IMPROV: It’s Not Just For Comedy Clubs
When you hear the word IMPROV, what comes to mind? IMPROV or Applied Improv can help you with listening skills, building self confidence and transforming YOU to be the person who can stay in the moment and be present.
“Improv isn’t just for actors anymore. Improv is listening, engaging, sharing ideas, and building on those ideas. It’s being vulnerable in a space of creation that allows us to make courageous choices and honest connections. It helps people recognize what skills and strategies they are relying on and how can we change some of those strategies to be successful.” — Joe Van Haecke, Chief of Inspiration
You do not have to be a performer or be funny to use applied improv. Joe Van Haecke, Chief of Inspiration and owner of Inspirememrv.com says “improvisation is a mindset that influences your social and emotional well-being.” Improv has more to do with listening than performing and you can apply it to any area of your life.
What is Applied Improvisation and Why Use It?
At its basic level, applied improv is simply taking concepts, ideas, and techniques from the world of improvisation and applying them to business, relationships, and life.
You have likely heard it before, but the first rule of improv is, “YES / AND.” In an improv show, everything is made up on the spot, so it is imperative that you say “Yes” to whatever your partner brings to the floor. You can then contribute to the scene by adding “And” to the scene. Successful scenes are built through agreement (YES / AND), not negation (NO / BUT). “YES” helps us avoid rejecting other’s ideas and go with the flow.
Therefore, you can implement valuable personal and business skills such as communication, collaboration, innovation, problem-solving, and leadership through applied improv. Example - “Let’s have a talent show.” “YES, that is a great idea AND we could invite all departments to participate.” Verses, “NO, we can’t have a talent show due to budgets, BUT good try.”
Using these two words YES / AND can improve and open the door for communication, brainstorming ideas, allow and encourage the sharing of ideas in a non-judgmental space.
Joe Van Haecke, Chief of Inspiration and President of inspirememrv.com, conducting an applied improv workshop.
IMPROV IS NOT JUST FOR THE COMEDY CLUBS!
Here is an excerpt from my interview with Joe Van Haecke
How can people bring the tools of improv or applied improv into their daily lives?
The tools are: listen, accept new ideas and build upon them. The underneath skills are taking the time to listen, accepting ideas, building from them and supporting each other. In the professional environment we can build each other up and create a more positive working environment. This way people will want to work with you if you are going to listen to their ideas and build them up.
“Over time, this becomes second nature to listen and use YES/AND. Then it will spill over into our personal life and our professional life.”
What specific tools can be learned from applied improv?
1. Listening skills and slowing down.
2. Getting out of your comfort zone.
3. Taking risks.
4. Putting fear of failure aside: true failure is where you learn, and it is where you succeed. Accept the failure and own it.
5. Turning off judgement. Withhold judgement of someone else’s ideas and withhold judgement of your ideas. If you judge yourself, you may say “no” to doing something because you think you won’t be good.
“Overall, improv builds listening skills, builds confidence, teaches us to stay in the moment and to stay present.”
The Story of Your Name Improv Workshop
What impact has applied improv had on the students you work with?
I have seen their self-confidence increase and a willingness to try something that they didn’t think they could or would ever want to do. It is nice to see them willing to put themselves out there and willing to try something that they wouldn’t normally try. Some have said that it has helped them in interviews and navigating the interview questions and others feel they can do anything now since improv took them out of their comfort zone. High school and college kids are more open to getting out of their comfort zone.
“Give yourself that experience of finding something that you think is not for you, but maybe one day you will walk away going “oh man, this is exciting. Let me do more.”
What are the benefits you see from applied improv?
People feel they are better leaders after they have studied improv because they know how to create a safe space for others and they now know how to slow down and listen to their team members. Others feels they can finally speak up in meetings and not be concerned that they will be judged or their ideas won’t be shot down immediately. Others feel a strong sense of confidence.
“In relationships, improv helps with discussions because it gives you the tools to slow down and listen.”
“The thing about improvisation is that it’s not about what you say.
It’s listening to what other people say. It’s about what you hear.” — Paul Merton
