Resourcefulness

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

"Can someone point me to a book list on Applied Improvisation?"

“What do you say when a workshop participant says, ‘Yeah, but sometimes at work you have to say no’?”

Those are typical of the many questions about Applied Improvisation that have been posted frequently on the AIN’s Facebook page or discussed in our conferences and Open Space sessions.

I’m an Applied Improvisation facilitator and an improv performer, and since about 2008 I’ve serendipitously come across thousands of articles, quotable quotes, videos, podcast episodes, websites and books about Applied Improvisation, improv and related topics.

Confessions of a hoarder

I’m also a freelance editor, and my career has included compiling listings of events, particularly in the performing and visual arts, for the “South China Morning Post” newspaper and the Hong Kong Festival Fringe organisation. So I’ve applied that skill to finding, assessing and collating material about Applied Improvisation, improv and related topics, from many sources. I’ve cherry-picked what I think is the most relevant and useful material, and compiled ever-growing lists of resources on various topics.

And I love sharing the resources I find with people who I think will benefit from them. So to answer the two questions at the beginning of this article, here are two of my lists for you:

• My list of books about Applied Improvisation, improv and related topics. I’ve read lots of them, but not all of them. Yet.
• My “Yes, And...” list. What does this improv principle mean, and how applicable is it (or not) 

In them, you'll find:

• evidence of the uses and effectiveness of Applied Improvisation (helpful for when you’re pitching to potential clients),
• advice, tips and suggestions about the history, theory, practice, business and ethics of Applied Improvisation,
• wisdom and tools from other relevant fields, such as management, coaching, psychology, education, facilitation, storytelling…, and
• ideas for workshop games, exercises and activities.

You’ll also be able to identify practitioners, academics and allied organisations around the world in fields that interest you. So go ahead and contact them!

My resource-gathering philosophy

In my lists, I sometimes include short excerpts or my own comments, I include links wherever possible, and I feel an ethical responsibility to credit the source of the material.

Not all of the resources I gather are explicitly about Applied Improvisation. For example, I’ve seen articles about research by the “Harvard Business Review” and the World Economic Forum about the top skills that employees need. That’s useful information for us.

I don’t necessarily agree with everything the creators of the resources say, and that’s OK – as a former debater, I’m always curious to hear other people’s ideas. Also, I didn’t set out to gather every possible resource that’s available out there, but even so, I hope you find my lists useful.

In future issues I’ll share more of my lists, about such topics as failure, leadership, status and psychological safety.