Until a few weeks ago, I’d never actually attended a Knuckleball Comedy program. Oh, I’ve watched videos, zoom sessions, met with our CEO Ethan, read testimonials, seen pictures, but had never been an attendee.
But the week before Chicago public schools began their fall semester, the staff worked to prepare for the coming school year, and many schools hired Knuckleball Comedy for a session of team building fun to loosen up the staff and get them excited to greet the students the next week. I decided to drop in at a school just a couple blocks from my house.
(Teachers laughing during a Knuckleball Comedy PD for teachers and staff)
There were about 150 staff members milling around in the gym when I arrived. They had that look of a group who didn’t know quite what to expect from the upcoming session, and were just a little suspicious about what would be expected of them.
Then Ethan walked in and wow - how he owned the room! His enthusiastic demeanor, and quick humor were infectious and within moments, the energy in the gym went from doubt to delight. I didn’t intend to participate, thought I’d just watch. But when we were told to find a partner, suddenly a nice young man named Eric sweetly asked me to be his, so of course I said yes.
What happened in the next hour was a mixture of high energy fun and laughter, mixed with some poignant sharing with each other about important people or special treasures in our lives.
The games were not only fun but had a purpose - a message that could be transferred to the workplace to improve interpersonal interactions and enhance relationships. And throughout the session, Ethan’s comic and uplifting banter continuously pushed us all the more to enjoy ourselves.
For one exercise, we were paired and told that one person would offer an idea for a party, which the other person initially rejected out of hand. How about karaoke in a bar? No, bad idea. How about a dinner party where everyone brings a favorite dish? No, bad idea. In the next round, a party was suggested and instead of just saying no, the recipient said, good idea, but maybe we have a beach party instead? And for the last round, the recipient said “good idea, but how about the beach party after karaoke?”
Some of the suggested parties were hilarious and we were all laughing when it occurred to us - aha, this is really about open dialogue, considering each other’s ideas, not shutting them down, but working together to make people feel valued and build on each other’s strengths.
And who doesn’t like a quick game of rock, paper, scissors to end the session. Everyone left with an added bounce in their step.
Frankly, although I knew we always received high praise from attendees at Knuckleball Comedy events, experiencing it first hand was an eye opener for this old lawyer. Sure, in my day, progressive law firms tried various ways to foster cooperation and team building.
But I can tell you with authority, they were never ever this kind of fun. That said, even law firms can progress further, and when they hire Knuckleball Comedy - which many now do - it’s the best part of any lawyer’s day.
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