Case study: How improv transformed presentation skills in a multi-national organisation

In this case, executives within a multi-national organisation revolutionised their presentation skills, with improvisation as a not-so-secret ingredient.

History of the program

The Inspirational Presenter course was developed by Paul Z Jackson and Mark McKergow, originally for a UK Energy Company, where it ran 3-4 times a year for about 4 years; it was also adopted by several others organisations in the UK.

Jackson and McKergow were noted for their innovative approach to training, exemplified in their Accelerated Learning for Trainers program.  Paul’s background includes experience as a theatre director, BBC producer, journalist and founder of several impro comedy performing groups – all of which contributed to the original and distinctive elements in the IP course.

How it started

Richard, a young manager in a marketing team, had identified a problem within the organisation.  The presentations he was attending were dull and predictable.  Each presenter would put forward a logical case from beginning to end, illustrated by a wordy set of Powerpoint slides.  There was little passion, no surprise and hardly any audience interaction – perhaps just time for a few questions towards the end.  The experience was certainly deadening for the spectators and probably for the presenter too.

The speakers could not be described as incompetent, but neither could they be called inspiring, and the only training programmes available within the company were for the basic, solid skills he was already witnessing.

Within the company, managers have the freedom to change things, sometimes even if they are not their direct responsibility.  Richard, for example, was able to offer to take on this presentation skills training portfolio.  If he set up this advanced course and there were enough participants, then it would run.

In fact, it was so successful from the outset that within a year it had won the title of best training course, and was consistently scoring highest on participant feedback – in figures and enthusiastic comments.  Richard himself won the company's ‘outstanding trainer of the year’ award.

The appeal of improvisation

What appealed to Richard in the Inspirational Presenter course were four main strands:     

• A strong emphasis on improvisation - particularly the notion of speakers welcoming and utilising the unexpected.  This proved a novel idea for presenters schooled in thorough preparation and the avoidance of risk.  The requested shift in mindset was accompanied by the re-assuring prospect of building improvisation skills by participating in safe activities, clearly relevant to improving presentations.
•  A scientific foundation for brain-friendly presentations.  A session on how the brain works provides compelling evidence for any sceptics and a useful set of tips for participants on crafting a presentation to increase appeal to any audience by catering for basic needs, emotional connection and right and left-brain cognitive functions.
•  A toolkit of structures with which to build presentations.  The course introduces a unique set of structures, including the classic logical structure, a story structure, news, 2s, 3s and metaphors, enables presenters to make a thorough plan for a compelling talk.  Then, if improvisation is ‘freedom within structure’, the structured outline leaves plenty of opportunity for the presenter to respond improvisationally to the audience during the talk without losing their way.
• Encouragement to bring more of one’s own personality to the presentation.  This is explained under the rubric ‘Dare to be different’ – suggesting that advanced presentation consists to a great degree of being yourself, rather than following a formula or rigid set of rules.

How improv is experienced from the start     

The improvisation element is introduced early on day one, when participants are invited to introduce themselves semi-spontaneously to the group, using only a brief set of headings on a mind-map as a prompt.  There’s little time to prepare, and from the relative safety of a topic they know well (themselves), it is clear from the beginning that there will be no scripts needed.

In fact, there are more than a dozen opportunities for each participant to make presentations to the group during the two days, all unscripted and designed to enhance confidence in their improvisational abilities, whilst practising one or more elements of the program.  Towards the end of the first day, for example, they are invited to make a one-minute speech about a topic from a list they have themselves generated, illustrating one of the structures learnt during the afternoon.  So you might find yourself spontaneously making three succinct points about space travel or serendipity.

Making improvisation an explicit set of skills

While improvisation is built quietly into the background of several activities, there is one section in which it becomes the topic and is taught explicitly.

This begins with a circle activity in which participants respond to the question, ‘why might improvisation and spontaneity be of benefit within the presentations you make?’  Whoever receives the ball may either pass or offer an answer which is noted by the facilitator.

As well as reflecting on the list of benefits they generate, participants consider the process of being ‘put on the spot’, coming up with instant ideas, building on the ideas they hear from others, being allowed to pass if nothing is forthcoming – all of which are characteristic of being in an improvisational space.

After a series of step-by-step improv skill-building activities, they put it all to the high-pressure test of incorporating random words from the audience into short, spontaneous presentations.  It builds huge confidence as speaker after speaker succeeds in seamlessly integrating the bizarre selection of words into their stories.

Unexpected benefits

At the time of writing, more than 300 hundred presenters around the world have completed the program, and they typically report satisfying improvements in their subsequent presentations.

Beyond the stated aims, they find themselves looking forward to giving presentations, rather than dreading them.  They like them because they experience greater energy and flow.  They enjoy making their presence felt by engaging with their audience– freshly and in the moment each time - along with the surprises and novelty that each audience can provide.

Unfortunately, the company does not gather numerical data on speaker ratings, so the evidence of speaker improvement is primarily qualitative, consisting of dozens of reports (from observers and speakers themselves) of impressive leaps in presentation quality both during and (more importantly) after the program.

In 2007, the company licensed the program for worldwide roll-out.  Paul Z Jackson remains involved as a consultant to the program team, coaching the trainers and updating the trainer’s manual and course materials.

References

The Inspirational Trainer, Paul Z Jackson

The Writer’s Journey, Christopher Vogler

Impro, Keith Johnstone

Story, Robert McKee