In Business and Improv, the Magic Lies in the Obvious

Something we saw

Walking down the High Street late this afternoon; deserted, shops shut, no distractions, I noticed something. Most shops do one thing each and it’s pretty obvious what they do. The shoe shop sells shoes, the butcher’s shop sells meat, the bookshop sells books, the coffee shop sells coffee - and the Dogs Trust shop sells… dogs you can trust, my five-year-old tells me. So far, so obvious.

At least on the high street it's easier to tell what the business is than on some websites...

Yet, when it comes to business, particularly where the shop window is a website, it isn’t always obvious to the casual ‘passer-by’ what the business does. This begs the obvious question, what is your business actually selling?

Something we did

Last week, Paul’s improv group: New Choice, performed to a paying live audience for the first time. Woohoo! We planned, marketed and put on a show for the good people of Farnham (well, a good 30 or so of them). The show consisted of four improv games in a Whose Line is it Anyway? shortform game format.

“People are drawn to clarity and away from confusion” Donald Miller, author of Building a Story Brand

When improv to entertain works best, it’s because each player has aimed to honour, during the show, two agreements.

• Firstly, to carry the plot forward just one step at a time. ‘Bring a brick, not a cathedral’, as we say. Make a simple offer and see how the other players bite into it.

• Secondly, to be concise. To address whatever was offered. Ah, the ‘Yes, And’ principle - we meet again, old friend.

Essentially, then: keep it simple and specific. (Hey, no audience member ever left an improv show saying: “Boy, I loved that! So funny! But I wish it had been more complicated.”) Stay simple/specific and the team can build on contributions seamlessly while the audience are left in no doubt about the plot.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” Leonardo de Vinci, inventor and artist

Same with business. “A confused person says ‘No’”, is our constant reminder that clever-clever doesn’t fly. Life is all about helping people to be able to say ‘Yes’ more often, so that their lives are hopefully easier.

Something we felt

Connection. There is a connection between a High Street offer and an on-stage-improv offer. To state the bleedin’ obvious: the clarity of your offer, whether in business or on stage, drives success. Or to put it another way, success comes from stating the bleedin’ obvious.

#AppliedImprovisation #YesAnd #BusinessSkills #ProfessionalMobility #HR #LeadershipandDevelopment #LnD