Improvisation and herding sheep!

“In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed”
Charles Darwin

For some time now I have been suggesting that most of the time we need to adopt a more exploratory and improvisational approach to leading, managing and organising. Recent posts by Viv McWaters, Geoff Brown and Ron Smrczek have highlighted for me both how important an everyday skill improvising is but also what it demands of me. It isn’t easy and my desire both to be in control and to know what I’m doing in advance constantly nags at me and frequently impacts what I do until I notice what is happening.

Viv wrote about the “gifts” she has taken away from involving herself in and using improvisational theatre in her work as a facilitator and consultant. They are …

• Be Present: Show up. Be attentive, alert, listening, feeling…
• Let Go: Let go of judging, yourself and others, and allow ideas to grow and evolve. Be surprised by where they end up.
• Be Average: Do the obvious. Say yes to yourself and your ideas and allow your natural brilliance to emerge.
• Accept Offers: Say ‘Yes, and…’. Let others know that they have been heard. ‘Yes, and…’ is about acknowledging and building on the offer.
• Do Something: Solutions lie in actions – move your body! Try something. Anything. Follow your instincts.
• Make Mistakes: Mistakes are the flip side of creativity. Try something new. Acknowledge and celebrate your mistakes.

Geoff wrote a post about his intention to Plan Less and Prepare More. He was writing in the context of wanting to be more creative but it applies equally to simply taking a more improvisational approach in meetings and conversations. I have been trying to put this into practice. When I’m successful … it works!

Ron Smrczek wrote a post on how improvising can help in collaboration. His suggestions are:

• In meetings – just start talking.
• Be open to the possibilities that all ideas might bring.
• Resist the temptation to judge – at least temporarily.
• Relinquish control.
• Embrace failure.

Here is what some other people have said about improvising …

“Spontaneity. Creativity. Increased intelligence. Emotional connections. Being in the moment. They are all present when improvising. It is impossible for all these things not to be there when improvising.”
Joey Novick, comedian and improv teacher.

“For the skilled improviser, however, time slows down (rather like in The Matrix). They see a palette of possibilities in front of them and make instant connections, using what they have.”
—Julie Sheldon Huffaker, Brad Robertson, Gary Hirsch and Rob Poynton in the article “Improv Culture: Using Practices from Improv Theater to Help Organizations Evolve Successfully Over Time”, OD Practitioner, Vol. 35, No. 3.

“… the more accepting the group is of failure, the safer it is for people to take creative risks and share ideas without fear.”
Ron Smrczek

And … if this isn’t improvisation and it doesn’t make you laugh out loud … well!?

Yes … I know it was down as part of an advertising campaign BUT if you have had anything to do with sheep (let alone technology!) you will have a sense of just how much these guys will have had to make it up as they went.

So … GO ON – GIVE IT A GO!
Next time there’s a low risk opportunity … let go of whatever you need to let go of and improvise! The fact is you do it all the time!