Improvisation: consists of conceiving and executing any action simultaneously (www.wikipedia.com). Or in a simpler way: something that happens without our having it in mind, when it occurs without giving signs or anticipated signals that can announce it.
In the commercial work, most of the time one must improvise before that client or prospect who did not have all his antecedents, or before a question or situation that he did not expect. In practice, it forces us to "get off the script" and "swim in unknown waters" for many. Paralysis, blocked memory, fear, perspiration. The mind begins to search for knowledge associated with the situation and / or to "create" a satisfactory response. A thousandth of seconds, seconds, minutes, which as a whole can be fatal to that client or situation that requires an adequate response. And then the very content of the answer. Will it be satisfactory? Or is it an "assorted salad" but without "taste of anything" and that in practice sounds like an excuse for their ignorance?
The aforementioned is of a daily frequency and usually affects mostly those professionals with little "experience" although it also occurs in those with a greater seniority, but low "practical experience". The common link between the two is “experience” (from the Latin experientĭa, it is the fact of having witnessed, felt or known something. Experience is the form of knowledge that is produced from these experiences or observations). (www.definición.de.)
Unfortunately, many professionals believe that what they have learned in their training is enough and… is left over (¿?). Others, in turn, believe that with the solution applied to a certain problem, they have acquired a magic formula to solve similar issues. And many do not exercise, that is, they do not practice case analysis or exchange negotiation methods with their colleagues. And a larger amount is not "updated".
This undermines the acquisition of "experience" as well as prevents the "planning" of "unforeseen".
But is it possible that experience can help us in planning for contingencies? Or, is it possible to "plan" for "contingencies"?
For both queries, the answer is yes. The experience, the practical knowledge, helps me in planning my actions. Remember that planning allows us to take control in advance of all the things we can and should anticipate. With Planning we become familiar, we interpret, we organize… But it also helps us to prepare, to anticipate, to simplify and soften the difficulty of the tasks, events and activities that await us.Therefore, for a certain problem, and based on experience and planning, we will have not only ONE answer, but several and also different alternatives. Traditional analytical planning must be combined with the flexibility to respond in a timely manner to changes in the market. That flexibility is "improvisation".
Let us emphasize that "improvisation" is creativity, invention, flexibility, it is unexpected improvement, it is talent, it is spark, it is naturalness. It allows us to look closely, take advantage of every moment, of the circumstances, of the flow of ideas, of details that are only appreciated right there. Improvisation is fantastic and also plays an essential role in the results, and it is definitely complemented by prior preparation and planning based on experience.
