Be curious, not furious.

We approach our work with curiosity, always seeking to learn and grow even in areas where we have deep experience and confidence. We regularly question our assumptions and assertions, and are dedicated to improvement through implementation and experimentation.

Similarly, when working with one another, rather than jumping to conclusions or operating off assumptions, we will strive to communicate with curiosity.

When something comes up, rather than assuming malicious intent, incompetence, or the worst in one another, we will ask questions to better understand why things are the way they are, clarifying the intentions that drive specific actions.

Default to directness and candor.

Organizations move at the speed of trust. To build trust, we strive to answer curiosity with clarity, being straightforward when providing responses and explanations.

We value good documentation, direct communications, and transparency wherever possible. Where transparency is not feasible (such as with privacy concerns, privileged feedback for students or individuals, and the like), clarity (around why something cannot be shared) is paramount to build trust and strengthen collaborative relationships.

We work to provide feedback that is timely and direct. But we also know that clarity is not an excuse for cruelty, and timeliness is not an excuse for thoughtlessness around the context of the feedback environment. Treating each other with respect and learning how to communicate compassionately is part of clarity. Clarity is kindness; kindness creates room for clarity.

Our actions match our words.

We know that while clear communications are essential, they are also the first step, not the end of our efforts. We will measure our work based on our follow through on promises and stated intentions. When things inevitably shift or surprises inevitably come along that changes our ability to hit a commitment, we will not hesitate to ask for help and communicate clearly to recalibrate expectations—and also follow that up with bold action and palpable efforts.

We know that trust is built on meeting the clear expectations we have set together through our individual actions and adherence to commitments.

We will strive to maintain a strong “say / do” ratio”: what we say we’ll do is matched as close to 1:1 as possible with what we then get done.

Authentic, thoughtful connections bring authentic, thoughtful joy.

As a professional troupe, we know every show is someone’s first impression of not just Take 5 Improv, but of live theatre and entertainment. We take that responsibility of creating a positive audience experience seriously. When audiences come to Take 5 Improv, they should feel confident they’re going to have a fantastic time. We prioritize audience experience over performer ego.

At the same time, we believe providing artists with a great environment unlocks our ability to deliver fantastic audience experiences. Just as we work hard to do right by the audience, we know that our work can only thrive when we delight and surprise one another on stage and treat each other with kindness, grace, and safety.

We also know that the customer is not always right—but we will always strive to make things right for our customers.

Feel good about what you’re putting in and what you’re getting back.

We acknowledge it’s hard to start a new thing! We also know that each person will have different (and changing) amounts of bandwidth to contribute towards realizing challenging goals together.

As such, we build clear expectations and communicate openly about what we have capacity and capability to contribute, thus setting good expectations around how each member is working towards our shared goals. We also work hard to make sure there is no invisible work, instead striving to highlight all contributions.

By similar measure, as we build success and opportunities, we want to share them with everyone who contributed. We strive for transparent equity and celebration of everyone’s contributions.