How to listen, build self-awareness, and let go in the workplace
The best leaders are the best listeners.
The issue is leaders are often moving at such a fast pace that they expect mental telepathy and don’t verbalise what they actually need.
As a Director / Principal, it’s difficult to tell someone directly that they’re a terrible listener.
It’s much easier to create an environment where the agent can discover this themselves.
So, how do you help your employees gain this self-awareness?
Below are three activities originated from Improv training that you can conduct in your office.
Each improv activity serves a specific purpose:
Alphabet and Numbers: this is an intense listening activity
Red Ball: this enables agents to realise that they need to take ownership of what is being communicated because others can’t read their mind, it also helps agents to develop compassion
One-word Story: illustrates why it’s better to let go of things you can’t control
Firstly, Improv is an art form that is generally performed in theatres and used to create comedy. An increasing number of organisations have been using improv training to help their salespeople build better customer relationships.
Now here are the activities:
1. Alphabet and numbers – Work in pairs. They simultaneously say a letter and a number and then switch. It looks like this:
Person A Person B
A 1
2 B
C 3
4 D
E… 5…
The aim is to complete to Z / 26. Again, person A and B say the letter and the number at the same time. When agents first try this they can barely get past 4 / D.
Here’s the trick: We instinctively know the next letter of the alphabet and the next number in the sequence.
Where we get stuck is we’re thinking and planning on what to say next, rather than listening to what our partner is saying.
After a couple of goes, tell your agents to only pay attention to what their partner is saying.
As they progress, they should realise that all they need to do is listen without anticipation.
2. Red Ball - Stand in a circle. One person starts with a Red Ball in their hand (an invisible red ball).
Because this is imaginary, the size and the weight of the ball is defined by how you hold it.
Agent A: The agent with the red ball walks across the circle and gives it to someone else saying, “This is a red ball”
Agent B: Accepts the red ball and they must say, “Yes, this is a red ball.” to confirm they have accepted the offer.
Agent B then walks across the room passes it onto someone else across the circle saying, “This is a red ball”. Continue until everyone has a go.
Next, you introduce 2 other items: a ‘Red Bowl’ and a ‘Red Bull’
You now have 3 imaginary items being passed around the circle simultaneously.
What happens is this: items get mixed up and you may end up with 2 bowls, the ball disappears, and once, we even had a red bowel!
How does this activity help agents develop compassion?
Because it becomes very apparent that unless they are clear with the message they’re passing on, the recipient will interpret it through their point of view and carry out what they believe to be true and right. The intention and the end result can be very different.
Again, no one can read your mind. You must specify and confirm that what you think you received is what has been passed onto you.
3. One-word story - The group gathers in a circle (sitting or standing) and the goal is to create a story one word at a time. Here is a video demonstration.
The story itself can be as spontaneous as you like, keeping in mind that you want to make it as grammatically correct as possible so that it makes sense.
How does this activity help agents realise when they need to let go of control?
Because people will often want the story to go in a certain way (their way), sometimes they’ll even try and sneak in two words (that’s cheating).
The way you do one thing is the way you do everything. The agents who have the hardest time letting go of things they can’t control, struggle the most with this exercise.
Improv is a microcosm of workplace behaviour. This type of training enables agents to experience and identify the areas in their life where their default communication habits are not serving them, and to correct that behaviour.
The most important thing I haven’t mentioned yet, is that you will have so much fun playing these games. Enjoy!
Additional reading:
Here are some more articles from Forbes and Harvard Business Review on how Improv can be applied to improve your workplace:
If you’d like me to design a custom Improv Training program for your team / business, let’s chat!