Notes from the improv workshop
From Agile Coaches Gathering
Contents |
Debrief: learning points
Following a pair retrospective of about 5 minutes we reformed as a group to share some key learnings. This is what we learnt...
1.Being good to work with: The feeling of being 'good to work with ' is something very positive that we can each take away and try to transmit/transfer to others.
2.Rediscover the joys of being like kids: The session helped us to break free from the self limiting thinking/mindsets that are typically part of being grown up.
3.Control your body to control your brain: We experienced how behaviour strongly affected thoughts and feelings ('acting confident can lead to thinking and being confident')
4.Impro games are great for ice breakers and gelling a team.
5.Status Play/Games: this was a significant learning by lots of us - how we can help others elevate their status without lowering ours (in fact everyone raising their status). We explored the power of status in real life situations and how impro could be very useful in being successful in such scenarios. Others commented about how the session helped them to better observe the subtle status play that occurs in their teams and situations.
6.Make Purposeful and Deliberate Gestures - some learnt that , as an extension of 'control your body...' , when you feel lacking in confidence (for example when delivering a presentation), making clear and purposeful gestures and movements helps to project confidence.
Movements such as taking clear steps across the room/space rather than dithering about in one spot, help to convey that you are in control of your presentation and communicate confidence to your audience.
7.More Personal Mindfulness : the session helped some to feel more mindful of their mental state and consciously try to change it to be more 'good to work with', collaborative and contributive.
Blogs
Games we played
Tom talked at length about the improv ideas behind each of these, introducing and debriefing each one. More details in The Improv Handbook: if you're interested in following these up, check out the courses at the Spontaneity Shop.
Here's a list of the games we played:
Pointing at things and saying what they are/what they aren't
Played in 3 versions: walk around pointing at things and saying their names; do the same, but say the name of the last thing you pointed at when pointing to the next thing; walk around pointing at things and saying what they're not (i.e. the name of anything except what you're pointing at). This last game is surprisingly challenging, and underlines the anxiety we have for coming up with a "good" choice rather than opening our mouths and being "mildly curious" (as Tom puts it) about what comes out.
Planning a picnic/holiday
This is the familiar "yes, and/yes, but" game, but with a bit more drama. Played in pairs. Again 3 versions: firstly, shoot your partner's idea down in flames, as if it's the worst idea in the world. Give reasons why you can't drink champagne or eat cake! Secondly, "yeah, whatever": accept the offer your partner makes, but grudgingly and without enthusiasm. Finally, accept the offer and build on it. It's often the case that the first time you play this third version, there's a lot more energy but you get a whole bunch of ideas which compete with each other: it's worth doing this twice, the second time building on and extending the offer your partner makes to create a sustained narrative.
Pair drawing
In pairs. Each is given a sheet of paper and a few coloured pens, each pair asked to draw a picture. Pairs usually discuss, plan, and draw... almost always the result is a house (square with triangle on top, chimney, smoke, maybe mountains in the background) or an animal. Do it again, this time the rules are (1) no talking, (2) one person starts by making a mark, partner adds to it, then continue taking it in turns to build the picture.
Dubbing
Two improvisors act out a scenario (but don't speak); two others (positioned to watch them closely) provide dialogue. Need to watch and listen for cues and offers!
Pair letter-writing
In pairs write a letter, a word at a time. Results are way more amusing and entertaining than anything either individual could come up with by themselves. Lots of laughter while this was being done.
Status games
In pairs: look the other in the eye and say "Go ahead, make my day". Partner watches for the slightest head movement, gives feedback (still head == higher status). Swap (use "Hasta la vista baby" for a change)
Using techniques to raise and lower status (lower - touch face, hesitate, avoid eye contact; raise - still head, don't avoid eye contact, don't answer straight away) role play an office party in two groups. High and low status, important people and juniors. Play twice, once with roles mapped obviously to status, the second time with roles reversed.
Bibbety-bibbety-bop
One person in the middle of a ring formed by the others. The person's job is to swap places with someone in the ring, by looking at that person and saying "Bibbety-bibbety-bop" before the other person can say "bop", or by saying just "bop" (in which case if the other person makes a sound, they lose and swap places with the person in the middle).
Once this is in place, introduce "elephant". Person in the middle says "Elephant1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10", in which time the target makes an elephant trunk, the two people either side make ears. Anyone of the three failing to react in time replaces the man in the middle.
Next - "Red Baron1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10" (goggles in the middle, biplane wings on either side), "James Bond1--10" (Bond pose in the middle with gun raised, bond girls either side saying "oh James...") ... you get the idea. Invent as many as you want (we came up with "Pair programming...")
A great encouragement to keep changing the rules to keep things interesting and challenging. Sometimes it's good that difficult things stay difficult.
Hat game
In front of an audience and referee, two improvisors play out a scenario wearing big floppy hats. The game is competitive: at any point, if one actor succeeds in removing the other's hat, they've 'won', but if they try and fail, or if the hat hits the ground, they lose. Referee rings a bell/blows a horn to signify the end of the bout...
Don't say 's'
Groups of four act out a given scenario in front of an audience. They can say anything so long as it doesn't include the letter 's'. If someone does use the forbidden letter, they're out. Last one in is the winner.
The three word game
Two people act out a scenario speaking only in sentences of three words. If the rule is broken, the audience can boo or shout...
New choice
Played in threes, two actors and a director. The director suggests a scenario, the actors start improvising in the scenario, if the director is unhappy with a contribution they shout "new choice!", and the actor has to come up with something different. Very effective mechanism for taking you out of your comfortable, planned interaction and forcing you to invent (it can be challenging having someone shout "new choice!" at you several times on the run).
