Improvising Through Change

My son will be one this weekend. He arrived two weeks early and my life changed overnight. It has been an amazing year.

 What would you do if you knew that your life was going to change overnight and that it was all going to be okay? So many of us are terrified of change weather it’s a restructuring within our organization or a new addition to our family. What I do know is that there are two ways things could go. It could all blow up in our face, or it could all be okay. So why do we concentrate so much on the former, completely forgetting the latter?

 In improvisation, nothing is planned ahead. Therefore, it is all an unexpected situation that can change on a dime and we need to be able to respond immediately. What makes it doable is the fact that we are abiding by the rule that everyone will say “Yes” to the new, and possibly scary situation or idea, and jump on board! Then, we take it a step further by adding onto it, allowing the team to create something together that none of us could have created on our own.

 This moves us to a mindset where we know that everything will be okay because we’re all going to support one another. We are not out there struggling alone; we lean on our team and allow our team to lean on us. In improv, we call this, "Making each other look good."

Has your organization gone through a big change recently? Was each person out for themselves, just trying to keep their head above water or were they looking for ways to support one another and find ways to make it work for the whole team?

 The former is a default instinct. The latter takes practice, it means taking a moment in a time of stress and checking in, being fully present and taking stock in not only what people are feeling, but also looking for what they need and how you can support them.

 Today, weather you in the midst of a big change or not, try to do just that, take a moment to check in, be present and look for a way to support someone in your organization.