Take the Offer, Even When It Is Small: A Holiday Story for Leaders Who Want Stronger Teams

Improv Workshop in Columbus, Ohio

November 2025

We were sitting on my grandma’s pink living room carpet with the smell of Christmas ham drifting out of the kitchen. The house felt full. Kids moved in and out of the room. The adults talked over each other the way families do during the holidays. I was young and still riding the memory of the gift I got the year before, a toy called the Insultinator. It made silly insults at the press of a button and felt like the perfect present for a kid who liked to make people laugh.

So when my godmother handed me a small wrapped box that Christmas, my mind went straight back to that feeling. I pictured another toy. Something playful. Something that matched the noise and energy around us.

I opened the box and found a small Precious Moments ornament of a praying boy.

I remember staring at it, trying to understand it. It was soft and quiet in a room that felt loud. I was expecting something different, and the shift caught me off guard. I did not know what to say at first.

Then I looked up at my godmother. She had a gentle smile and a patient way of watching me take it in. The gift meant something to her. Not in a big dramatic way. In a simple, steady way that carried care.

I hugged her and thanked her. I did not fully understand the meaning then, but I understood her intention.

As I grew older, that ornament changed shape for me. My godmother battled cancer for years and eventually passed away. The ornament became a reminder of her, not just of that Christmas. My family hangs it on the tree every year, and it stays on a shelf the rest of the year. It feels like a small connection we get to keep.

That moment taught me something I can name now. Small gifts carry meaning. They ask for attention. They create connection in ways you only see when you slow down enough to notice them.

Leaders miss these small gifts every day. Teams give them all the time. They show up in tone, timing, silence, body language, and small shifts in behavior. Most leaders expect something bigger, so they overlook the small offer that could have changed a conversation or built trust earlier.

This is a holiday story, but the lesson is year round. It is also the core of improv.

The Lesson from an Inflatable Wife

In one improvised musical, the audience gave us the title Accident at the Balloon Factory. In that show, I was married to an inflatable wife. The wife was played by a male performer who committed fully to the bit. He sat beside me and slowly deflated throughout the scene. He did not give clear emotional cues. He did not act out a story. He just deflated, inch by inch.

That was the offer.

• A slow sag of the shoulders.

• A little collapse to the side.

• A quieter presence as he sank toward the floor.

None of it was intentional storytelling. It was simply what happened when someone decided to play an inflatable character and stay true to the physical reality of it.

Because I paid attention, those tiny changes gave me something to react to. I saw sadness when he drooped. I saw boredom when he slouched. I saw a need for comfort when he leaned toward me, even though he probably did not mean anything by it.

The scene worked because I responded to what was there, not what I wished were there. If I had ignored those small shifts, the moment would have flattened out. Noticing them kept the scene alive.

This is the heart of improv. Scenes live or die by how well partners catch the small offers.

Workplaces are no different.

How Improv Teaches People to See These Offers

In our corporate improv workshops, we teach this through simple exercises. One of them is Doctor Know It All. Three people stand shoulder to shoulder and answer audience questions one word at a time. Each person speaks one word before passing it to the next.

The skill is not about being clever. The skill is attention.

Each word is a gift.
Each word carries weight.
Each word creates the next step.

Teams learn fast that missing one word breaks the entire flow. If someone ignores the offer or overpowers it, the group stumbles. When the group acknowledges each word, they build something clear and shared.

This is the real training. It is not performance. It is practice in seeing what is right in front of you and responding to it with intention.

Leaders rarely get spaces where they can practice this skill. They need it more than anyone.

Why Leaders Miss Small Offers

Most leaders do not miss small offers because they lack empathy or skill. They miss them because they are trained to look for big signals. Clear problems. Direct questions. Strong emotions. Big solutions.

But human beings rarely speak in big signals first. They speak in small ones.

Here are the offers leaders miss most.

A teammate looks down before speaking.
Someone hesitates, then says they are fine.
Energy drops when a topic comes up.
Focus drifts during a virtual meeting.
A usually confident person becomes short with their answers.
Someone gives a half smile that looks more tired than amused.

Small signals.
Small cues.
Small moments that reveal the truth.

Leaders who miss these signals often say they want more transparency. They want people to speak up. They want issues surfaced earlier. They overlook the fact that most issues begin as small offers. They wait for the big reveal instead of noticing the early signs.

Leaders who catch these offers create stronger cultures. They find problems earlier. They build more trust. Their teams feel seen.

What Happens When Leaders Catch the Offer

When leaders acknowledge a small offer, trust rises quickly.

You seem distracted, want to check in.
You paused before you answered, is something on your mind.
I noticed your tone shift, help me understand what you are feeling.
Your idea sounds solid, tell me how you see it working.

These responses are short. They take less than a minute. They change the tone of a conversation.

People want to feel noticed. Not analyzed. Not judged. Not managed. Just seen.

Most teams do not need a grand culture push. They need leaders who catch the small offers they give every day.

In our workshops, I see how fast a room changes when one person acknowledges a small gesture. Someone laughs. Someone nods. Someone builds on a point that felt risky to say out loud. The room picks up energy. People speak more freely. Ideas flow.

Small offers keep the work alive.

Three Worlds, One Lesson

A holiday gift from my godmother.
An inflatable wife in a musical.
A team learning to work together in a workshop.

All three moments teach the same lesson. Small offers shape how we connect with each other.

Small offers show care.
Small offers guide the moment.
Small offers invite trust.

Leaders who see these offers create stronger teams. Leaders who respond to them create stronger cultures.

Actions Leaders Can Use Today

Here are steps leaders can put into practice right now.

• Watch body language for small shifts.

• Ask one curious question when something feels off.

• Name small wins or contributions during meetings.

• Give space after someone speaks so others can add on.

• Notice when someone quiets down.

• Invite input from someone who looks unsure.

• Acknowledge early signs of confusion before they grow.

These actions build connection without adding time to anyone’s schedule. They are simple. They are consistent. They matter.

Why Corporate Improv Workshops Train This Better Than Anything Else

Leaders do not build this skill from slides or lectures. They build it from practice. They build it by interacting with people in real time. They build it by responding to unexpected moments and seeing how those choices change the energy in the room.

Corporate improv workshops create these moments. They give leaders a space to experiment. They help people see what they usually miss. They give teams shared experience and shared language. They train leaders to notice the small signals that shape relationships.

The work stays active. The lessons stay practical. The skills transfer fast.

Practicing These Skills Outside the Workplace

We also stress the importance of practicing these habits outside the workplace. Real change shows up when people use these skills in everyday life, not only when the meeting starts. You learn to catch small offers from your partner, your kids, your friends, or the person handing you your morning coffee. You begin to notice tone, timing, and small shifts in energy because you are paying attention in places where the stakes feel lower.

That is what makes our workshops effective. We pull people out of their normal work patterns so they can practice these skills without the pressure of deadlines or roles. When people step outside their workplace mindset, they relax. They listen more. They experiment. They take in small cues they usually miss. When they return to work, the habit is already there. The skill sticks.

A Final Return to the Ornament

The small Precious Moments ornament still sits on a shelf in my home. The praying boy. The quiet face. The memory of my godmother. It reminds me that the smallest gifts often carry the deepest meaning.

Leaders get these small gifts every day. A gesture. A tone shift. A moment of hesitation. A quiet win.

Take the offer, even when it is small. It grows into something meaningful when you do.

If your leaders want to build trust through simple, human moments, our corporate improv workshops can help. We train teams to listen closely, respond with clarity, and stay connected in the moments that matter.