A Little Acting Can Go a Long Way

My journey into the creative industry took an unconventional route. It began in college, where I was studying aerospace engineering. On Friday afternoons, I would watch our campus improv group named Commedus Interruptus. Their ability to think quickly and support each other, not only making each other laugh, but also engaging and entertaining groups of students was intoxicating for me. I became close friends with many of the members and the more I learned about improv, the more I wanted to bring it into my life. So, my senior year, I enrolled in improv as an elective. 

I found improv, theatre and acting cathartic. It tapped into a different aspect of my brain and offered a refreshing counterbalance to the analytical rigour of my degree, and it’s a practice that I carried forward into starting my career. As an engineer I have had the honour of getting to work on large scale aircraft programs such as the Predator and F35 Lightning II, re-building and modifying aircraft for organisations such as British Antarctic Survey, designing and building electric race motorcycles that have won at Isle of Man, and travelling the world designing and testing innovative solutions for the mining industry. Through it all my career successes were always balanced, and supplemented, by acting and improvisation–taking classes and participating in shows through community theatre groups, attending and graduating from the Second City Conservatory, or auditioning and working as a commercial actor.

It was this that led me to booking a commercial shoot for the Oregon Lottery, being blown away by that jackpot feeling. While the commercial didn’t send my acting career soaring, it put me in the right place at the right time. The shoot location was the office of a software development agency, where it just so happened a friend of mine from California was involved in HR and recruiting. As I looked around the stylish office space, fit-out with a library, custom beer taps, and amazing artwork, I joked to her, "so, how do you get a job around here?" Turns out they were seeking folks just like me: creative, collaborative, problem solvers. That was nine years ago. 

My serendipitous journey to Instrument wouldn't have been possible without improv, but moreover I believe it paved the way for my success, teaching me more about people, connection, collaboration and, you guessed it, improvisation, than I ever could have imagined. Here are just a few examples of how I’ve brought what I’ve learnt on the stage into the office.

“Yes, and...”

In improv, "yes, and" is the notion of accepting and building upon ideas, in whatever form they’re presented. Imagine starting with a bland scene like "The Car Is Blue" and gradually transforming it through collaborative iteration, bit by bit, little by little. This process is analogous with developing a response to a client challenge.

When tackling a problem, embracing the "yes, and" mindset is crucial – although we don’t often use that vernacular. “Yes, and” is the very essence of collaboration that leads to creative breakthroughs. It’s the idea that perhaps no idea is ever complete, and that many things can be true at once. It’s all on the table and all contributions are good ones.

In improv, we often say, "bring a brick, not a cathedral". This means offering one part of the solution and inviting others to build upon it in small increments. As a leader, it's tempting to come into a session with what you believe is the full solution. But by doing so, we risk stifling creativity and depriving our team of growth opportunities. True leadership creates space for others to shine and every brainstorming or team session is an opportunity to say "yes, and" to build a client’s solution, brick by brick, with those around you.

There are, of course, exceptions to this. When organisations are moving through structural change or managing crisis, often people look to leaders to come with the full cathedral where they can take shelter.

Active Listening 

Growing up Black in America, I often found myself navigating environments where I didn't always feel comfortable. Code-switching became second nature, and from a young age I learned to listen intently to better understand the world, and those around me.  

The improv skill of active listening is therefore one I was able to grasp quite quickly. Responding to a scene requires you to hear and comprehend what the other actor is presenting and how the audience is reacting. You need to be dialled in, pick up body language cues, and intuit how to respond at pace.

As creatives, we can find ourselves in a variety of spaces and situations. Working in client services, we may find alignment in our perspectives and points of view, or we may find ourselves in rooms with people who have different backgrounds from us, and completely opposite world views. That’s a blessing in my eyes, but one that can be difficult for some to navigate. How do I put aside my preconceived notions and deliver in this situation? Listening is the key.  

It may surprise some, but not others, but agency folk tend not to be the most diverse population, and this can lead to homogeneous thinking. However, our clients could come to us from anywhere, and they ask us to create work for diverse audiences; so, it's critical to step out of our own worldview and try to understand others' perspectives. This is only possible when we stop speaking, and instead create space for others to expound on their beliefs. “Tell me more about that” or “why is that important to you” are powerful statements to help your peers, clients and consumers share, while you focus on soaking up all they have to say and getting to the core of WHY this is important.

Establishing a Base Reality

The beginning of every improv scene begins with the establishment of what we call a “base reality”.

Base Reality serves as the canvas upon which scenes unfold, encompassing the fundamental elements of the who, what, and where. It allows the audience to get a sense of what’s normal for the characters in the scene; their relationships, the environment, emotions and character traits. Without a solid base reality, the actors might find themselves misaligned, meandering through the scene, and not connecting with their audience in the way they’d hoped.

Client servicing, like improv, requires a strong base reality ahead of strategy development. It's not just a component to success, but a prerequisite. Who are the stakeholders (the characters)? What are the business dynamics we’ll be contending with (their relationships)? What are the market dynamics, and what are they up against (the environment)? How are internal stakeholders feeling, and what is the headspace and behaviour of the target audience (emotions + character)? However, unlike improv, a base reality is not simply stated. It is understood through the process of facilitation and active listening (“Yes, and” and active listening will help you there!).

Improv is humbling. It forces you to be a constant learner; to ask questions; to be ok with looking silly; to be comfortable in the uncomfortable; to embrace noise; to embrace silence; to accept how little you may know; to learn when to speak and when it’s time to sit back. I’m a big believer that great creatives are made in the world. Life experiences, hobbies, relationships, travel, and unyielding curiosity convert to big ideas in boardrooms. Improv was one of these gifts for me and I'd encourage anyone eager to break out of their comfort zone to give it a shot!