What improv teaches us about Change Management

By Alan Slavik and Minola Jac

I was first introduced to live improv and sketch comedy in my early twenties at a wonderful theatre in Minneapolis called Brave New Workshop. I was amazed (and entertained, I might add) by the ability of the performers to adapt to any situation that was thrown at them and create something magical, all in real time. Whether it be random suggestions from the audience or a playful suggestion from another member of the ensemble, the performers took everything in stride and were able to create wonderful scenes seemingly out of thin air. It truly was magical.

My love and appreciation for improv grew stronger when I lived in Chicago and frequently attended performances at The Second City, the world's premier comedy club, comedy theater, and school of improvisation. 

Years later, as I was exploring ways to improve my stage presence and agility as a public speaker, someone recommended I attend an improv workshop. Little did I know that this short workshop in Paris with a group called the Improfessionals would have such a profound impact on my life, both personally and professionally.

For 10+ years I’ve been practicing and applying many of the teachings and techniques of improv in my daily life. In partnership with Minola (which has been a great example of “Yes, And”) we’ve listed below just some examples of how improv can be applied to Change Management. 

Yes, And. This is the simplest and probably the most powerful concept I’ve learned from improv training. At its core, “Yes, And” is about being deliberately and consciously open to new ideas and opportunities and making an effort to not shut down ideas and contributions from others. This means replacing the words “no, but” in all forms with “yes, and” on all occasions with no exceptions. Building on other people’s ideas to ignite and keep conversations going is key for Change Management. Acknowledging and recognizing their contributions, while supporting their involvement, is what enables anyone doing Change Management work to harness people’s energy for meaningful transformation. It is as much about being open-minded as it is about staying open-hearted, curious, mindful, and intentionally inclusive. 

Side-note: Yes, And is so central to improv that it’s the title of Kelly Leonard & Tom Yorton’s wonderful book about improv. It’s a great read for those interested in knowing more about the benefits of improv.

Make others look good. In an ensemble or team, if you focus on making others look good magical things can happen. It also takes the pressure off when you consider your primary role to be making others look good. This is even more powerful when you see and feel that others take this approach while collaborating with you. This principle is also beautifully illustrated by Benjamin Zander, an English conductor, currently the musical director of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. In his “Shining Eyes” address to Headteachers during the 2011 conference organized by the National College of School Leadership, he speaks about his Eureka moment of realizing a conductor’s mission: “The conductor of an orchestra doesn't make a sound. He depends for his power on his ability to make other people powerful.” Making others look good, empowering those around you to grow into their own space and “make their own sound” in a way that gives out “music” happens at the intersection of the science and art of Change Management. 

Failing fast. Not everything works in life and in work. Failure is a part of the process. Expect it, embrace it, and even enjoy it. Just do it quickly and move on to the next thing. This attitude and philosophy can be both liberating and extremely productive. A great way to think about Change Management is of it being a dolphin, not a whale. Dolphins are agile, curious, playful, and quite chatty creatures - they would make for great improv artists and Change Managers. They jump out of water, enjoy the waves, take unexpected swift turns, and they look like they enjoy it tremendously. 

Plan for and embrace the unexpected with open arms. We cannot plan for every eventuality in life. And if we spend too much energy doing so, the result will not only be disappointment, but utter exhaustion. The alternative is to be prepared for the unexpected and roll with it. American playwright and actress Tina Fey has a beautiful quote on improv, that could be inserted into Change Management workshops just as well: “The thing that always fascinated me about improv is that it’s basically a happy accident that you think you’re initiating.” Just as under-planning is an issue, over-planning can turn out as potentially damaging. The “management” bit of “Change Management” should not be used to stifle people’s creativity, their natural ability to react in the moment, their space for failing fast. Do we have a Change Management strategy and plan? Yes, And...

Creating something out of nothing. Every day, managers and teams must create something out of nothing. We’re often thrown into new teams, situations, meetings or projects where we must take on the unknown and produce something of value. Understanding this idea alone opens us up to many possibilities. Oftentimes, lack of clarity feels like “nothing”. Too many possibilities might feel for some as “nothing”, inducing analysis paralysis. Change Management works its magic when it is harnessed to take “nothing” and turn it into an understandable, actionable, “communicatable”  “something”. It doesn’t need to generate clarity all the way. As 13th-century Persian poet Rumi’s wisdom goes, “As you start to walk on the way, the way appears.” No Change Manager starts out with “nothing” - there are expectations, aspirations, knowledge, experience, expertise, a genuine will to contribute available all around any organization, within any given team. Start out by listening, move forward with “Yes, And”, don’t be afraid to fail fast, embrace the unexpected, and “nothing” is turned into common understanding and potential. Take this great advice from Tina Fey: “Say yes, and you’ll figure it out afterwards!” While doing some research on improv for this article, a Pinterest post popped up, sadly anonymous, and this will definitely be one of the key takeaways of future Change Management workshops: “Don’t bring a cathedral into a scene. Bring a brick. Let’s build together.”

Don’t take things too seriously. This speaks for itself. It’s always easier said than done. Perhaps Amy Poehler, American comedian and co-founder of the improvisational-comedy troupe Upright Citizens Brigade, said it best, “No one looks stupid when they’re having fun.” Also the famous Benjamin Zander’s “Rule no 6”, described in detail in his “The Art of Possibility” book. Yes, And… what are the other rules, you might ask? There aren’t any! Humor is very serious business. The capacity to express or perceive what's funny, is both a source of entertainment and a means of coping with difficult or awkward situations and stressful events; it plays an instrumental role in building social bonds and releasing tension. What you laugh at, and when you turn to humor, teaches you a lot about yourself. How people react - teaches you a lot about them. Some who have sought to explain humor point to the fact that many jokes or funny events contradict one’s sense of how things are supposed to be. Other theories of what makes things funny focus on the role of tension-relief, suddenly “getting” how incongruous details fit together. Humor is quite possibly one of the best Change Management tools, and it should be seriously put into action. 

Typing the word “improve” brought on the realization that it requires typing “improv”. We are always improvising. Improv, in essence, is a beautiful part of who we are as humans. It’s a part of our improvement process, literally and figuratively. You cannot spell “improve” without “improv”. 

If we can all understand, embrace and apply the spirit of improv to our everyday lives, the results can be spectacular. If nothing else, the process will certainly be more enjoyable, rewarding and even entertaining.