Went to an improv theater recently. Had a a great time and laughed a lot. It made me ask:

What can consultants learn from Improv?

My first reaction to the question was dismissive. After all, improv is about entertaining the audience, making things up, and generally “winging it.” Nothing like the well-choreographed meetings and formal presentations that I am used to giving to clients. Then, I came up with 8 things consultants can learn from improvisational theater.

1. Practice

These actors practice. They use games and hone their skills. An emphasis is on being ready and flexible to go where the action takes them. Not memorizing, but definitely practicing. There are real skills to learn. In one skit, they had to imitate German, Scottish, Swedish, Klingon, and Australian accents. Consultants also need to stay sharp and ready. Practice small things: writing well, speaking well, being more efficient with excel, etc. . .because you don’t always have the time to prepare as much as you wish. 

2. Stay in the moment

Improv actors do not have a script. No lines to memorize. They are entirely committed to the moment; alert, eager, responsive. We all could do a better job of this. Not glance at our cell phone during meetings etc . . . 

3. Yes, And. . .

Improvisation builds on what the other person said and did. Without listening, it becomes chaos. Yes. . . confirm what the other said, AND. . . build on it. . . People too often APPEAR to be listening, but actually they are thinking of their rebuttal. . .Yes, BUT . . .I think you are wrong. Instead, consultants need to hear and understand the words written / spoken, but just as importantly read the body language, culture of the client site, “grok” how the organization makes tacit decisions. 

4. Use EQ 

It stands to reason that a team that is accustomed to acting together will have greater flow; they know each other’s strengths, sense of humor, and ambitions. They can “read” each other like a couple that has been married for 20+ years. Call in intuition. Call it wisdom. Call it emotional intelligence. In contrast, consultants think more than they feel; this is usually a good thing because we work in data, logic, persuasion. Yet, we forget that people (yes, humans with feelings) need to implement the recommendations. Let’s not be robots.

5. Be authentic

Improv is personal to-a-fault. It is vulnerable, sometimes odd or even awkward. Consulting feels like the opposite, right? Well-dressed people with their shiny diplomas and pedigree. White shoe firms. Sure, credentials and authority is important, but let’s also be comfortable in our own skin. No matter how unique, geeky, or even boring. Be yourself.

6. get unstuck

If improv was a car, then the gas pedal would be super-glued down. It’s like SPEED staring Keanu Reeves. You can’t stop the flow of the dialogue, interaction, or mood. You “go with the flow” and take the lead of others. 

Consulting often looks like the opposite – almost over-orchestrated. Project charters, status reports, deliverables, meeting minutes, and statements of work. So when the project (inevitably) hits a snag, junior consultants often feel a bit fatalistic and stuck. Weathered consultants will lovingly remind you that it’s often just a dip, a bottleneck. Reach out to partners, mentors, executive sponsors – and bust through the problem. As one consultant said, “Just model through the problem.”

7. Remember the audience

This applies to everything consultants do. Writing emails.  Drafting proposals. Making phone calls. Crafting presentations. Know your audience. 

8. Have fun 

Maybe this should be the first one. I can say – definitely – that all the improv actors were having a great time. They were in their element. There was flow, ownership, and centeredness. They probably wouldn’t even care if the audience was not there. Awesome. Consultants, enjoy the work, client wins, and progress. This work is too complex and exhausting to “force yourself” to do it. Remember the curiosity and joy of the beginners mind (yes, you were enthusiastic about this once, heh heh).

So now, what are the 3 things that make improvisational theater ENTIRELY different from consulting?  There are many . . but here are the 3 that come to mind.  

9. (Don’t) Make it up  

When you don’t know the answer to a question. Don’t fake it. Say you don’t know, and then quickly find the answer. This is the fastest way to ruin your reputation, get removed from a project. No, no, no. 

10. Watch out for deal-breaker mistakes

In improvisational theater, it is important to build off the the previous person’s “schtick” and keep going. They say there are no mistakes. Well, in consulting there are definitely mistakes. Bad excel models, poorly thought-out presentations. Uninformed clients. Faux pas by immature consultants. Lots of potential mistakes. As a project manager, you cannot be careful enough. 

11. Remain Discrete

It is easy for consultants to feel overly comfortable at the client site. We specialize in exceeding expectations, and after a couple of “quick wins”, it is easy to be overly self-confident. Any consultant will tell you that people next to you on the airplane CANNOT help looking at your computer screen. Strangers ask you about your client all the time. 

I remember sitting at a TGI Friday’s talking about the client (not all bad, but not all good either), and when we get up to leave – we noticed that some clients are sitting in the booth right behind us. Uh, not classy.

Related posts:

• Consulting tip: don’t read your slides
• Presentation Tips from TED’s Chris Anderson
• Links