1.
The Improv Method
Techniques for Enhancing and Strengthening
Communication Skills

2.
FIRSTLY:
NO ONE IS GOING TO BE FORCED TO PLAY
ANY GAMES

3.
Who is he and why is he doing this?
 My name is Joe Kremer
 Stage and TV commercials for 15 years
 Improvising in scenes and working with lots of different actors taught me a lot
of great techniques to use with regard to communicating
 I realized that not every one uses these techniques, and there are some real
advantages to understanding them and utilizing them when dealing with
everyone you work with, not just clients

4.
What is the definition of improv and how
often do we use it?
 Creative adaptation
 Contrary to popular opinion, it is not ‘unruly and chaotic’
 It’s a discipline with a system of rules that guide conduct
 It’s not just “yes…and”
 We improvise every day, sometimes without noticing it

5.
The Practice
 Notice more (pay attention to your instincts and surroundings)
 Let go (keep an open mind; let go of expectations)
 Use Everything (gather opinions; gain different perspectives)

6.
Notice more Let go
Use
everything
Notice more Let go
Use everything
EAO
Everything’s An Offer

7.
Everything’s An Offer
 To see everything as an offer means to regard everything that occurs as
something you can use.
 In order to do this you really need to notice what’s there
 This means letting go of labels, knee-jerk responses, or conventions

8.
Notice More
 Pay attention to your instincts
 Observe your own feelings
 Four main areas that we need to concentrate on:
 The wide world
 The immediate environment
 Other people
 Ourselves
 Listening to not just what someone is saying, but HOW they’re saying it (Can
you repeat it back the same way they said it?)
 Try to block out distractions (the old joke of turning down the radio to find an
address)

9.
Let Go
 Keep an open mind
 ‘Let go’ of expectations
 Example: You saw the word “improv” in the title of this presentation and
immediately thought that you’d have to do some game in front of everyone
 If you instantly decide how things are, you give them no chance to become
anything else

10.
Use Everything
 Gather opinions
 Try to gain different perspectives
 We all make mistakes, so use them as offers. Use them as learning
opportunities and communicate that learning experience to others
 Try to use unforeseen circumstances, accidents, acts of God, disasters, and
delays as offers and stop thinking of them as just bad things

11.
Everything’s An Offer
 You can plan, plan, and plan for more, but you have to be ready for the
UNEXPECTED
 Noticing more, letting go, and using everything can help you plan for the
unexpected
 These tools are only a compass, not a map. They won’t tell you what to do,
but they will show you which way is north. The terrain to get there must be
managed by you

12.
GAME TIME!!!!!!!!
Everyone relax…I just need 1 volunteer
This game is called “Presents” and it’s very simple

13.
Next Part: COMMUNICATION
 We do this all day, and improvisation is how we do it
 Monologue vs Soliloquy (what’s the difference?)
 Audience Needs:
 Why should they listen to me? (Why should they trust you, the driver?)
 Who am I, beyond labels? (They need to know who you are as a person)
 What is expected of them, what are they going to have to do? (Don’t assume that
they’re listening. Ask for feedback often, or have a conversation with them
afterwards about what you spoke about)
 What are they going to get as a result of listening?
 Are they being seen and acknowledged? (If they feel that they’re not being seen,
they may behave in order to be seen)

14.
Next Part: CREATIVITY
 Put creativity in DOING, not just THINKING
 Ideas can come from simple things such as: sitting in on meetings that you
normally don’t sit in on, or calling the customer service line
 Find the end user realities and expectations
 Prepare for your first ideas to not be great. But remember, Everything’s An
Offer
 Embracing Constraint: creativity is stimulated by embracing constraint, not by
a complete absence of constraints. It’s much harder for improvisers to create
a scene/story with no suggestions from the audience and nothing at all to
limit them (example: “First letter…last letter”)
 I always use the French Foreign Legion basic training methodology

15.
Next Part: LEADERSHIP
 Here’s one definition: to inspire and move people to do things they wouldn’t
otherwise be willing or able to do
 The person leading is the person who can see best: Distributed leadership
 When in doubt, use the ideas of improv practice:
 How can I notice more? (this will slow you down and help you become more
present)
 What can I let go of? (this encourages you to question assumptions, expectations,
personal agendas, etc.)
 What can I use? (this helps you reframe problems and errors as opportunities)

16.
In Action
 This is only meant to complement analysis and planning, not act as a
substitution
 Review progress often, and use this practice to help decide a new course or
simply a few new steps
 Try using this practice in your personal life as well
 Respond and adapt; Act and React

17.
THANK YOU!!!

18.
CREDITS
 Do/Improvise/Less Push. More Pause. Better Results. A New Approach to
Work (and life). Robert Poynton; Published by The Do Book Company 2013;
Works in Progress Publishing Ltd.
 Game: Presents; learned by Robert Poynton