I was fortunate to take part in a recent workshop where the Maydays were coached in one specific improvisation technique by the superb Brandon Gardner from the Upright Citizens Brigade. We focused on “Game of the Scene” which meant that we were identifying the patterns that naturally arise in conversations in order to consciously use them to construct satisfying comedic situations. The game of the scene is the structure that underlies such classics as the Monty Python Cheese Shop sketch or Four Candles by the Two Ronnies. By establishing a pattern that the audience recognises comedians let them in on the joke and simply have to repeat the pattern to elicit increasing doses of laughter. The audience is subconsciously saying “Do it again!” once they have spotted the pattern. The energy between the performers increases as more emotion is evoked by playing the game e.g. John Cleese’s rising and unsuccessfully suppressed frustration at not being able to name a cheese that was in stock. To be able to spot and play the game of a scene while improvising the scene requires discipline, trust and practice and when it comes together we are truly in the flow with our stage partner, the audience and ourselves

When we are able to identify a pattern in a conversation in our regular or professional lives we have an invitation to increase rapport with the other person and to explore and to mutually create new possibilities which would otherwise be missed. By listening for the golden moment we can add our “yes” and start to build a foundation to support collaborative creativity and shared opportunity. Every manufactured material object in our physical environment began as an idea that the inventor said “yes” to and then got agreement from someone else. If you reach out and grasp a man made object right now then you are holding the result of an improvised string of “yes’s” – including the “yes’s” that lead you to be in the proximity of that object right now. Every project, team or company is the result is a string of “yes’s” and continues to exist through an unfolding stream of “yes” T

When we fully embrace, create and share success then we must embody the basic principles of improvisation Listen, Say Yes and Commit. Otherwise everything fizzles and dribbles away into the ether. So whether you are listening intently to a client talking about a big exciting new project or a knotty problem that needs solving or you are just having a laugh with a friend, then in that moment you are merging with the underlying miraculous creative pattern of the biggest game of the scene we know of – life on Earth. Enjoy the ride!

In the words of William Blake ” If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is  – infinite”

When we find ourselves under stress or faced with new horizons we often revert to the previous programme of either/or thinking and miss many of lifes richer possibilities. This dynamic is clear in the realm of politics where the more democratic nations almost invariably develop two party systems with the adherents of each party claiming their party is right and good while the opposition is wrong and bad.

This dualistic division is especially apparent in the ingrained split between business and artistic creativity. This one starts early in school when we are presented with a choice between arts ands science with the message that the smart ones do science and mathematics and the weird ones do drama or painting to keep them out of trouble. Business types then go to business school and train for financial success and arty types flit off to get by or find a wealthy patron.  As a result we find wealthy business owners who are stiff and isolated in their roles and creative people unable to actualise their talents due to a lack of focus and resources. This reductive worldview of a  split between art and science is a fairly recent invention, it was natural during the Renaissance for people like Leonardo da Vinci to be an inventor, scientist, painter, botanist, engineer and writer.

William Blake raged eloquently against the narrowing of human vision ” May God us keep, from single vision and Newton’s sleep”

There is a tremendous richness to be found when we find synergy between business and artistic creativity and find clarity on the mutual benefits of embracing both disciplines. I am indebted to Joanna Jesson who mentored me in finding ways to communicate the business benefits of improvisation and see to it that the twain should meet. The outcome is a project called the Business Improv Lab which was founded last year by myself and Neil Mullarkey of the Comedy Store Players. This is a monthly masterclass in London where a small group of consultants, coaches and business leaders improvise together and develop applications which are then used in the workplace. The benefit of regular meetings is that the learnings can be refined and also members can bring specific issues to work with. The outcomes were used with an executive team of a major bank and the results exceeded expectations. When we unlock the talent and creativity of a team in an experimental setting and then focus the new learning on a project the impact is dramatic. With accelerating change in global markets maybe it’s time for some new Renaissance men and women on the stage of commerce!

Ian Gotts is the CEO of Nimbus Partners, he has taken improvisation to heart and is really making the most of the benefits that unfold with regular practice. He has compiled a collection of articles from people he knows who actively apply improvisation in the world of business.
Ian has made it freely available as an ebook here

Asher Rickayzen is a consultant with Relume who manages to combine a deep knowledge of strategy with a delightful sense of humour. Asher uses improvisation to enrich his work with organisational development and facilitate change. He has written of the lasting impact of his first surprising taste of this transformational work  here

The world of business however can hold an entirely different view on the concept of mistakes. In a blame culture anyone making an error is immediately impaled on the skewer of disapproval and left to squirm in the gaze of their colleagues. People very quickly learn to avoid making mistakes and if they do slip up, to keep their head down and cover up the evidence. This pattern is learned early on in school and reinforced in the workplace. We end up with bland soulless environments where employees reserve their creativity for weekends. In the current climate companies need every ounce of creativity that their people have to offer.

Challengers, those who are passionate about the potential of an organisation and seek to drive change face unnecessary resistance in these environments. Ultimately it is the organisation which loses as the creative impulse is stifled and many true leaders leave to find a more supportive environment. Human beings have an innate desire to contribute and make a difference. Allowing this impulse to be expressed and supported in the workplace is a massive Win/Win. Creativity begets more creativity, as anyone who has had a go at the classic “Yes and” improvisation exercise will tell you.

I was delighted to encounter a company recently that is doing things differently, with some great results: NixonMcInnes are a digital media agency specialising in social media based in Brighton UK.  They have established a “Church of Fail” where they meet as a company every few weeks to confess and celebrate their failures to wild applause. The bigger and more dramatic the failure, the bigger the applause. The purpose behind this light hearted practice is to have a bit of fun but also to change some of the feelings of shame so they can share the learning from their mistakes. Of course on one level we can say this is a bit silly, at a deeper level this is some highly effective reprogramming.  Their favourite quote connected to this practice is from former IBM President Thomas J Watson “If you want to succeed, double your failure rate”

You can read Nixon McInnes full blog post “Loving our mistrakes” here.
We learn from our experiences when we share them with other people, when we label them “wrong” or “bad” and hide them away then we miss golden opportunities and also withhold the learning from others.
If you want to put an end to blame in your organisation then start celebrating mistakes, loudly and publicly, especially your own!

Watching improvisers, whether seasoned veterans or those discovering the thrill for the first time, I’m always entranced by the quality of spirit that is evoked when we make a choice to take risks. Something magical arrives in the unprepared yet committed moment, factors that seem at odds somehow combine to produce surprising results. An experienced leader has a quality that engages our attention, we watch them respond creatively moment by moment, walking the tightrope and staying upright and poised. Improvisers stand in the paradox of alertness and calm, buzzing with energy and possibilities while returning to stillness and feeling the moment, sensing the impulse and engaging with their fellow actors.  There is a combination of flexibility and determination that meets and overcomes obstacles which we access when we respond authentically from within.

Someone I consider to be a true hero is Ernest Shackleton, who battled a seemingly endless series of catastrophes under extreme conditions and managed to triumph through sheer force of will combined with supreme adaptability. I have read and reread his story many times and was fortunate to see in Boston museum the 22 foot lifeboat in which he made an 800 mile journey in winter through the worst sea in the world, the South Atlantic. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and frustrated under the stresses of modern life – and difficult to stay that way when we go within and bring ourselves more fully into the moment. It only takes us one conscious breath to come back to our centre, right here, right now; which is where everything happens.

The energy in the room was electric and the feedback overwhelmingly positive “Euphoria” was one description of the experience. We had lit the blue touch paper and unleashed a storm of courage and creativity.

Here’s why it worked; when improvisation is practiced and delivered well it speaks to fundamental needs that humans have had hard wired in them for tens of millennia, these include:

+ Knowing they are appreciated and valued

+ Being heard

+ Making an effective contribution

+ Feeling supported and encouraged

+ Working together for a common aim

By involving the head, heart and body and bringing attention into the present moment we celebrate being alive and creative; we begin to undo the deadening and isolating effects of unbalanced education systems and soulless working environments.

It takes courage and commitment from business leaders to transform their culture – they face discomfort, embarrassment and they risk making mistakes. When they can rely on outstanding support from teams who are willing to embody new skills and collaborate with generosity then they are unstoppable.

When people first encounter improvisation either through watching a performance or being trained in the basic skills there is an electric excitement in the room. The mystery unfolds moment to moment and one’s attention is fully engaged. New possibilities open up and different levels of creativity become available, some of these are brand new, others may have been buried since childhood. Confidence levels raise and there is often a burning desire to learn more. This is because we come into contact with some more alive and immediate parts of our inner self than we normally experience in day to day life.

For the duration of an improvisation session the auto pilot is switched off, we feel invigorated, focused and courageous.

This level and flavour of engagement has been sorely absent from workplaces for decades. Progressive companies are recognising that they always get mediocre results from employees who show up physically at work without actually “being there” mentally and emotionally. One of the lasting benefits of bringing improvisation skills into the workplace is that they evoke the part of us that wants to “be here” By improvising, laughing, engaging and collaborating together a team begins to excel. It only takes a few moments to revisit a basic improvisation exercise or roll out a new one and the enthusiasm is back in the room. Repeated practice of improvisation skills will quickly reveal the team members who are active saboteurs or energy drains. In any organisation it is the people are the greatest resource and 5 fully engaged people deliver far greater value than 10 semi engaged people (they also cost less in wages and take fewer sick leaves!) Increased presence in team members adds value exponentially as improvisation has at its core the practice of collaboration. When a team is made up of members who are adding positive energy, are really listening and contributing enthusiastically the results quickly follow.