engagement in learning environments.

The approach: creating confidence and connection

Every AndAlso engagement begins with discovery. Working with the client, we clarified the team’s objectives, the level of challenge that would feel useful, and the conditions people needed in order to participate fully.

AndAlso then designed a genuinely bespoke workshop that built confidence progressively. Rebecca established a relaxed, welcoming tone from the beginning, making it easier for people to take part without feeling pressured to perform. From there, the session maintained enough pace and variety to keep the group engaged.

The facilitator responded to the people in the room: when to reassure, when to increase the challenge, and how to make space for different personalities to contribute. Structured reflection helped connect the shared experience to communication, collaboration, and the team’s day-to-day work.

For organisations looking to build connection through a similarly practical approach, explore team building through improvisation.

The impact: strong feedback and a repeat booking

The clearest evidence came directly from the client: the workshop delivered what the team had hoped for. Participants relaxed quickly and remained engaged throughout, creating a shared experience that supported connection across the group.

In written feedback, the client described the session as delivering exactly what the team wanted and highlighted how quickly people felt at ease.

The positive response led to further conversations about the next stage of the team’s development and a repeat booking for September 2026.

Highlights included:

• A session that delivered what the client wanted.
• Strong participation and enjoyment across the group.
• A relaxed atmosphere established from the outset.
• Sustained energy and momentum throughout the workshop.
• A repeat booking for September 2026.

How applied improvisation supports behaviour change

Applied improvisation makes familiar development themes observable. Listening, collaboration, and adaptability are no longer abstract ideas: participants can notice how they respond when plans change, another person contributes something unexpected, or success depends on supporting the group.

Facilitated reflection helps translate those moments into workplace insight. Participants can identify what enabled confident contribution, what strengthened trust, and how those conditions could be recreated in their day-to-day work.

At AndAlso, that learning is supported by responsive facilitation and genuinely bespoke design. With more than twenty years of applied improvisation experience, our team knows how to balance welcome, challenge, laughter, and reflection so the session remains enjoyable without losing sight of its organisational purpose.

Explore more workplace training

• Explore workplace improv programmes
• Read corporate improv training testimonials
• Browse more workplace case studies

Frequently asked questions

What is an L&D team development workshop?

An L&D team development workshop is a facilitated session designed to help Learning and Development colleagues strengthen how they communicate, collaborate and work together.

How can applied improvisation support L&D teams?

Applied improvisation helps L&D teams practise active listening, adaptability, confident participation, and collaboration through direct, experiential learning.

Is workplace improv suitable for people who are nervous about performing?

Yes. AndAlso sessions are carefully facilitated, supportive, and low-pressure. The focus is not on performing or being funny, but on building confidence, connection, and useful workplace behaviours.

Can AndAlso design bespoke training for L&D teams?

Yes. Every AndAlso engagement begins with a discovery call, and each workshop is designed around the organisation’s people, culture, objectives, and desired outcomes.

Could applied improvisation support your L&D team?

AndAlso designs bespoke business improv training for L&D teams, people teams, and organisations that want to strengthen collaboration, communication, confidence, and learner engagement.

Whether you are planning a team development day, trainer development session, or wider workplace programme, we can create an experience that is purposeful, responsive, and unmistakably yours.