Dictionary.com defines improvisation as the art of composing, uttering, executing, or arranging anything without previous preparation. The pandemic has required each of us to become improvisers in nearly every element of our lives. Indeed, improvisation describes how we must practice the art of leadership today.
Both leaders and their followers may find the prospects of leader improvisation frightening. The thought of acting without previous preparation is an anathema to the way organizations prefer to operate. When it comes to an understanding of a company's success, we give its leaders' planning great homage. After all, without a plan, how can a leader allocate resources, direct employees, and assess progress? Isn't failing to plan merely planning to fail?
Leader improvisation might be less daunting if we thought our faith in planning was misplaced. We know from the Yiddish expression – and the Public Enemy album title - that God laughs while man plans. Every business environment contains uncertainty – often considerable uncertainty – and as a result, the security we feel from a plan may be illusory. Add to that wisdom from battle experienced philosophers as different as Prussian military commander Helmuth von Moltke and American boxer Mike Tyson: Everyone has a plan until they get hit. When it comes to a leader's efforts to plan, the pandemic has delivered a knee-buckling punch that Tyson would admire. In the face of such an assault, leaders need to recognize what they are now leading is an improvisational troupe.
What do leaders need to know to be effective as the head of an improv troupe? What can be borrowed from improv to structure a process that allows everyone to move together, in a purposeful, coordinated effort without the benefit of a deliberate planning process? A discussion with Dr. Jesse Olsen, Senior Lecturer at the University of Melbourne and student of improv, reveals that several elements are critical to be a successful improvisational leader in times like these:
Yes, and . . .
Ask anyone with improv experience about the few rules that exist, and the first thing mentioned will be "yes, and." The rule clarifies that keeping a scene moving requires you to accept your teammate's premise and find a way to build on it. Compare "yes, and" with responses familiar to those who have toiled in organizations, such as "no" and "yes, but." Each of these responses is a dead-ender that promptly squelches any development of the premise. Olsen adds that "yes, and" doesn't mean going along with any hopeless suggestion. "Try acknowledging the underlying motivation and using it as a way to explore what is and isn't feasible. A simple 'no' won't contribute to the team's development or motivation, and it certainly won't solve anything."
Maintain a Point of Concentration & Offer Some Structure
It might be tempting to view an improv scene as taking place on a blank slate. The blank slate is fraught with danger for improv troupe members just as it is for leaders. For improvisers to stay together as they "yes, and," there need to be signposts to guide the improvisation. In the instance of jazz musicians, the key and rhythm provide unifying structure. For an improv troupe, an enthusiastic audience member's one-word scene suggestion provides some shared sense of what anchors their improvisation. As members of the troupe offer "yes, and" responses to one another, a shared "point of concentration" emerges and matures to support ongoing improvisation. According to Olsen, a point of concentration – a common goal, problem, or value – keeps improvising leaders and followers together and on track.
Have Each Other's Back
Improvisers need to know that when they make a mistake – and they will make a mistake – the others in the troupe will help them get back on track. Without confidence that others have your back, the safest action is to stand still. A troupe of individuals standing in place offers little entertainment. Similarly, employees paralyzed by fear of failure will neither "yes" nor "and." Knowing others have your back is crucial for good improvisation.
What Does This Mean for Leaders?
Very few individuals are naturals at improv. It requires bravery to get up on a stage without a script to rely on. With practice, those committed to the craft of improvisation get much better. It's possible you are not naturally a leader, yet here you are. By seeking a position where you accepted responsibility for others' well-being and accountability for results, you have shown you are brave. Now it is time to practice your improvisational skills and become the leader who can help their troupe survive the pandemic's blows.
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