Channel these improv techniques to listen better\u2026\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
Most people\u2019s first association with the word \u2018improvisation\u2019 is comedy. Their mind leaps straight to TV shows like \u2018Whose Line is it Anyway?\u2019. Whilst standing in front of a live audience and making it all up for laughs might be your worst nightmare, at Hoopla we believe learning the tools of improvisation can help all of us off-stage, especially when it comes to how we communicate at work. Improvisation is purely the art of acting without a script and actually, much of our work life is in fact improvised \u2013 especially our conversations. This makes improv a great place to look for insights into how to have better dialogues with your colleagues, stakeholders, and customers.<\/p>\n
Improvisation begins with listening. Improv performers like those on \u2018Whose Line is it Anyway?\u2019 focus first and foremost on listening rather than speaking<\/b>. They go on stage with no idea of what is going to happen next and, in an environment of such uncertainty, listening is one of the few things they can control. Also, by focusing on the other person\u2019s ideas on-stage, it takes the pressure off a little.<\/p>\n
Listening is crucial to all effective communication<\/b>. Yet we are rarely taught how to listen. The closest we get, perhaps, is a short workshop on \u2018active listening\u2019 at work. However, many of the behaviours we are taught with active listening \u2013 such as nodding, smiling, and making encouraging noises while the other person speaks \u2013 are not essential for good listening. In fact, you could be doing all those behaviours while thinking about something else entirely.<\/p>\n
With that in mind, here are two listening tips from the world of improv that will help you to become a better, more attentive listener\u2026\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Improv Listening Tip 1<\/b><\/p>\n
The next time you have a conversation, pay attention to what is going through your mind when the other person is speaking. So often we aren\u2019t really listening, we are waiting to respond. We are stuck in the script in our heads, forming a reply or even a rebuttal of some sort. Instead of getting lost in your own inner monologue, focus on staying present and listening to the end of the other person\u2019s sentence before thinking about what you want to say next<\/b>.<\/p>\n
Improv Listening Tip 2<\/b><\/p>\n
This second tip builds from this level of presence. How do you know someone has listened to you? It is by what they do with what you have said. Improvisers define listening as \u2018the willingness to be changed\u2019<\/i>. If you are really listening, the other person\u2019s words should land on you and change your response<\/b>. Without that you aren\u2019t relating to<\/i> the person in front of you, based on what they\u2019ve said, you are just talking at<\/i> them motivated by your own agenda.<\/p>\n
Now let\u2019s look now at how you can listen better to your customers and stakeholders\u2026<\/b><\/p>\n
How to Listen Better to Customers<\/b><\/p>\n
For improvisers, feedback from our audience is absolutely crucial. We create our shows in dialogue with them. When they laugh at something that\u2019s been said on stage they are saying: \u201cWe like this, do more of it.\u201d When they don\u2019t laugh they are saying: \u201cNot for us, please try something new.\u201d In a very real sense the audience helps us write the script. We co-create the comedy with them.<\/p>\n
Off-stage this principle holds too. If you don\u2019t listen to your audience you are ignoring a huge resource. Customer feedback is an incredible gift if you are willing to listen to it without assumption or judgement. Charlotte Langley, Brand & Communications Director at Bloom and Wild<\/b><\/a>, told me how they have put this principle into action:<\/p>\n \u201cAs a florist, Mother\u2019s Day is clearly a big event in our calendar. But in 2018 a few customers emailed our Customer Delight team to ask if they could be unsubscribed from our emails over the period, as they found it difficult receiving marketing around Mother\u2019s Day. We had stumbled on an insight: loss, grief and other difficulties were a real issue for many people when it came to certain occasions. Now, we offer all customers the opportunity to opt out of marketing around these occasions and have formed the Thoughtful Marketing Movement to inspire other businesses to do the same. And it all began with listening!<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n When was the last time you spoke in depth to a customer? What if you brought them into the development of your product, service, or idea? How might you use social media, surveys, and other digital tools to do that?<\/p>\n How to Listen Better to Stakeholders<\/b><\/p>\n So often the challenge in communication with stakeholders is overcoming conflict. Improvisation offers a useful tool here: \u2018Yes, and<\/b><\/a>\u2019, where the \u2018Yes\u2019 means acknowledging the idea and the \u2018and\u2019 refers to building on it. The best way to show you how this works is in an example. Say someone says the following to you:<\/p>\n \u2018We need to make the social media content more distinctive\u2019.<\/p>\n You could respond in two ways\u2026<\/p>\n Which is the more collaborative<\/b> choice?<\/p>\n The word \u2018but\u2019 gets you into an argument. When the other person hears \u2018but\u2019 they stop listening to you and start trying to defend their position. You want to avoid \u2018Yes, but\u2019 if you can. The \u2018Yes, and\u2019 style response on the other hand affirms the other person’s perspective and feelings (although you do not have to agree with them), whilst providing a bridge into your point of view. It allows you to make the same point as you did with the \u2018Yes, but\u2019 response, but offers a less emotionally provocative way into it. It is inclusive<\/b> rather than combative.<\/p>\n Most of all, \u2018Yes, and\u2019 is a technique that slows your brain down so that you are mindful of how you disagree with others. It allows you to respond rather than simply react. And in the heat of the moment, that skill can be crucial in maintaining strong relationships moving forwards.<\/p>\n Try This Exercise to Train Your Listening Skills<\/b><\/p>\n There\u2019s nothing like trying it for yourself! So, in that spirit, here\u2019s one of our favourite improv training exercises you can try at home. You\u2019ll find it\u2019s a great way to train your listening skills.<\/p>\n THE WORD AT A TIME STORY\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n A: <\/b>\u2018One\u2019<\/p>\n B: <\/b>\u2018Day\u2019<\/p>\n A: <\/b>\u2018We\u2019<\/p>\n B: <\/b>\u2018Went\u2019<\/p>\n A: <\/b>\u2018To\u2019<\/p>\n B: <\/b>\u2018The\u2019<\/p>\n A: <\/b>\u2018Park\u2019<\/p>\n B: <\/b>\u2018When\u2019<\/p>\n Want more tips like these? Check out Company Director and Co-Founder of <\/b>Hoopla Business<\/b><\/a>, Max Dickins\u2019, book, \u2018<\/b>Improvise! Use the Secrets of Improv to Achieve Extraordinary Results at Work<\/i><\/b><\/a>\u2019.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Want to book one of our Corporate Training workshops?<\/b><\/p>\n Email us<\/b> or give us a call<\/b> now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":28729,"template":"","format":"standard","class_list":["post-28728","resource","type-resource","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n
\n
Key Takeaways<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
\n
\n