Creating a Vision for the
Improv in Business Community

by Alain Rostain


Wow! I said let's create a community and conference around improv in business and you said "Yes!" Since it's an all-volunteer effort, progress was slow to start with. But we are making progress.

We had a great opening conference last year, and are looking forward to our next one in Toronto.

So why create a community? And what's our collective vision?

Here's my take on it: I suspect that among us we have many passionate individuals with a breadth and depth of experience in creating value with Improv. My hope is that by coming together, both as a virtual community and in a face-to-face setting, we can help each other make a bigger difference in the world and be more successful as individuals and groups.

Let me back up for a moment and tell you how I discovered Improv and began applying it to business.

Ten years ago, after studying Computer Science and Cognitive Psychology, I went into management consulting for Price Waterhouse. I'd never studied acting. (My last "performance" was when I was six years old, a reading of some of my "poetry" for my mother's friends.)

That year (1991), a friend introduced me to Bay Area Theatresports. One show and I was hooked. I'd never seen such talent, skills and sheer brilliance on one stage.

I took my first class. On the first day of Level 1, Rebecca Stockley listed some of the key concepts of Improv on the blackboard:

Say "Yes"
Make your partner look good
Spontaneity - don't self-censor
Stay present - don't plan ahead
Accept all offers
Embrace failure

A bell went off in my head. These same concepts were critical to the success of organizations! Yet they were rarely nurtured in the corporate setting. I was ecstatic. At last, a unique approach to learning, healing, fun and community that could be applied in business!

The idea that the beauty of improv, its philosophy and the techniques could be used to create a better workplace and make a difference in the lives of people inside organizations propelled me to commit my life to discover how to make the connection valuable and viable. So I started my business, Creative Advantage, with this purpose in mind.

My work with Creative Advantage is extremely rewarding. But it's not enough. I need to be with people who do what I do. If we don't share it, we won't grow.

The time is ripe. Until very recently, only a few people were applying Improv to business. In the past year however, most training, leadership and learning conferences have included Improv presentations.

And following our confence last fall, I think we are gaining momentum.

What we can do

Specifically, I think we can:

Share games, tools and activities; best practices in design, context-setting, and debrief;
our wisdom about selling this work more effectively
the wide range of approaches we use
Build a support network to get advice or bounce around ideas
Encourage new practitioners and help them overcome roadblocks to success
Help those of us who approach this work from the artistic side connect more effectively to organizations and their goals
For internal practitioners, help deepen appreciation for Improv
Raise the standard and capabilities of all of us to do better work
Promote a standard for the facilitation and organization development skills needed to create sustaining value for our clients
Create a sense of community and overcome the loneliness factor
Increase awareness and acceptance around the world of the present and potential impact of Improv on the business world

Alain Rostain
CEO, Creative Advantage Inc.