Improvisation: Down by the Old Mainstream

In 2002 I helped found a professional network called the Applied Improvisation Network, a global association of people dedicated to spreading the word about the application of improv theory and practice to daily life. In the seven years that I’ve been associated with the AIN, I’ve seen improvisation increasingly become part of the mainstream of organization development – even if it isn’t yet widely recognized as such.

My belief in the connections between improvisation and OD was recently reinforced by a list I ran across which contained suggested development areas for people looking to develop their capabilities as organizational Change Leaders. As I scanned the list, I couldn’t help noticing how each of the items described a characteristic of the Daily Improviser. A sampling:

0 Suspend your critical judgment – that part of you that says “It won’t work.” Instead, think in positive terms: “It might work because …”
0 Promote a climate in which people initially encourage rather than criticize new ideas.
0 Get out of your comfort zone.
0 Don’t assume that standard procedures are the best.
0 Don’t be satisfied with your first idea. Push yourself to generate other ideas before committing to one.
0 Watch your emotional reaction to mistakes.

Do you see the components of ExploreFlexSupport embedded in these items? Again, it’s striking to me how this list reveals that there is nothing off-the-wall or outré about the application of improvisation to organizations. In fact, improvisation as a body of knowledge takes these items once step further to show how the Daily Improviser can develop her facility with each listed item (a topic I’ll address next time).

Finally, here is an item from the list that sums it all up:

0 Let your employees lead the way. Tell your employees what outcome you support but allow them maximum freedom in how they achieve the goals.

I can’t think of a better, more succinct, more … mainstream statement of a concept I addressed earlier: An organization in which everyone acts as a Daily Improviser around a strong Commander's Intent!