While reading “Hidden Potential” by Adam Grant, he mentioned how medical schools & businesses were adding improv training into curriculums in order for doctors to better understand patient needs and for sales positions to increase revenue.
No surprise there. Listening is a skill that goes beyond just verbal communication to nonverbal and even spiritual intuitions.
I’ve studied/practiced/performed improv for 30+ years & while spending thousands of dollars learning how to play may seem like a counterintuitive investment, it’s continued to pay dividends in unexpected ways. Being able to navigate through a VUCA environment—an acronym for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity & Ambiguity—requires nearly all the skill sets of being a master improviser.
The "Clams Are Great" Exercise
Getting into a practical improv exercise you can try at home together as a family would be the improv warm up “clams are great”.
One person starts by finishing the prompt: “clams are great because: (insert any reason logical or illogical)” (e.g., clams are great because they speak Mandarin). To which the listener, parent, or observers reply with a resounding “Yes!”
So trying it at home might look like this:
- Mom: “clams are great because they love asparagus”
- Kids & Dad: “Yes!”
- Kid #1: “clams are great because they shop ikea”
- Fam: “Yes!”
- Dad: “clams are great because they go bowling a lot”
- Fam: “Yes!”
Why It Matters
You can also set a timer for a minute or two and put one person in the “hot seat”.
The purpose is to get out of the mind that constantly judges and into idea generation backed by the support of the onlookers. When children—or adults for that matter—learn that taking novel risks doesn’t equate to failure but can actually be productive for loosening rigidity and coming up with novel solutions, everyone wins.
Try this on your next car trip to keep kids entertained while practicing their speaking & listening skills.
