Why CEOs need to improvise in the boardroom

Boardroom etiquette is typically formal. Is that a good thing? A panel of improv-theatre makers and CEOs suggest otherwise, in a recent panel at Pause Festival.

Creative organisations attract creative thinkers. So why should that backbone for innovation stop at the threshold of the boardroom door? A panel of CEOs argued that it shouldn’t at the recent Pause Festival, positing that improvisation – or improv – is a fabulous tool used in theatre that can be introduced to the boardroom to accelerate fresh thinking and more inclusive contribution. Julie Trell, Australia Country Lead for SheEO, made the point that ‘everyone improvises every day in their lives – so these are skills that can be more effectively, immediately.’ Trell asked her fellow panellists what they valued, foremost, in the workplace, to then use those key foundations as a platform for play and to allow a kind of leapfrog mindset in shifting the stagnant landscape of the boardroom. Founder and Chief Community Officer for Fanchismo, Shira Levine moved to Melbourne two-years ago after a career in Silicon Valley (USA). What she bought with her – and values most – is a culture of ‘fan’ mindset. ‘I’m the biggest fan of online communities,’ said Levine. Gary Ware, Founder of Breakthrough Play, believes that curiosity, wonder and connection must be valued in most. L-R: Julie Trel, Gary Ware and Shira Vevine, panelists for Pause Festival 2021. Screenshot. Yes, and … Taking Levine’s value for communities, Trell asked how you can better demonstrate and strengthen that value in the workplace? ‘My principle is extremely simple and you can use all day, every day in your professional life and in your personal life,’ said Levine. She called it the ‘YES, and… principal’. Rather than simply responding, ‘No that won’t work’, or ‘We don’t have the budget for that’, to accept the idea and lead forward with it. ‘What’s the value of accepting someone’s idea in real time, and build on it? How does it feel to have your idea accepted? And what does it feel conversely to have an idea rejected?’ asked Trell, adding that the ‘Yes, and… game can help you be a better collaborator, co-worker and friend – it’s a very tactile tool to take with you.’ THE IMPROV “YES AND…” GAME One person kicks it off, and one-by-one the room offers a ‘Yes, and…’. For example:

Person 1: Guys I’m thinking about eating cake for dinner.

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Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's National Visual Arts Editor. For a decade she worked as a freelance writer and curator across Southeast Asia and was previously the Regional Contributing Editor for Hong Kong based magazines Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. Prior to writing she worked as an arts manager in America and Australia for 14 years, including the regional gallery, biennale and commercial sectors. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW. Twitter: @ginafairley Instagram: fairleygina