Facilitation tips from improv theater

16d ago in General discussion & questions

I'm a product designer and improviser. It's been such a blessing to practice improv: I have found the principles and mindsets in improv theater helps facilitating workshop so much! Some quick learnings to share:

Energy management - improv teaches you to be adaptive to the moment and work with the energy of the room. I often have an agenda but almost always end up switching things up as I read the energy of the room. If people aren't enthused about an energizer, ditch it. If people are digging an exercise, do more of it or go deeper.
Active, embodied listening - listening goes a long way to get people to fully engage. When the facilitator listens not only to what people are saying but what they fail to express, it unlocks full trust in the facilitator as the guide for everyone's psychological safety.
Accept and expand on offers - as a facilitator, it's an art to say yes to ideas but not blindly. Accepting ideas doesn't mean we have to jump on board enthusiastically every time someone throws out an idea, but to acknowledge the merit of the idea and help them refine it. You can also call on the entire room to do that.

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