You gotta think INSIDE the box

I had so much fun yesterday co-leading a workshop with my friend Rob Nickerson, “Mr. Improv Extraordinaire” for a group of corporate folks in Montreal. “You gotta think inside the box” Rob Nickerson said to the crowd. “Huh? That is not how it goes. I always thought it was the other way around, you gotta think outside the box”

Not so, according to Rob Nickerson. After 26 years as an improviser, actor, writer & director, Rob brings a unique perspective and skill set to the corporate world.

“If you truly want to be creative, you need to work within the restrictions of your corporate environment.” You need to succeed by finding creative ways of working within the limitations such as the pursuit of profitability, conflicting priorities, rules and regulations, and deadlines to name just a few.

“How many of you have seen the movie Apollo 13?” Rob asked the crowd? Half the hands go up. “Do you remember the scene where the crew is in danger because they have been up there too long and there are creating too much carbon dioxide in the capsule? They need to find a way to filter the carbon dioxide to stay alive. Back on earth, a group of scientists are assembled around a table. A guy comes in with a big cardboard box filled with hoses, computer parts, tape, etc. and he dumps the contents of the box onto the table. He says to the scientists “These are materials that are available in the capsule. We need to come up with a way to solve this problem with what is on this table.” They needed to find a solution within the “box”.

What is the link with improvisation you might say. Improvisers excel at solving problems with limited, restrictive resources. Improvisers are creative thinkers. They are nimble, and quick on their feet. They collaborate with their teammates to take advantage of the combined brain power to find novel solutions. They listen differently, with their whole being, to have access to new knowledge. Improvisers can see the big picture. They see how things that at first appear unrelated, actually can be re-assembled to yield new possibilities.

One of the critical skills of an improviser is the ability to do “whole listening.” Rob describes “whole listening” as a “heightened state of awareness that allows you to recognize and process as much information as possible in the moment so that you may make the best decision for this moment at this moment.” During a storytelling exercise where small groups of people are asked to co-create a story by each taking a turn to say just one word, Rob kept reminding folks to lean in towards each other and make eye contact. “Listen with your whole body. Use all of your senses. Get your ego out of the way. You are too worried about what others might think about you and that prevents you from truly connecting with your teammates on the task at hand.”

Another crucial quality of improvisers is their willingness to “take care of their partner”.It is all about trust really. When I develop and nurture strong relationships with my partners, I can let go of my fears and trust that we will carry each other when the time comes. We have each other’s “back”. One person’s strength compensates for another’s weakness and vice versa. As a team, we have access to more ideas, more experience, more courage than if we were just by ourselves.

One participant said “At first, I was sitting back, feeling uncomfortable. I was worried about doing this “right”. I was feeling awkward. But then I just decided to let go and have a bit of fun. That made a huge difference in the way I experienced the exercise. I got out of my own way and my teammates gained a more enthusiastic and motivated partner."

If you need just one good reason to hone your improvisational skills, I would say it is to enhance your capacity to deal with change. Rather than fighting change, you dance with it. As an improviser, we become more nimble and adaptable to what life throws our way because we know that ultimately, the solution is within us. Change is just another opportunity to get our creative juices flowing. As Rob says, “creativity is just a matter of getting our mind out of the way so that our brain can do what it is meant to do, generate brilliant ideas!”

In summary, Rob Nickerson teaches us that there improvisers have a set of basic skills that can help us be more successful in life. They are:

• Taking care of your partner

• Thinking on your feet

• Leveraging change

• Whole listening

• Working inside the box

• The power of collaboration

What do you think? Would you like to sign up for a workshop on improvisation?

In which area of your life would improvisation be the most useful right now? At work? At home? At play?

Which improv skill are you the most comfortable with? And which improv skill would you like to develop further?