TALK WORK PL AC E
ACCEPTING THE APPLIED IMPROVISATION:
I can’t do improvisation… I’m not clever, quick or funny enough… If I asked you to make up a story or come up with a creative idea to help your business right now what would you do? The usual response is to freeze, go a bit wide-eyed and feel every ounce of imagination and creativity drain out of you to be replaced by a blank horror and sweaty palms. This reaction is the major obstacle when you try to tell businesses about the benefits of using Applied Improvisation with their teams…
“I’m not a performer and I hate role play…” People get hung up on the idea that improv is inextricably linked to comedy, performance and acting, when the reality is that every part of every day is an improvisation. There is no script for any conversation or interaction from the
moment you get up to the moment you go to bed. You get a cue, you react. That’s it. Improv is the same. Everyone can do it. Applied Improvisation allows people to share human reactions without fear of being judged - as we like to say “no one will be killed, ostracised, judged or eaten” - and the only role you play is yourself. It could be described as group generated, spontaneous storytelling.
“I’m no good at things like this…” Many people have a blind spot around their ability to be imaginative and creative even though as children they did it all the time. Unfortunately, education and work condition us to fear the consequences of failure and to
