Really loved this - so many workshops are 400 slides/ 40 gallons of coffee/ 4 hours - with no thought beyond the content. The jazz thing is a great comparison - look up a Henry Farrell post on Brian Eno's theory of democracy for an interesting related set of ideas
Great perspective. Completely jives with my experience and that of others. There is a real challenge of skilling the art side of this capability. The science side is easier to share. Part of it, I think, requires the junior practitioners to have a sense of themselves to be able to know their “style” of improvisation. That can be tricky and usually pretty iterative. And you have to be comfortable with the uncertainty of the ensemble.
Love this post! You bring great insights to old and young alike!
Getting to know your own style requires a lot of practice and self-awareness indeed. Years and years of work in different situations and contexts I think.
Reminds me of when I first started Improv. My teacher said he used to be teased at his work for going to 'practice' improv. But the practice is essential to being a good improviser.
As your quote puts it*.
Also made me chuckle... the # of times I've worked with consultants who obsess over the agenda and the slides. As you mentioned MC... thinking about outcome, non-negotiable objectives, and fanning participant energy is the key starting point.
*I advise any consultant to do some improv! It's core lessons... listening, reacting, slowing down the moment, daring to fail, supporting others, telling a story, and championing the ensemble <-- super applicable.
Did you ever try Toastmasters? They also have a "simil-improv" exercise that you train on every practice... I used to like it during my Toastmasters time!
I didn't try it, but a close friend did and was super positive about the experience! What drew me to improv was you have both the public speaking element... and the interaction/ collaboration element. You're not in control.
Really loved this - so many workshops are 400 slides/ 40 gallons of coffee/ 4 hours - with no thought beyond the content. The jazz thing is a great comparison - look up a Henry Farrell post on Brian Eno's theory of democracy for an interesting related set of ideas
Thank you for pointing to that article. I think you are referring to this I'm linking below.
It's an interesting post, and gave me a lot to think about outside running workshops!
https://www.programmablemutter.com/p/brian-enos-theory-of-democracy
Exactly - I found it very thought provoking as well
Great perspective. Completely jives with my experience and that of others. There is a real challenge of skilling the art side of this capability. The science side is easier to share. Part of it, I think, requires the junior practitioners to have a sense of themselves to be able to know their “style” of improvisation. That can be tricky and usually pretty iterative. And you have to be comfortable with the uncertainty of the ensemble.
Love this post! You bring great insights to old and young alike!
Getting to know your own style requires a lot of practice and self-awareness indeed. Years and years of work in different situations and contexts I think.
And thank you for the kind words!
Reminds me of when I first started Improv. My teacher said he used to be teased at his work for going to 'practice' improv. But the practice is essential to being a good improviser.
As your quote puts it*.
Also made me chuckle... the # of times I've worked with consultants who obsess over the agenda and the slides. As you mentioned MC... thinking about outcome, non-negotiable objectives, and fanning participant energy is the key starting point.
*I advise any consultant to do some improv! It's core lessons... listening, reacting, slowing down the moment, daring to fail, supporting others, telling a story, and championing the ensemble <-- super applicable.
Did you ever try Toastmasters? They also have a "simil-improv" exercise that you train on every practice... I used to like it during my Toastmasters time!
I didn't try it, but a close friend did and was super positive about the experience! What drew me to improv was you have both the public speaking element... and the interaction/ collaboration element. You're not in control.