Improv Magic

Being prompt, adaptable, present in the moment, contributing freely, and listening carefully are skills that should be included in management training as it creates more room for innovation.

- Norm Laviolette

Coming up with dazzling and novel ideas is not an innate ability, but can be a learned skill that you and your team develop. It is actually possible to train your mental radar to repeatedly sweep back and forth in search of those blips of inspiration that have a possibility of turning into something exciting and concrete. With this acquired mindset, it is possible to begin seeing possibilities for everywhere.

I have learned from 20 years of performing, directing, and producing live improvisational comedy to open my mind to what is around me. A broadened perspective leads to more opportunity for original ideas. Cultivating the same outlook also allows organisational teams to develop innovative ideas.

Part of the joy of doing improv comes from the fact that, as a performer, I am allowed to follow wherever the scene goes without any real expectation to end up anywhere in particular. The unknown, far from being scary, becomes a limitless opportunity. The ability to build off of the other actors’ ideas invariably leads to unexpected places. Sure, my comments and directives morph or become contorted along the way. But suspending my judgment and trusting in the creative process take a scene that starts from the rawest of materials and somehow leads to a neat resolution.

Whether on stage or in idea-generation sessions with staff, no idea is created perfectly and fully formed right out of the gate. It does not matter if it is a joke, a concept or a product, everything needs to be looked at, edited, and iterated. This is the process we use to go from a basic or starter concept, to bigger and more expansive ideas—and, with some risk and a measure of effort, to full-blown realisation and success.

Here are some ways to apply the techniques of improv to successfully come up with good ideas that can lead to innovation:

Learn to listen