Articles

Improv At Work

Improv at Work

Stepping on stage, before 60 managers at a Fortune 50 company, Matt has no idea what he is about to say. Normally external speakers prepare days in advanced the exact speeches they are going to give when charged with the task of engaging corporate clients such as those at one of the world’s largest consumer products company.  But Matt is prepared only with a mental outline of how the next 45 minutes will go–no notes, no PowerPoint presentation, and no script.

Matt is a member of the Smarty Pants Theater Company getting set to go to work. Smarty Pants specializes in a form of entertainment called improvisational comedy. There are no scripted lines, rehearsed scenes, or extensive props and sets. Instead, Matt and his fellow improvisers use a framework of simple predefined rules, and suggestions from the audience, to create a customized show for their corporate clients.

Asked if he gets nervous before performing and having no idea what he’s going to say, Matt responds, “Not knowing what I’m going to say doesn’t scare me anymore. I know I’ve got the support from my fellow improvisers, and I trust my instincts for the rest. After hundreds of shows, you don’t get nervous, you get excited.” His fellow entertainers agree. “In improv, there is no failing. With my team here to support me, I know that any little mishap, any ‘mistake,’ can turn into a huge laugh,” says fellow Smarty Pants member, Dave Powell.

Calm in the Unknown

How can these performers be so calm and confident before performing before a corporate audience? And what can the business world learn from improv? It all lies in the power of two words, “Yes And.” The number one rule in improvisation, “Yes And” is a short phrase that improvisers around the world embrace and use every time they take the stage.

The amazing thing about these two words is that they can have a tremendous effect when applied to business. Not to be confused with a “Yes Man” (someone who blindly agrees with everything and is often viewed as a “suck-up”), and not the equivalent of blind optimism, “Yes And” is about the acceptance and building of an idea, situation or action.

When you first start learning the art and science (it is both) of improvisation, the “Yes And” rule is very literal. In fact, one of the first games new improvisers are taught is called “Yes And.” The game teaches the fundamental skills of listening and accepting (“Yes”) and building or contributing (“And”). By forcing the players to repeatedly say these words, they are reiterating, “YES I heard what you said and accept what you offered, AND here’s how I’m going to build on that.”

Advanced Yes And

At its root, this interpretation of “Yes And” is about listening to understand, rather than listening to respond. Knowing that you will have to accept what the other person is saying (notice the distinction between agreeing with what they say), and that you will have to build on it, shifts our goal from “Here’s my idea” aka “Me me me” to “Here’s our idea” aka “We we we” (all the way home).

The most basic form of “Yes And” is about literally saying the words, accepting what the person has said and adding to it. But it is important to note that the concept is not about agreeing with everything offered, but rather accepting that it was offered. In essence, it is about agreeing to have the conversation.

Novice improvisers assume “Yes And” means you can’t say “no” on stage. They don’t realize that it’s perfectly fine (and sometimes necessary) to disagree on stage, so long as they agree on the premise of the scene. Some of the best scenes on stage are when players are in a disagreement with one another (over money, how to spend their Friday, where to eat), but they are agreeing to argue.

Business Applications of Yes And

In business, this translates into a willingness to accept that something has been offered – a proposal, a corporate mandate, a budget cut. It doesn’t mean you have to agree with it, just that you acknowledge AND build on it, where “building” could include offering a new proposal (you are accepting that there is a perceived problem or opportunity and building on that by offering an alternative solution).

At first glance, “Yes And” seems to be synonymous with blind optimism. It seemingly adds to the stigmatism against theater (more specifically, theater actors or thespians) that they are “care-free,” that “everything happens for a reason,” that there is this zen-like “hippie” idealism that everything is positive. This type of mentality would not bode well for any business – crises do occur, projects do fail, companies do lose money.

These events are hardly “for the best,” and that’s not what “Yes And” is suggesting. Rather, “Yes And” is about accepting a given situation and figuring out how you can build from there.

The theory of “Yes And” is quite powerful, but, at the end of the day, theory doesn’t sell product. The true benefit from the “Yes And” mentality isn’t realized until it is internalized. When “Yes And” becomes a part of how you behave, the effects are profound. When an individual, or even better, a team, understands “Yes And,” negating becomes building, complaining becomes doing, and wishing becomes getting things done. There’s no challenge a team can’t handle when they agree to work and build together.

How to Improv Work

So how does one go about “internalizing” this mentality? The short answer is to incorporate it into how you think and behave. Improv workshops can augment this process, as can talking the concept with others. Consciously applying this mentality in key business applications can lead to incredible results.

No matter what situation you find yourself in, rarely will growing frustrated and giving up lead to the best results. It is in these moments that “Yes And” proves its worth. Instead of growing frustrated due to lack of funding, or angry over mounting issues, you can accept the circumstances and figure out how you can build from where you are. Ask any manager, this type of attitude will surely lead to success.

The beauty is that once you internalize this process, you come to trust your instinct, and you become more confident that you can handle a variety of situations.  You don’t need a word-for-word script to succeed, you’re able to accept new challenges, and you can do it with confidence and a smile.

Yes And Goodnight

The lights turn on and staring at Matt are the 120 eyes of the audience.  He looks at his fellow players and smiles.  Over the next 45 minutes, Matt and his fellow improvisers perform an unscripted show, taking audience suggestions like “spatula” and “project management,” interviewing one of the Vice Presidents in the crowd and acting out her “typical” day, and doing a series of stand-up jokes based on products shouted out by the crowd.

The show ends to a great applause from the audience.  One man leaving the theater comments to Matt that he hasn’t “laughed like that in a long time.”  A woman is in disbelief, wondering if there was some way they could’ve scripted the show.  The Smarty Pants members shake hands with people as they leave.  Despite not knowing what they were going to say or do, were they still able to deliver great results?  Yes, and they’ll do it again the next time they step on stage.  And that’s what business is about.

© 2008 drew tarvin blog.