How we communicate with one another has changed enormously in the last five years. The rise of remote working, accelerated by the pandemic, has made people increasingly reliant on digital communication tools like email, Slack and Asana. Zoom is now a verb and video calls have overwhelmingly replaced direct, face-to-face interactions.\u00a0 Effective face-to-face communication requires practice, and the reduced frequency of in-person interactions has diminished these communication skills for many individuals. It\u2019s no wonder then that many people report feeling more anxious and self-conscious about these interactions. Moreover, the pervasive use of smartphones and other devices means people are often distracted when they do have in-person meetings and conversations.\u00a0\u00a0 The world of improvisation offers some useful tools you can borrow to overcome these barriers in communication.\u00a0 In this article we will explore three key improv tools:<\/p>\n
These three tools can significantly enhance your communication skills, helping you to build better relationships and reduce social anxiety in face-to-face settings. By employing these techniques in your office interactions and work meetings you can improve your ability to communicate effectively, with confidence. Imagine improv is like yoga for soft skills: if yoga makes your body more flexible, improv does the same for your communication. So, let\u2019s limber up!<\/p>\n
I know what you\u2019re thinking: listening? I\u2019ve heard all this before. <\/em>And you\u2019re right, it\u2019s hardly a new idea. But how many brilliant listeners do you know? Real attention is a scarce resource in an increasingly digital and distracted world. While we\u2019re often told we should listen, we aren\u2019t always taught how<\/em>. Often we aren\u2019t really listening at all, we are just waiting to speak. Or perhaps we\u2019re busy worrying about doing the sort of \u2018active listening\u2019 we\u2019ve been taught – nodding along and trying to maintain eye contact, but feeling awkward in the process. True listening comes from genuinely hearing what the other person has said<\/strong>. Allow what you hear to really land with you, and be open and willing to be changed by what you\u2019ve heard. In order to do this you need to surrender control of the conversation. Focus only on what the person you are speaking to is actually <\/em>saying. If you can do this you will find yourself having more authentic and connected conversations.\u00a0 Key Takeaway: <\/strong>True listening requires genuine attention and a willingness to be changed by what you hear.<\/p>\n How receptive are you to the ideas of others in conversations? Often our concern in meetings, whether consciously or not, is to show our status. To prove our expertise and experience in relation to the subject at hand. At work, this often manifests as a need to be the smartest person in the room. This not only puts us under pressure, it also means we can be inflexible, communicating inefficiently and without a collaborative mindset. Improvisers try to take what we call a \u2018Yes, and\u2019 approach. This is about accepting and building off the ideas of others<\/strong>. We aim to make other people and their ideas look good, rather than competing with them. This approach makes them feel important, boosting the rapport and trust between you.\u00a0 In addition, when you focus on the other person, you\u2019ll find your anxiety lifts. Focusing on other people\u2019s contributions can help to reduce any burden you might be feeling that you are responsible for solving the problem alone. As improv guru Jill Bernard once said, \u201cIf you\u2019re stuck in your head, then you\u2019ve got to get stuck in something else.<\/em>\u201d What if that something else was the person right in front of you? A simple fix, but a powerful one.<\/p>\n Key Takeaway:<\/strong> Using a “Yes, and ” approach builds rapport with others by focusing on collaboration not competition, it also helps to get you out of your own head.<\/p>\n Breaking the ice<\/strong><\/a> is something we have to do all the time in the world of work. Whether it\u2019s with clients, colleagues, or our boss, it\u2019s easy to feel tongue tied. But why does this situation fill us with such dread? It\u2019s because we often put pressure on ourselves to be interesting or \u2018fun.\u2019 And to do so right away, straight off the bat. No wonder it makes us feel so anxious!\u00a0 Instead of worrying about being interesting or funny, improvisers focus on being obvious<\/strong>. They say what is most obvious to them in the moment. When you\u2019re meeting someone new, try saying what feels obvious to you. You\u2019ll find that not only does this get the conversation flowing, but that what is obvious to you is often not obvious to other people. So, you sound interesting by accident! Being obvious could be as simple as saying, \u2018Your necklace is really pretty.\u2019 Your conversational partner now has something they can react to: \u201cOh this? It was my Grandma\u2019s\u201d, and you\u2019re off. It might sound obvious, but people who are fluent conversationalists are often just the people who let themselves be\u2026 obvious (see what we did there?). Key Takeaway: <\/strong>To ease anxiety, and be more fluent in conversations, practice saying what feels obvious to you.\u00a0 Conclusion<\/strong> In our increasingly digital and remote working environments effective in person communication is more crucial than ever. As face-to-face interactions decrease it is even more essential to practise honing these skills. Improvisation techniques like attentive listening, adopting a “Yes, and” approach, and embracing the obvious in conversations, can significantly enhance your communication skills. Not only do these tools help you to build stronger relationships, they also help to reduce social anxiety, making your interactions more genuine and connected. Just as yoga enhances physical flexibility, improv can stretch and strengthen your communicative prowess, leading to more successful and meaningful exchanges in your professional life.<\/p>\n Want more tips like these? Check out Company Director and Co-Founder of <\/strong>Hoopla Business<\/strong><\/a>, Max Dickins\u2019, book, \u2018<\/strong>Improvise! Use the Secrets of Improv to Achieve Extraordinary Results at Work<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u2019.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Want to know more about how improv could benefit your business?<\/strong>Email us<\/strong> or give us a call<\/strong> now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":28725,"template":"","format":"standard","class_list":["post-28723","resource","type-resource","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n2. Take a \u2018Yes, and\u2019 Approach\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
3. If You Want to be Fluent, Be Obvious<\/strong><\/h2>\n