Julio, a client of mine, who works in Innovation for a global Pharma company came to a Theater Game workshop (upon my invitation) recently where I was also enrolled as a student to play. We were a group of 16 people being side-coached by Aretha Sills, the daughter of Paul Sills and granddaughter of Viola Spolin, the originator of Theater Games.
I asked Julio about his experience.
Me: How did you find the work?
Julio: “Focusing complete attention onto the activities creates an experience that engages you fully. It puts you in the moment and takes you out being self-conscious in any way.
This work reinforces that if you are engaged with other people in an activity – and into full experience – you generate a lot of interest.
You drive impact by building action into an activity using elements that create physical engagement from the group. At work, if people are sitting alone writing, there is not much engagement. If they are off their seats moving around, the dynamic changes and you capture more of their interest.
For me in my business, it will have me consider how I run a meeting – and to make use of materials such as flip charts, post-it notes, white boards, etc.
This work let me reconnect with who I am. And when you are your true self, others can better relate to you. This also builds trust.
It also helped to bring my own thinking to a better reality because I became more expressive. I am much more aware of not just what I say, but how I do it.
Team dynamics were more alive. You engage with another person and ask them to create with you with an unspoken agreement. You are not alone. You just go. You need to be vulnerable, which can be hard, but it worked because there was a safe space held in which to create.
The games set expectations on how to behave and engage using a common language. It broke down barriers.
Yes, there is a great team building aspect. And I have to think about how I incorporate this experience in to my day-to-day – looking at endurance, creativity and productivity. I will use this for when I present, participate in meetings, engage in conversation, at the inception of building rapport.
Being in tune and building an ongoing flow of rapport and engagement is to help the creative process and to foster a positive dynamic.
Cultivating this in my business, I notice when people see the possibilities outside the norm – you can see it in their eyes. They can realize the entrepreneurial role and there is a matching process to opportunities for growth. It is wholly satisfying.”
Thank you, Julio. So well put.
Ask me about Theater Games created by Viola Spolin. They are a way to become involved in our business lives on all levels: intellectual, physical and intuitive. Of the three, the intuitive gives us the most opportunity for creative thought toward greater innovation.
