Improvisation Takes Practice

In the face of rapid transformation and increasing uncertainty, the ability to improvise has become more important than ever. But what does it take to develop improvisational skills? The authors looked at several LARPs (Live-Action Role Playing games, in which players act as characters and react in real time to various scripted and non-scripted events) to gain insight into the mechanics of improvisation. Based on over two years of observations and interviews, they identified three distinct types of improvisation which players generally developed sequentially: imitative, reactive, and generative improvisation. They found that more competitive players developed reactive improvisation faster, but often struggled to advance to generative. Conversely, they found that more collaborative players developed slower at first, but their greater levels of social support and mutual trust with other players ultimately enabled them to achieve true generative improvisation. The authors go on to suggest three takeaways for organizations looking to foster improvisational skills among their managers and employees: build awareness, balance competition and collaboration, and nurture strong social structures.