What is an Improv session:

From a quick google search, it can be defined as

“a spontaneous, unscripted, collaborative and improvised creation of a short presentation on a topic.”

It is meant to create confidence, boost creativity, enhance communication as well as listening skills, develop problem solving abilities and to reduce anxiety. This requires practice that could be achieved from an Improv session. Also note that such professional development activity qualifies for partial reimbursement from Region 3 Professional Activities Committee (PAC) if proper funding request procedures are followed (see https://r3.ieee.org/committees/professional-activities/#funding).

How does Improv look for engineers:

Participating in an Improv session trains engineers to

• incorporate an optimistic attitude,
• become open to ideas from peers,
• build the initial inertia to tackle a difficult problem,
• embrace mistakes and learn from them,
• allows creativity to flourish in content creation.

Usually, the Improv sessions for engineers tend to focus on the art of saying “yes”, starting anywhere, embracing mistakes and committing to available resources for collaborative innovation.

Why an Improv session for engineers:

Improv for engineers

• improves soft skills like verbal and non-verbal communication,
• listening skills,
• increasing creativity,
• fostering teamwork along with collaborative approach,
• problem solving,
• adaptability to constraints,
• confidence building and
• to formulate a convincing solution to engineering problems.

Where to start and how to host an effective Improv session:

There is no single recipe for success to host an effective Improv session.

• The obvious approach would be to host a stand-alone event and advertise it to prospective attendees.
• Some other approaches would be to pair it as an activity with another event like a technical presentation, career development activity (for example: resume review, hiring event, networking with local companies, mentoring programs, etc.).
• The scale of the event can be varied subject to several factors like funding availability, targeted audience, and interest for such an event.

Once the scope is defined, you can scout for firms that specializes in such training (keep in mind this would require covering their service fees). If your budget cannot support using the services of a firm, work with contacts to see if any improv coach can partner with IEEE and volunteer to present a session. Alternatively, seek local industry sponsors who specialize in career development and can cover the costs of such an event.

Below is a tentative timeline that could be followed in order to make an Improv session most effective:

• Identify an improv presenter at least 2 months prior to the scheduled meeting date.
• Communicate with the speaker on the logistics of the event and identify a common theme as well as the specifics of the event.
• Look for a venue at a university or a corporate organization which could be central to the intended audience.
• If a reservation is required for the event, make sure to reserve a room that is of sufficient capacity which also leaves some space for any activities during the training.
• Create an event in vTools (https://events.vtools.ieee.org/) and list the participating OUs.
• Advertise via vTools eNotice as much as possible. Use graphics like the ones shown at the end of this article to emphasize professional development setup.
• Remind the registrants on the day of the event.
• Organize logistics for the day of the event.

What can attendees take-away and ideas to make it more collaborative:

Some of the outcomes of participating in an improv training would be

• creative thinking that can engage logical as well as creative aspects while solving a problem,
• adaptive approach that can maximize limited resources,
• enhance collaborative spirit,
• and grow professionally.

Success stories from past events and experiences:

In the past, IEEE Atlanta Young Professionals hosted an Improv session alongside the mentoring program where DuMore was used to provide the training. More details about this event are available at https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/173659. This session was well received and benefited its attendees.

Likewise, there are several IEEE publications on how to host a successful Improv session. For example, the article at https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7044132 presents some details about a successful Improv workshop and the outcomes from it.

Similarly, IEEE Columbus Ohio section hosted a virtual Improv session with comedy night. More details at https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/258640. Also, Central Texas Section hosted a similar event: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/471197. Feel free to be as innovative as possible when you think about hosting such an Improv event!