Hello all! We are in a series called What does improv have to do with change management? In this series, I’m sharing some of the lessons I’ve learned so far from improv class that have direct application to my work as a change management practitioner. Last week’s post was Use fewer words, say more with less. This week’s lesson is….

Build the scene little by little

In improv class, I have learned the importance of this principle. If I provide my scene partner an unclear monologue, I make it difficult for them to know how to respond in a way that will help us build the scene. However, if I provide my scene partner a short, clear chunk of information it’s easy for them to react/respond and add their own chunk of information back to me. As we go back and forth like this we are building a successful scene and caring for each other at the same time.

This approach is directly applicable to change management work in general. For this post I will use change communication as the example. How often have you treated communications as a monologue? You have so much to tell people that you just want to get “all the things” out there? You believe that if people know what’s changing, why, how it will benefit them, etc. the change will be successful so you just keep putting information out there even while future state is still being built, is changing rapidly and there isn’t a lot of clear information to convey. This one-way communication approach makes it very difficult for your scene partners to take in and process what you’ve said and know how to respond in a way that will help build the scene (a successful change).

if you treat change communications as a dialogue among scene partners you will build them little by little, providing clear, concise bits of solid information.

Conversely, if you treat change communications as a dialogue among scene partners you will build them little by little, providing clear, concise bits of solid information. This approach makes it easy for your scene partners to take in and process what you’ve given them. They can react/respond to that chunk of information and add their own chunk of information back to you. As we go back and forth like this we are building the scene (a successful change) and caring for each other at the same time.

Closing thoughts

I want to hear from you! What has been your experience with treating change communications as a monologue? How about as a dialogue? How has each approach impacted the change initiative?

Please post your thoughts and comments below. Let’s help each other become the best change management practitioners and enthusiasts we can be!

Thank you for reading. Until next time, take care and keep up the good work!

Mike