Clocking It
Bill* had an “Aha” moment at work. He was one of those people who if he was on a project with someone whose work he felt was substandard, he’d delete it, replace it with is own and move on. Then, as he was taking an improv class, he learned about the concept of always making your scene partner look good.
As he was sitting around that evening, he reflected back on class and thought “Huh! That probably applies to work as well.” So he tried it. And it did. And it changed him. Not in an Instagram, lightening bolt kinda way. He wasn’t slingshot into the CEO position of his company. But it was transformative.
It changed the way he interacted with people. He became a collaborator not a competitor. Someone to work with, not avoid.
Over time, he became a mentor, working with interns, helping them grow and develop. In his improv troupe, he shifted from being just a player to becoming a leader – the heart and soul of the group. Their words, not mine.
It wasn’t a blinding flash of light suddenly changing him into a superhero. It was an insight. Something learned in a class having nothing to do with leadership or even his job. Just a connection he saw and applied consistently that created real change.
That’s called learning transfer. Applying something you’ve learned in one context to different one. In this case it was between two very different contexts – improv and work. Quite a jump.
That is the kind of jump we’re exploring in our new study. Whether, through reflection and play, improv can help people reduce their public speaking anxiety. Insight and intentionality.
Viola Spolin described improv as a rehearsal of life. Augusto Boal as rehearsal for the revolution. Either way, maybe its an opportunity for change.
*name and details changed; story used with permission.
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