Character and improvisation: A recursive relationship

The practice and implementation of improvisation to support organizational agility have gained legitimacy in organizations over the last 25 years (Ciuchta et al., 2020). The strength of character that underpins improvisation and conversely, how improvisation training can build and exercise character, has been missing in the implementation and practice of improvisation in organizations. Character is defined as a set of interconnected habitual behaviors that satisfy the criteria set out by Peterson and Seligman (2006) as being virtuous in their orientation. We seek to unpack the recursive relationship between character and improvisation by introducing the concept of character and then examining how improvisation can be used to develop character in service of the character-based judgment needed to effectively improvise, regardless of context. Having the ability to call on or activate the required character behavior at any given time enables improvisation, which is why exercising character matters. In addition, practicing improvisation and regularly attending to improvisational skills has been used and can be employed to develop character. We illustrate the recursive interaction between improvisation and character and how improvisation can be used as a practice to develop character through themes including "Yes-And", Risking Comfort, State of Play, Character Contagion, and Shifting Core Beliefs, supported by examples and quotes from improvisation training we have conducted. We conclude the chapter with suggestions for application and implementation of improvisation training, and improv principles being embedded into practices within the workplace. This chapter seeks to unpack the recursive relationship between character and improvisation by introducing the concept of character and then examining how improvisation can be used to develop character in service of the character-based judgment needed to effectively improvise, regardless of context. It explains leader character and what is required for its development. The need for character to improvise effectively can be understood through early work in the field of improvisation which attended to the role of the individual or actor while improvising. The chapter illustrates the recursive interaction between improvisation and character and how improvisation can be used as a practice to develop character through themes including "Yes-And", Risking Comfort, State of Play, Character Contagion, and Shifting Core Belief