What Improv Gives You in a Real-Life Business Setting

This was posted by John Mechalas, a long-time CSz student. We’ve shared it with his permission.

I kicked ass at work today on an ass-kicking level not normally achieved by mere mortals. And I owe a lot of that to CSz Portland and CSz Worldwide, and every improv instructor or coach or facilitator I’ve had, and especially to Patrick Short for opening that door.

I was on a 3+ hour call with my manager and two experienced, senior developers, while I walked through automating a software upgrade with their guidance. I can’t even begin to express how intense and stressful it is to have folks watching everything you type, every decision you make, as you go along. They were, of course, there to provide guidance and assistance, but every little step along the way was out there in front of everyone to see and watch as it unfolded, from the big decisions to constant typos to trying to logic my way out of problems as they occurred.

Improv training meant not having a meltdown in the middle of this. Remember to breathe, take your time, listen, and more importantly, don’t be afraid of making mistakes. It is amazing how well this translates to the real world.

— John Mechalas