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    Forge Fearlessness

    Uploaded by

    Massaer Diack

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Forge Fearlessness

    Uploaded by

    Massaer Diack
    5 views5 pages

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

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    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

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    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    5 views5 pages

    Forge Fearlessness

    Uploaded by

    Massaer Diack

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 5

    Forge Fearlessness Using Improv’s “Yes,

    and” Tool
    with Bob Kulhan, CEO, Business Improvisations

    We're often at a disadvantage when it comes to problem-solving


    because we think too fast, and our analytic brains shut off new
    ideas before they’ve had a chance to emerge. Improvisation, on
    the other hand, creates "a set of experiences that allow you to
    fine-tune and hone all of the necessary skills needed to think on
    your feet and simply react and adapt." So says Bob Kulhan, the
    improv coach who studied under Tina Fey at Chicago’s
    ImprovOlympic theater.

    In this lesson, Kulhan introduces you to the cornerstone of improv


    around the world, a simple two-word phrase known as "Yes, and."
    By the end of it, you’ll understand how to use the phrase as a
    creative force while preventing “no” from stopping the creative flow.

    Say “Yes”

    • Accept everything that is brought to you at face value. Make


    no exceptions.
    • “Yes” yields a positive, open environment.

    Say “and…”

    • Build directly upon the idea you’ve just accepted.


    • This does not have to be complementary. Consider taking the
    idea apart or approaching it from a new angle.
    • “Yes, and” endows people with fearlessness. They can make
    no mistakes.

    Edit late

    • Take your critical hat off.


    • Create a space for editing after the “Yes, and” environment is
    well established.
    • “Yes, and” allows for divergent thinking. Convergent thinking
    occurs during the edit.
    !
    Prepare
    Before you watch the video

    Do you (and your team members) feel comfortable speaking freely at work
    or do you tend to self-edit? Why?

    !
    Practice
    After you watch the video
    Let improv’s ethos inform your next group work session. Lay “Yes, and” and “Edit
    late” as the ground rules. (Consider showing Kulhan’s video to the group!) How do
    people initially react to the idea?
    Did the “Yes, and” approach yield any kind of shift in team dynamics? For
    example, did new voices get heard? Did the conversation advance in new
    directions? (Be sure to ask your team how they felt about the exercise.)
    What new ideas emerged as a result of the divergent “Yes, and” exercise?

    How did the ideas get refined during the convergent editing exercise?
    Improv requires excellent listening skills, demands cooperation, and rewards
    those who shed their inhibitions by taking creative risks in a social setting. As a
    team leader, what could you do on a daily basis to support the soft skills of
    improvisation within your team or throughout your organizational culture?

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