In The Spotlight: Jackie Gnepp

Written by Bright Su – This article is from AIM Issue 1 (released December 2022).

Bright Su on Jackie Gnepp

Jackie Gnepp is a consulting and coaching psychologist, improv performer, and Applied Improvisation practitioner. A recovering academic, she co-founded Humanly Possible® Inc. in 1999, took her first improv class in 2001, and discovered the AIN shortly after that. She has been using AI as an educational tool ever since, in management education programs, in leadership workshops and with executive coaching clients.

Jackie enjoys sharing her expertise in organizational change, decision-making, management psychology, and leadership with researchers, students, and executives worldwide. She has held visiting faculty positions in Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia, working most recently in Türkiye.

A few of her favorite games to play with clients are Bomb and Shield and Equilateral Triangles to illustrate systems thinking and interdependence, String of Pearls to illustrate the function of middle management in moving a project from current state to envisioned future, and a complex version of Ball Toss to illustrate the consequences of change. “The value of any game,”

Jackie says, “is in its debrief, in knowing the questions to ask that will lead the participants to useful insights.” For example, following a round of Bomb and Shield, she might ask participants to discuss why, if everyone was following instructions, the task never resolved and what would fix that. “If they suggest it can be fixed through communication, we play again with talking allowed. When that doesn’t solve the problem, we discuss the nature of systems. Then I ask them for examples of important tasks at their jobs that can only be accomplished successfully if someone is willing to break the rules.”

Jackie is an alumna of the prestigious Second City Conservatory Program in Chicago. Her experience performing improv comedy has made her a more entertaining facilitator and presenter. “I make up funny examples, act out different characters, and interact playfully with the audience. When people laugh, they’re more comfortable participating, asking questions, and sharing things about themselves.” Workshop participants often express enthusiasm for applying what they’ve learned. “It’s immensely gratifying to get feedback like that.”

Jackie looks forward to AI becoming more professionalized, and would like to see it incorporated more into higher education, both as a teaching tool and to improve students’ interpersonal skills. One bit of advice Jackie would share with the next generation of AI practitioners is to be well versed in a content field such as business, science writing, organizational development, education, or health care, so they can provide more targeted AI interventions to clients.

About this article:

Here’s the first AIM Spotlight column, in which three Applied Improvisation professionals interview one another about their work. Alex Leviton interviewed Bright Su; Bright interviewed Jackie Gnepp, and Jackie interviewed Alex.