I took an improv class years ago in NYC. I wanted to improve my presentation skills and figured being thrown into a situation where I needed to think on my feet would help me “roll with it” at work. 

It did.

And then I forgot about improv until picking up a book recently called, “Improv Wisdom”. 

We live in a culture that loves planning. Forecasting, strategizing, all that jazz. And it’s good stuff, we often need that to succeed. For example, if you don’t plan for retirement, you’ll probably have problems when it’s time to retire.

Rolling with it has its place.

At the same time, we forget that human beings are master improvisers. Literally, our brains are always improvising based on new information we’re getting. If you’re a parent, I’m sure you feel like one hell of an improviser. 

Creating a plan feels safe(r), responsible, and gives us a sense of control. It can feel good.

But improvising can also feel good. It can also be the “plan” and responsible thing to do. “Rolling with it” has its place too.

Here’s a question for you:

Where in your company, career, or life are you overplanning?

(fwiw, there have been plenty of times where I over-planned/over-architected strategies and wasted time/energy/resources when it would’ve been better to just take it one step at a time 🙃.)

Where could you infuse a little more improv, and a little less planning? What possibilities might present themselves if you “rolled with it” more?