College of Business and Economics students got a surprise when they showed up for the first day of their business intelligence course, Information Technology Management 310. Their instructor, alum Skylor Lenz (BA, Spanish language and literature, 2009), told the class they would try improv exercises to reinforce key business lessons.
Guest instructor Karen Manthey, artistic director of ComedySportz: Boise, a local theater specializing in improvisational comedy, led the class through activities such as “good introductions,” where they practiced public speaking and learned to build others up by giving their partners over-the-top praise. In another exercise, “”tableau,” students worked in teams to arrange themselves into objects like a racecar or a pirate ship—all without talking—to reinforce non-verbal communication and teamwork.
“It’s a great way to break the ice,” Lenz said. “After the improv exercises, I tell the students they’ve now overcome the hardest part of their final project: working in new groups, handling unexpected obstacles and presenting in front of everyone.”
Improv skills are helpful not only in class, but also in the business world. Several notable business schools, including MIT, Stanford and Wharton, incorporate improv into their curricula. Studies show that improv training can unite teams and engage employees in the workplace. Lenz himself discovered improv as a creative outlet while he was earning his MBA (Jones International University, 2013).
“Boise State fosters innovation, and improv embodies that spirit. It’s about saying ‘yes’ to possibility, embracing mistakes and supporting each other along the way. I love seeing students light up when they realize they can connect more authentically with classmates, coworkers and even themselves.” – Karen Manthey, improv instructor.
Although improv kicks off the class, the course centers on information technology resources and concepts. The class progresses toward a final project, in which student groups analyze raw data (like metrics related to marketing, sales and analytics) to create data-driven stories for class presentations. Lenz also invites speakers who provide real-world context for data’s value in any job, such as a crime intelligence analyst who used data to crack a murder case by uncovering patterns in the timestamps on restaurant receipts.
“I want students to realize that data analytics has the power to go beyond influencing consumer behavior,” Lenz said. “It’s a skill set that can build meaningful solutions, drive change, and solve complex problems that benefit society.”
One student, who asked to remain anonymous, assessed the improv class rather poetically:
I took the word improv.
One more letter and it’s improve.
One less and every mistake becomes
an opportunity for greatness.
Improv made me fearless,
and forgiving.
It’s the word I believe in.
Advice to future students,
take the class again.
( If it were on Tuesday at 6 pm
I would.)