Michael J.B. Read (2013):
The importance of improvisation in coaching,
Coaching: An
International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 6:1, 47-56
Edited excerpt:
In this article, Dr. Michael
Read introduces the important skill of
improvisation (spontaneous creativity and innovation) for coaches. His
research examines:
- To what extent do coaches improvise during their coaching interactions?
- How important is improvisation to the coaching process
- If improvisation is important, in what coaching situations or activities do coaches utilize improvisation to the greatest extent?
With scarce previous
empirical investigation of improvisation within coaching, this paper offers
meaningful contributions to coaching theory and practice. Of the 113 coaches
surveyed, over 73% reported improvisation to be very important or essential, suggesting
that for coaches, improvisation is a vital part of their ongoing success. For
example, coaches reported that they often improvise during coaching
conversations or coaching sessions using a variety of
techniques.
This paper offers a first
step towards understanding the relationship between coaching and improvisation.
As organizations are thought to perform improvisation regularly, understanding
this relationship may prove especially fruitful for coaches seeking constant
innovation and for those who wish to lead improvisational acts. Leading client
organizations to improvise for survival or recovery may be a valuable coaching
skill.
The implications are far
reaching; a quick coach decision made at a critical moment may result in much
larger consequences. In organizations, it is often the spontaneous decisions or
innovative ideas that can make all the difference _even more so in highly
productive organizations. This places an importance on coach improvisation as
well as conducting research to further extend our knowledge about this concept.
What do you think? Are you
using improvisation in your coaching practice? Do you dance in the moment or go
with the “flow”? And, more importantly, are you aware of when, how and why you
are doing this?
