When I was in graduate school, my teacher, Steve Pearson, used to say that each individual creates their own method of working. The idea is that there is no single way to learn; we each have to figure out what works for us, and then take that path. I never quite understood the power of this lesson until recently. This week I have been facilitating a variety of workshops for various organizations: Valve Software, Amazon, Space Needle LLC, and a few others. On every workshop, when I introduce an exercise for the group, inevitably there are a few people who work to ‘solve’ the game. They look for how to accomplish the task, in order to move onto the next task. It is a linear, goal-oriented mindset that appears to value winning and accomplishment over knowledge and problem solving. What tends to confuse people is when I describe that there are no “right” or “wrong” ways to do the exercise; the point of the exercise is to ‘do it’ and have an experience that draws correlations to our everyday habits. The exercise is about bringing awareness, not solving a problem. As a teacher, I understand that my job is to give people the tools to find their own way, and teach them not to do what I did, but to create their own way of working. Telling someone the Five Best Methods for Productivity might be easily digestible (and highly profitable), however it doesn’t create true productivity. When people hear these lessons, they might change for a week or two, but they will revert to the practiced habits of the past. I have found that when people discover their own five methods of being productive - meaning the five that work for them based on their own experiences - then they actually do make lasting changes. As an actor, and an artist, this is what we learn from our acting teachers. We constantly practice to see what works for us now, in the stage of life where we are now, knowing that what worked last week (or even last night!) might not be correct for today. Another wise acting teacher once said that each performance of a play must be 10-15% different each night, as each day always presents a bit differently. We strive to find what is relevant for this moment, so we can be present in our work, and not trying to “solve” the play. So – the next time you find yourself placing the same solution on an issue to “solve” the problem, ask yourself:
By staying present and focusing on the lesson, rather than rushing to get the gold star of accomplishment, you can create real productivity – one that works for you.
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Every year we perform an improvised Shakespearian show called "The Lost Folio". The idea behind "The Lost Folio" is that it is a play of William Shakespeare's that was lost in time. We recreate it live, with suggestions from the audience. This year, I was reminded how fluid the English language has always been, and how many words, grammatical conventions, and idioms were in flux during Shakespeare's time. Due to the influence of new ideas and languages it was ever changing. When the complete works of Shakespeare were eventually published, many scholars believe that moment started to codify the English language, and set certain parts of it in stone. In improv, one thing I have found is that codifying something, naming it and setting the rules, begins to make it stale. It now has edges - set perimeters - that keeps it reigned in and not fluid. For many new improvisers they get stuck on the rules and the question of "Am I doing this right?" By codifying something, you stop the forward motion and arrest its development. When you stop a process by naming it, you no longer make it innovation. When I speak with many business leaders, I ask them "What are hard and fast rules that you adhere to?" Sometimes looking at the assumptions and rules can help to find where we have blocked ourselves from innovation, and where we can open up to new ideas. Ask yourself "If this were all new, and the rules didn't apply, what would you be doing differently?" So, as I perform in "The Lost Folio" this summer, I look forward to inventing some new words that are a mash-up of many languages, and having fun with a style of English that existed before we were stuck in the rules of grammar. Contact Andrew to find out more about how to drive innovation in your organization. There is one thing that separates good actors from struggling actors: How well do you listen? In my work I get to interact with actors at all levels. A struggling actor knows their lines, and is pre-planning how they will react when they hear their scene partner say something. They are scripting (even if the play is improvised) how the story will come out, and how they will listen. There is a need to control what happens, and what the audience sees, rather than actually listening and being affected by what someone is giving you. In fact, you can actually see them trying to listen, as if listening is something to show people you are doing it. You can visually see them planning how they will respond, rather than listening and reacting. The same is true for managers. I have worked with many managers who have a "listening face" which they use to "show" people they are listening. When asked to share what they just heard, their retention and understanding of what was said to them is appallingly low. And just like with actors, employees can see when you are not listening to them. They can see when you're merely waiting for their mouth to move so you can speak. They can see when you have disengaged because you have already solved the problem you think they have (even if you are not sure what the problem actually is, or if there even is one!) They can see when you are not present. This skill is hard to learn, and there are a variety of methods to help you be aware of how you listen and how you can improve. After a few of my exercises, I have had participants say "This was the first time I really was able to hear what someone said..." Imagine if all your staff felt that way, like they have been heard and appreciated. Honing this skill can affect your bottom line in multiple ways: increased engagement, improved customer satisfaction, innovative directions, happier and appreciative staff and family, etc. It's a simple skill that we often overlook in the wider scope of our work. Find out how to increase your listening potential - email Andrew today. When I speak to CEO's I get a lot of questions about reframing the idea of "Planning" and instead using the word "Preparing." I know that a 'Strategic Prepare' doesn't have quite the same ring as a 'Strategic Plan', and that is a shame. I do believe that the word 'Plan' sometimes sets people up for failure. More often than not, plans have benchmarks that can fail: 'We will achieve goal X by this date.' When a company does not make those goals, the plan then becomes null and void, and people tend to say 'Well, this is no longer a useful plan....' This is why I encourage CEO's to use the idea of preparing rather than planning: If I prepare for the future, then whatever obstacles I encounter are a part of the next steps. There are no mistakes, and no reason to scrap the plan, just new information to add to the outcome. One tool I have taught is in this process is the pre-mortem. It basically says that before any big action or implementation, you have a meeting to discuss its failure. The pretext is: It is now six months or one year in the future, and this has failed miserably. The question is: why? Why did it fail? What caused it to fail? What were the events leading up to its eventual demise? By looking at the possible reasons why something will fail, we can begin to be prepared for the issues that might affect its success. This can even go as far as life or death to some professions, as detailed in the book 'An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth" by Col. Chris Hadfield. The years of planning, and simulations of what could go wrong in space, help to prepare astronauts to be ready regardless of what does happens. It also trains them to be ready when unforeseen events take place - and to treat them these events the same way as in the simulations they encountered. The level of preparation for space travel is intense - and necessary. It is never a straight path, or one way of accomplishing a task, and any unforeseen event could possibly cause something catastrophic. So the next time you are seeing out a plan for the future, ask yourself what you are doing to prepare for the unforeseen events that could derail you: things that can make you head in new directions, and help you stop being reactive to issues, and instead be proactive to managing your desired outcome. Click here to contact Andrew for more information on his workshops and coaching. I have found a classification of people in the performing arts called 'accidental administrators.' They are the people who trained to be actors, or directors, or some specific aspect of theater, and ended up being the person in charge of the organization. When I ask these people about their journey, I usually get the same response; they decided to do the things that no one else wanted to because these things had to be done. So they became the accidental leader of an organization. They didn't plan, prepare or desire to be the person in charge. They just found themselves there because of who they are, because of the type of person they are. Sometimes this leads to a level of Imposter Syndrome, and even malcontented staff surrounding theses individuals who say 'who put them in charge?' The answer I tell those disgruntled workers is: You did. And they did. They chose to make the organization work, because it had to be done and no one else would do it. They saw what needed to be done, and did it. When companies begin - the lines between job descriptions and duties are fairly fluid. Individuals need to do what must be done to make a new organization survive. As a company grows, it's needs change and everyone must adapt to the constant changes. Mark Zuckerberg was quoted as making a commitment to code everyday, which is a goal he has had to step away from as the realities of being the CEO of a large company change. The main quality I find from these accidental leaders (and in full disclosure, I identify with this group) is that they adapt to the needs of the changing organization as time goes on. Accidental Leaders are still leaders, and they are not stuck in amber waiting for the next ice age. They listen, react in real time, and adapt to the changing situation either by training themselves, or finding the support they need to make a dream come true. They are quintessential problem solvers, who see the end result and goal and reach for the dream. When you are hiring, how can you identify these individuals? Look for the person who has been doing work outside the scope of their training. That shows they are doing whatever they can to be successful. And test them on problem solving. The ability to adapt and change in real time is a key skill. How can you develop these skills in the staff you already have? Provide training in the skills of improvisation. It can lead them to higher levels of listening, critical thinking and problem solving as well as leadership development. Don't let accidental leaders believe that it is all coincidental that they are where they are. It is who they are that makes them leaders. For more information and workshops of Leadership Development - click here for Andrew's workshops. A number of years ago, I listened to a lecture about the three areas of knowledge:
In fact, it is impossible. When we learn something new, we actually make a reference in our heads to something we already know. We categorize new knowledge based on previous experiences. So our brains are wired to make connections between items and to find commonalities. To me this is the key to innovation; Driving those connections that a re possible deeper and deeper and making more remote, obscure connections to find something new. Instead of connecting on topics, can you connect based on shapes, or sounds, or style. This is how architects create new building designs based on a bird's wing, or business managers create new processes based on a board game. You have to be open to making those connections, and finding new pathways in your brain between two (or more) odd items. That connection leads to innovation. So - don't waste you time trying to find something you don't know anything about. Use what you have, and accept and build on what you already know. Click here for more information of Andrew's workshops on innovation and the uses of Yes, and in the workplace. In Improv, we teach people to be 'in the moment.' In the moment means being aware of what's happening NOW, and to reacting to THIS moment rather than reacting to something that happened previously or something that reminds you the current situation. I recently finished a workshop for a group regarding decision making and innovation tools. The process includes generating as much as possible (brainstorming) and then narrowing the field of options based on needs and desires defined before the process begins. For me, those things are in perfect union. The decision making process sometimes gets jumbled by not defining your goals and intended outcomes first. If you can spend the time getting closer to what you want and closer to what you are attempting to see as an outcome of the decision, then the clearer you can be in reacting to the offers you receive in the moment. Brainstorming then becomes focussed based on needs and strategic directions, rather than just about divergent thought. The steps: 1. Define the outcome you would like to see: Start by defining what you are really trying to do, and get clear about the underlying motive of the action. . 2. Define the field of play: Where do you do this? What factors surround the decision? 3. Generate solutions without being tied down to the constraints of reality. An unreal solution can lead to a possible solution somewhere. After that - it is about action. Question - How do I do this? Answer - Just do it! Question - Am I doing it right? Answer - Yes! Once you have made a motion forward, new information becomes available. That new information now makes the previous moment inconsequential, and creates a new situation to be dealt with. So the question becomes, what role does a gut reaction play in your decision making process? I recently had the opportunity to work with a group of people that were all very good at 'solving the problem.' After two weeks, I realized this was their downfall. An example: Someone sees problem "A", and decides to duck tape fix the issue. The duck tape fix causes problems "B" and "C," which proceed to take the rest of the afternoon to solve. Each one of those fixes cause multiple strings of additional issues, each of which need to be addressed. The first solution actually causes a cascade of wasted time, money and energy that can't be stopped. Every problem solved was a band aid on a bigger issue. They were so busy solving problems, they didn't consider the ramifications of the next problem that their solution created. When I started asking them to define what the problem actually was, they stopped. That idea never occurred to them. It was more about 'solving' than 'defining.' This shift created a critical thinking process to the day; 'What is the underlying issue I am trying to solve, and what are a series of possible solutions that we could employ/' The shorthand for it became DOS: DISCOVER the underlying issue causing the problem. OFFER multiple solutions, being aware to not fixate on any one solution and allow the brainstorming to happen. SOLVE the underlying issue. This little idea began to save multiple work hours and untold resources which could now be used to make things better, rather than constantly being reactive. So ask yourself, are you currently solving the problem? Or are you addressing the underlying issue that created the problem? Click here. for more information on Andrew's decision making workshops and seminars. Throughout the many workshops I have done for companies, I have heard the same refrain: customers complain a lot. And I agree. In my dealings with my own customers, I know that comments are a huge issue to bear, and they seem relentless sometimes. And constant - regardless of the excellent customer service that you provide, and the quality of your goods or service. The key that I always say is: "How do you Rumpelstiltskin that customer complaint?" That is, how do you take the straw, and turn it into gold? It's hard to do. The first step is, can you hear what the customer is saying? What gets in the way of listening to their comment? Your ego? Your perception of them as a crazy crackpot? In my experience, even the most crackpot complainer has something to offer, some perspective that can help me to innovate. If I can find a way to get past my own ego, I can figure out how to use their comments and learn more about my product, my customer base, and how people interact with my brand. I was doing a CEO training session in San Francisco, and one CEO was talking about a specific customer who constantly contacts his company to complain. When I asked him what his business was, he told me it was a winery. At that moment, I had to bring up that when a consumer goes into the grocery store in California, they have a choice of MANY different types of Chardonnay. If a customer calls to complain, they are not talking about your wine (they could have made any other choice), they have an affinity to your BRAND, and that is what let them down. Somewhere in that passionate complaint, there is a lesson that you can use to innovate. So find ways to listen to what customers say - and to turn that straw into gold. Just remember to Rumpelstiltskin that complaint. For multiple tools to help your customer service team to transform straw into gold, contact Andrew for a quote. When I first started working in theater, a friend of mine shared with me the 'Rule of Three.' You can only accept an acting job that is offered if you have two out of these three components: 1. It's people you want to work with, 2. It's a role or words you want to say, 3. The money is really good. With these three components in mind (People, Words and Money) you can then measure each new project against this yardstick to see if it is a good fit for you. If you end up taking on a project with only one of these components, the end result is that you feel used and not creatively challenged. It leaves you resentful about the project and spinning your wheels. When I have spoken to groups about the Rule of Three, I encourage people to create their own. What are the three things that you need in order to be productive at work? Perhaps: 1. The right people, 2. The resources to accomplish the project, 3. The desire to create something important. Whatever your three are - spend a few minutes asking yourself 'what is necessary for me to feel fulfilled?' Is the money enough, or do I need something else? And if so, then what is that thing, or multiple things, that will make the project something you believe in working on? The rule of three provides you with clarity to know that when you take on a job, client, or project, you KNOW you will do your best. You have actively made that choice, rather than having the choice made for you. And if you are given a project to accomplish, figure out how to make it something that works for your measurement tool. Ask to have the project goals altered, or to work with the people you want to work with, or to get paid more to accomplish the goal. When you are motivated to do your best, and because you have made the choice that this is the right thing to do based on your needs, then you have already found a big part of success. For more information on having KeyNote presentations and workshops, click here to contact us. |
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