Readying for Change: Use of Improvisation in Change Management Training

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the application and utility of improvisation, a technique that offers room for experimentation and generates uncertainty to trigger creative thinking and change management capability. A case study of a change management training program for professors of a university is used to elaborate on the principles of Improv and demonstrate how the tool can be effectively integrated into change management training, especially at the beginning of the initiative, when new ideas need to be accepted and firmed up. Design/ methodology/ approach: The case was change management training program for 20 professors of a leading technical university in India. The university commissioned one of the authors to conduct a change management program to prepare their professors for change. Even though the changes were to be introduced in a phased manner, there was an apprehension of collective opposition to the change initiative if a buy-in was not created among the professors. The training mandate was therefore to create among participants a readiness for change. The training program used Improv games in conjunction with the Change Wheel (Kanter, 2011) for creating a mindset conducive to change management and planning how to bring about systemic change at the university. Findings- Using Improv games participants were made to identify and confront their mental blocks and anxieties to accepting and implementing change. Further, instead of being dismissed or criticized, their concerns were creatively deployed to realistically assess the method of managing change. Improv games “Word Ball” “Yes And” and “Yes But” when incorporated into the change management workshop offered creative and interesting ways to explore multiple organizational and employee mind-set issues that could have hampered the change management efforts. The games were able to bring about openness to change and in turn an ability to accept and explore new possibilities that participants were earlier closed to. This, coupled with a conceptual framework of the Change Wheel, group decision-making and an ownership-based approach resulted in the participants jointly creating a change management plan for the university. Research limitations / implications: The case is limited to the Improv games used in the change management training program that initiated a change management process currently underway in the university. Practical implications: Improv games helped elicit greater cooperation and enthusiastic participation from participants thereby creating a positive attitude towards organizational change efforts that are otherwise viewed with consternation. It was able to channelize communication from morale-dampening speculation into effective dialogue around the process of change management to be adopted. The participants left the program with increased confidence about their ability to implement the action plan and felt uniquely valued and appreciated for their contributions during the workshop. Originality/ value: This paper elucidates how Improv games can be used in a change management program and describes its utility and versatility in enhancing training effectiveness. For Change Management consultants and trainers the method of usage of the games can come in handy in enhancing participant involvement, effectively eliciting ideas and in co-creating workable action plans with employees who are well versed with their workplace reality.