The art of listening in business & improv

Improv and business are both collaborative acts: initiative and ideas must be accepted, and built on by everyone involved. Too quickly we want to say “no” to new thoughts or approaches, to criticize and discount, but opening up yourself to “yes” encourages the teamwork, innovation, and flexibility that furthers an acting scene or propels a business idea forward.

During orientation in August, a group of 40 first-year Specialized Masters Program (SMP) students gathered in the Active Learning Lab of Bauer Hall with members of R-S Theatrics, a professional theatre company in St. Louis, to try some improvisational acting techniques.

The workshop, called “Business and Improvisational Acting,” involves demonstrations by actors followed by exercises for the students.

The guidelines for successful improv also apply to the world of business, and these guidelines can be simplified into one phrase: Yes, and…

Generally put, improvisational acting (or “improv”) is a form of theatre where two or more people act out a scene without a script. It is up to those involved to create in real-time a coherent story, characters, setting, and dialogue.

Productive collaboration does not occur, however, until everyone is listening. Too often we are busy thinking about what we want to say instead of listening to what is being said by others.

An improvisational actor must listen to his or her scene partner, as the partner’s ideas are just as important and intrinsic to the action onstage. At the same time, listening to what is being said at a meeting instead of just waiting for your turn to speak will widen your perspective.

It will influence what you have to contribute and show the other people that you are open to what they are saying. Additionally, the often stilted and uncomfortable world of networking becomes a lot easier when you focus on responding to the other person’s thoughts as a way to start a dialogue.

The workshop students started the session listening politely to the workshop leader with slightly puzzled looks on the faces, but ended the session enthusiastically engaged in improv exercises that illustrated the points above.

The application of improvisational acting to the business world is starting to be explored by university business programs across the country. If you wish to pursue this approach further, keep your eyes open for further workshops this school year at Olin.

Guest Blogger: Mark Kelley, Graduate Programs Records Assistant and member of the R-S Improv Theatrics Troupe