Why Applied Improvisation?
Applied Improvisation, or 'AI', takes games and exercises from the world of improvised comedy and theatre, and offers them to teams who need help building interpersonal relationships and creative skills. I'm part of the Applied Improvisation Network, a global network of practitioners using improvisation as a social intervention in a variety of contexts.
For decades, the corporate sector has sought to find the secret to team-building, using personality tests, neurolinguistic programming, finding employees' 'learning styles', and more.
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Unfortunately, many methods like these, typically based on archaic notions of psychology, have little evidence to prove they have a meaningful impact on productivity or interpersonal relationships. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, for example, has practically no evidence that it is capable of categorising personality consistently, and yet it is still used widely as a recruitment method. To see for yourself, click here to see a meta-analysis of the reliability of the MBTI, based on 221 studies.
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On the other hand, learning to improvise, (that is, learning to make up stories, scenes, and characters, with no rehearsals) is demonstrably effective at altering how we relate to others, and how we express our creativity. There is no meta-analysis of every study conducted on the effects of improvisation, so far, but the current evidence is very positive. The links on the right lead to summaries of multiple research projects that have measured the effects of improv training on individuals. Currently, the evidence suggests that improv can:
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...Improve our ability to manage anxiety.
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...Make us more open to the ideas of others.
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...Allow us to adapt to unpredictable situations.
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Research Into Applied Improv
The following articles summarise the efforts of multiple studies into the effects of improv on our ability to manage anxiety and be creative.
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Psychology Today: How Improvisation Changes The Brain
This article summarises some of Limb and Braun's studies on jazz musicians.
They observed that while improvising, the parts of the brain that prompt us to be more critical of ourselves appeared to activate less frequently. The article goes on to explain how this research could benefit corporate and therapeutic work.
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Psychology Today: The Improv Anxiety Treatment?
This article covers the work of three scientists who study the effects of improv on social anxiety.
Their research suggests that improv training helps participants rehearse being in unpredictable environments. Doing this gives participants the skills to grapple with unknown situations, rather than avoid them for fear of failure.
Ask Yourself The Following Questions:
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In virtual meetings, does my team have to fight, to put each of our points across?
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Do we have a lot of meetings that feel pointless or shallow?
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Have we lost what we used to have, when we were in person?
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If any of those situations feel famillar, I can help you. Click here to learn about what I offer.