Scottsdale resident brings improv to the workplace

By Cyrus Guccione
Mail

From magic and stage hypnosis to improv comedy, Scottsdale resident Joe Hammer has spent two decades using performance to teach connection, communication and creativity. Through his improv comedy troupe The Outcasters, Hammer has offered improv classes and corporate communication workshops designed to boost professional development throughout the Valley.

Hammer began his comedy career 20 years ago in Pittsburgh, performing a magic-comedy act as the opener for a stage hypnotist. Initially skeptical of hypnosis, he soon realized its legitimacy and began stage hypnosis training in Las Vegas.

He continued performing stage hypnosis in New York while also performing improv. After relocating to Arizona, he found the Valley lacked a strong improv presence and recognized an opportunity.

To address that need, he founded The Outcasters, offering improv classes, corporate workshops and team-building experiences that show how unscripted communication can enhance workplace culture.

“I like improv because it’s different every time. It’s not scripted,” Hammer said.

Joe Hammer founded The Outcasters, offering improv classes, corporate workshops and team-building experiences that show how unscripted communication can enhance workplace culture. (Photo courtesy of Joe Hammer)

One of the core concepts he teaches is the “Yes, and” principle, which encourages participants to accept an idea and build on it, a tool he says can improve collaboration in any setting.

“The example I like to use is when Billy asks for a cookie. It’s easy to say no, but then you’ve got an angry Billy who won’t eat his dinner,” Hammer said. “Instead, you can say, ‘Yes, Billy, let’s have a cookie together right after dinner, and then we’ll watch some TV.’”

That same concept translates into the sales room, the presentation in front of prospective clients and in conversations with potential homebuyers, says Hammer, adding that role-playing exercises help participants see that they can say “yes” without locking themselves into an unfavorable position.

Hammer says improv helps people build resilience in the face of uncertainty while also easing anxiety, sparking creativity and encouraging greater mindfulness at work and at home.

Improv for a cause

Through his work, Hammer also has a mission to support community organizations. His Improv for a Cause program provides free shows and workshops for nonprofits seeking staff support or fundraising opportunities.

“I don’t get paid when we do a nonprofit show, but boy does it feel good to know you helped raise a couple thousand dollars for an animal welfare organization or a senior center,” he said.

With 20 years in the business, Hammer has compiled his experiences into three books: “The Unconscious Authority,” which provides science-backed techniques on making lasting lifestyle changes, “The Improv Edge,” which offers general improv information for use in entertaining and life and his most recent title, “Blank to Brilliant,” a guide to using improv for improving business communication.

For more information about The Outcasters, visit theoutcasters.com.