Meeting Management
'Improv' Your Communication Skills
meeting management
By Jason Johnston
'Improv' Your
Communication Skills
A trained Improviser for more than a decade explains how improv can enhance communication skills, teamwork, and creativity in the workplace
In life, there is never a script. We rarely get told exactly what to say in a situation and we rarely enjoy the luxury of reading off cue cards. Much of life is made up as you go along - a fact that improv reinforces. * What is improv? Improvisational theatre started in Chicago and London during the early 1960s. The concept of working without a script, using cues and suggestions from others in order to create a natural flow without "thinking," allows actors to get over feelings of stage fright and nervousness. "Improv" seems off the cuff, but is in fact a discipline that, when practiced, unleashes untapped creativity and communication skills.
Sure, improv works for actors and students, maybe even for artistic types, but you may wonder, "What good is it to me?" Improv incorporates a wide array of exercises and games in order to help participants focus nearly completely on the present moment. By being present, listening skills are heightened and the ability to work together as a team increases.
This concept of teamwork is a basic tenant of improv. It holds that a group of people can create far more interesting ideas collectively, via listening, accepting, and building on each other. By creating in the moment, ideas have no chance of getting stale and are constantly being improved upon.
Learning the Ropes
One of my favorite exercises to start groups off with in our L(earn)2 Improv to Improve™ program is called clap focus. Everyone stands in a circle and one person makes eye contact with another person in the circle and then claps his/her hands toward that person. The person who is receiving the clap makes eye contact with another person and claps in his/her direction. Much like tossing a ball, the clap is passed from one person to the next. As groups get the hang of exercise, we get them to speed up or introduce a second clap into the circle so there are two going around at once.
The point? The person who is sending the clap has to make sure that the person receiving the clap has "gotten" their message. Everyone in the circle must constantly be scanning and maintaining contact with everyone else in the circle because they never know when the clap will be passed to them. This creates not only a great connection with the group but also forces people to focus and truly be in the moment.
In addition to having fun in a stressful performance situation, participants learn invaluable skills that they can use in every facet of their lives. Working together as a group, listening and responding, accepting and layering on top of others' ideas, being able to move conversations forward, building trust with each other and learning to trust yourself are only a sample of what participants get out of an improv session.
Imagine the power to be able to really listen to people when they speak, without planning your response while they finish. Imagine not worrying so much about what to say in a meeting. Improv helps you find the power to trust yourself and your instincts, to be part of a team where everyone truly communicates and works together toward a common goal. By listening, accepting, and building upon ideas, an environment is created where risks can be taken without fear of failure.
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