How we set up PowerProv improv workshops so people don't freak out.

How we set up PowerProv improv workshops so people don’t freak out.

Hey, it’s Eran and Carolyn from PowerProv. I thought we’d share with you today a little bit of how we set up our workshops because people often ask how do they work, what’s the structure. So there’s a set of information that we generally share with everybody in every Workshop, especially if it’s their first Workshop, to help put them at ease. I thought it’d be interesting for you to hear some of what that stuff is, so if you’re thinking about booking a workshop, you have a little sneak peek.

Improv workshops

The first thing is that when people book a workshop with us, they’re almost always scared that they’re going to have to perform, be funny, or put on the spotlight, especially if they think that means they’re going to be embarrassed or look silly in front of their friends. So, we did another video about this already, but the not being funny thing is a huge part of what we try to help people understand.

So, what do you say to people who think improv is about being funny? It’s not, it’s not, it really, it’s about being yourself as much as you can, being open, being a great listener, connect with other people, be vulnerable, and it’s amazing that the comedy comes eventually, but it’s not what it’s about. It’s more about the connection and being present.

In the work in every Workshop, whenever we tell people, you know, don’t worry, there’s always like this big collective sigh of relief. You can just feel the energy in the room change. So yeah, pic go, we would never do that to you. That’s not our goal. Our goal is to help you feel like an even more authentic, more joyful, more vibrant expression of your authentic self.

And, you know, some of the tools and techniques that we teach will definitely help you do that, but like, it’s really important that people understand that our goal is not to try and turn you into the next Drew Carey. Yeah, and it’s to make you look good. Like we’re here to make you look good. That’s right. Yeah, we, not me. It helps.

Ensemble Mindset

That’s the Ensemble mindset. So that’s another thing we kind of explain in the beginning of every Workshop is that with this Ensemble mindset, I like to frame it the way Muhammad Ali said it, which is we, not me, right? And I think for me, the way I think about it is that there’s this sense that if you walk into work every day knowing, trusting, believing, and accepting that everyone in the office has your back, that you have their backs, that they’re going to make you look good. I know if I make you look good, that we look good together, right? That’s an awesome feeling. And like, if you can endow that in a team with and create that mindset through this kind of work that we do, that’s a tremendous asset for any business.

So like for you Carolyn, what are some examples of how having an ensemble mindset has helped you? I think I feel less judgment. I feel more confident. I feel more confident in my own ideas and voicing them. It’s fun thing to have an idea, but if you’re not in a surrounding or a place where you feel not judged, you won’t come forward and share. So I think having that non-judgment and that environment, I know myself and I have ideas. They’re not always going to be amazing, but I know I can come to Eran and go right, got this idea. What do you reckon? And I’m going to be heard, listened to, understood, and then we can discuss it. So I think having that environment that you can create helps that collaboration, which we’re all looking for in business and in life.

And from the whole team too, like if you create that safe space, it means the extroverts don’t always dominate the introverts’ space and are actually, you, if we’ve done our job, they’re drawn out of their shell in a way, right? And valued and feel valued and heard.

The other thing we talk about is definitions of the Improv, right? Because people often think, oh, it’s comedians or it’s Kenny G, you know, but the reality is that we’re all improvisers, every single person watching this, you know? And one of the things we do is we ask people for examples of who are people who improvise. What are some of the answers we often get? Sports people, yeah. First responders, first, yeah, that’s right. Teachers, yeah.

One of my favorites is parents, parents, you know? If you’re a parent and you’re watching this, you know how many times have your kids done the thing that you told them to, asked them to, expected them to? I know you use improv with your kids a lot, and it’s been miraculous, been life-changing. Yeah, yeah. So I think parents are probably the penultimate improvisers in my opinion.

So I think the point is that anyone can be an improviser, and all of us are already doing it. We just haven’t labeled it that way. That’s right, right? Yeah. And not using it to the best of our advantage either, correct? Yeah, I think and somehow by suddenly giving it a frame, you’re like, oh, I can actually do this in this situation, right? Rather than kind of just blindly stumbling. That’s right.

Procedural training + Behavioral Science in workshops

So yeah, and we also talk about auditing versus editing. So this is getting into the Behavioral Science part of what we do at PowerProv, but the way we kind of describe the difference between auditing and editing is that editing is that voice in your head like, oh, should I say this? What if I look stupid? The boss is here. I don’t want to embarrass myself. Meanwhile, everyone’s watching, waiting for you to do something, and you’re caught in your head, right? And then the auditing is that being present, being aware, responding authentically to whatever’s just happened, and leaning into intuition and instinct, right? Trusting your gut. And I think an improvisational skill set makes all of that easier to do. Yeah, yeah. And even being aware that when you start to edit that, you know you’re doing it. I think that awareness being present gives you that awareness that that voice is coming into your head, versus saying, right, I hear you, but now I’m going to audit, and then the rest will come. Yeah.

And I think the last thing on my list is sort of around the procedural versus declarative knowledge. Again, this is Behavioral Science language, but really what this means is, you know, you’ve probably taken workshops, you’ve had speakers come in and do things for you in the past.

And I know from speaking to hundreds of HR managers and people in learning, people in learning and development, people in culture roles, that they’ve been burned a lot by people that have come in and kind of said they have the solutions to their team’s problems and do a PowerPoint presentation and leave and nothing really changes. So I think one of the most fun and fundamental parts of what we do at PowerProv that sets us apart is we have a very bulletproof curriculum.

It’s been around for over a decade, so it’s tested and durable and proven, but it’s also built with this Behavioral Science in it that allows us to instill the takeaways in a really sticky and durable way. And the way we do that is through procedural training, right? Procedural knowledge. So you want to explain the difference there? Do you remember? Yeah. So procedural, we get everybody up and involved and doing it yourselves, rather than declarative way we sit and say, here’s the plan, here’s the PowerPoint, now you need to listen. So I think that’s the moment we come into the room, everybody’s up on their feet and we’re all doing. Yeah.

So procedural declarative knowledge is learning by reading or being told, and procedural is learning by doing, which again the Behavioral Science says, if you want to learn something and have the learning stick, learn it by doing it. And so that’s why our workshops are so physical, so active, so playful. We’re like, as Carolyn said, we’re on our feet for the whole time. There are tea breaks in the longer workshops, but yeah, we’re really moving around, and that is also part of what makes it such a great, fun team-building exercise because people are moving their bodies and really coming into themselves together as a group.

So that’s a little bit about how we set up our workshops. If you want more information about what we’re doing at PowerProv, come over to the website or give us a call. We’d love to chat with you and see what we can do with you and your team. Thanks. And if you’ve already worked with us, tell your friends!