July 19, 2010

Emerging possibilities and collaboration

My life’s work is in a really fascinating place right now …

I am sensing a shift in the work that I do. A shift from being reactive to client offers, to a more proactive space. New ventures where collaboration with others, co-learning and creating opportunities for new types of work to emerge. This shift is not part of any clever business plan, in fact, these are the first written words to describe it. Allow me to ramble, share a story and then get back this this change I am sensing …

About working with others …

Viv McWaters mentions collaboration in this post, I tend to agree with her and she says …

“I can’t speak for organisations, or anyone else for that matter. All I can say is that for me collaboration has never been easier. I can find people to collaborate with – whether they live nearby or on the other side of the planet – and we can communicate using a whole range of media, with my particular favourites being  skype, blogs and Twitter. All of the people I collaborate with are friends first. We get to know each other, learn of each other’s skills and contributions, find opportunities to collaborate, challenge each other, have fun and provide something as collaborators we couldn’t each provide alone. Given the choice, I wouldn’t work any other way.”

A couple of Friday’s ago, Euan Semple and I co-facilitated a Social Media training day with a mixture of people from across the Victorian Public Service in Melbourne. Despina Babbage, at DIIRD (Dep. Innovation Industry & Regional Development) helped to make it happen. DIIRD fully sponsored the training and invited a range of people – most were connected through an Innovation Hub and most are experimenting with social media in their government work. Big thanks to Despina and Glenys!

Anyway, the point I want to make here is that we now have amazing opportunities to find each other, learn together, have conversations and work together more than at any other time in history. In the last paragraph, I was going to write “I was lucky enough to work with Euan Semple”, but realised that it wasn’t luck, Euan and I (and Despina) made it happen by ‘showing up’ and trusting each other!

This day of training started as a long shot, a possibility and something that might happen. We kept the conversation going and I tapped into some of my networks. One thing lead to another and whole lot of trust was on offer. Despina had never met Euan or I. In fact, I had never actually met Euan or worked with him face2face.

The thing is though, Euan and I did know each other. We have read and contributed to each other’s blogs for years. We have shared great weblinks, resources and a few passing comments about peacocks on Twitter. I have worked with people who know Euan and I hear his name pop up in podcasts that I listen to. So, trusting Euan was easy.

What about the question, ‘will we make this day of training work?’. Again, we both knew we would click and be able to improvise and co-facilitate together. Those online interactions on blogs and twitter have allowed us to understand each other’s worldview and a sense of what’s important. It’s intangible and difficult to measure but it’s so true. I like Howard Rheingold’s thoughts on this which remind us that it’s not the shiny, new media tools that’s important here, it’s the emerging changes in human behaviour that is happening as a result of their use …

“It’s not the technology (or the social media tools), it’s the emerging social practices” H. Rheingold.

Back to shift in what I do …

The work phone has all but stopped ringing. The offers from traditional clients to work with me is at an all time low. On the flip side, the offers from friends and worldwide networks to work & play is at an all time high! At times that means a whole lot of work for very little money. It means giving away a heap of time to the Gift Economy. But, I am getting more and more connected with people … people like Viv described above as being ‘friends first’.

One such person was in my home office last week and he asked me, “So, what do you see yourself doing in 5 years time?’. Great question and to be honest, I don’t know. My sense is that I’ll be working more and more with friends. More work overseas in both f2f and online ways. More work of my choosing and more using processes that I truly believe in.

And now I’ll take some advice from my friend Chris Corrigan who writes …

“Indigenous science is about discovering the connections between things, rather than isolating something and trying to understand it free from the externalities that tie it to everything else.”

And from here, as a sense this shift in what I do and who I am becoming, I’ll “dive in, connect and put relationships to use”.

And here’s some graphic note-taking that I made when Euan was running his part of the day …

Cheers

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June 23, 2010

What will it take?

A story and questions conjured from viewing, and brought to tears by, Boston.com images …

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June 22, 2010

Playing with iOS4

Today I downloaded the latest iPhone OS – iOS4.

Apart from a whole bunch of gimmicks, there are some really big improvements. The multi-tasking and app-folder additions are long overdue and very welcome.

The other thing I like are the 3rd party app improvements to Instapaper and Evernote. Haven’t even played with Mail as yet.

The biggest improvement is in the WordPress App which will allow me to write and update blog post and pages. I can now add images to post (like this one of my home office) but still can’t figure out how to embed weblinks in text though?

All done from my iPhone.

Geoff

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April 20, 2010

Photos from Iceland

We have all heard the story … we all know of someone who is stranded somewhere.

Here are some incredible pictures of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano from The Big Picture.

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April 7, 2010

When is enough … enough?

I am frustrated with my apathy … and the apathy of those around me in relation to the big challenges of our time. Climate change, social justice and inequality are just a few.

As we go about our normal lives, the Chinese tanker Shen Neng is grounded on a reef 40 kilometres to the  Northeast of Heron Island. We are talking about oil impacting one of the most pristine coral reefs on the planet. The Shen Neng, ironically, is carrying hundreds of tonnes of coal – bound for ‘whatever’ in China to fuel our insatiable appetite for ‘stuff’!

Image Source

Too often in life I/we/you play-it-too-safe. We fear criticism for being disruptive – Viv writes about being disruptive as a facilitator here and here.

Protest is, in part, about being disruptive and taking a stand against something that is wrong. You have to put yourself and your values on the line – criticism & cynicism will follow.

My friend Chris Corrigan is following the unfolding drama on the Douglas Reef with interest. He sent me an email in which he wrote from his own perspective in Canada …

The issue of oil tankers plying our pristine coast is very alive right now in the media and several First Nations who I worked with last fall have released a strong statement about tankers travelling through their ancestral marine territories.

http://coastalfirstnations.ca/News_Releases/news03231001.aspx

That declaration by those Nations puts a major tar sands pipeline at risk, which is a good thing.

“The issue of oil tankers plying our pristine coast is very alive right now in the media and several First Nations who I worked with last fall have released a strong statement about tankers travelling through their ancestral marine territories.

http://coastalfirstnations.ca/News_Releases/news03231001.aspx

That declaration by those Nations puts a major tar sands pipeline at risk, which is a good thing.”

As I sit here, typing away, I am passionate about playing a part in ‘saving this planet’ for everyone and everything … I want my kids to enjoy the pristine southern ocean when they get to ‘almost’ 40 years old.

And here’s the bit that rubs … I do more than most, but it ain’t enough anymore. It’s time to get more disruptive and stop playing it safe.

Geoff

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March 20, 2010

The Improvisation of Bodhichitta

I sit at home with the sound of my 3 boys breathing, deep in sleep. And 150km away at the her parent’s home in Melbourne, my wife is suffering the horrible pain that comes with an ear infection. Not just any ear infection, this one is hideous with intolerable pain despite a healthy mix of high end medications.

I can’t sleep and so I write from the heart and try to notice this time and the events of the past 2 days. One things stands above all else … the love and kindness of people around us.

As I begin to read ‘The Places That Scare You’ by Pema Chodron, I am introduced to ‘bodhichitta’, a word that may be easier to understand than translate.

“Bodhichitta is also equated, in part, with compassion – our ability to feel that pain that we share with others.” P. Chodron

Photo Source – www.37days.com

The couple next door to us have 2 girls. Our boys have known them all their lives. They have become more than friends. Their girls are like our son’s sisters – their relationships and care for each other flows deep. What we share is an ability to sense the pain and struggle in each other. We provide support and care for each other in just the right measure.

And whilst the links between my story and ‘awakening bodhichitta’ are tenuous at best, what I feel right now is an innate love and care from those around me. An offer to be part of an emotional and unpredictable journey. In some ways, it’s an offer to improvise together – to be average, to say yes, to do something and let-go of where things will end up.

Something has happened in our life that is big enough to disrupt the normal flow of things. I feel a deeper sense of connection to friends and family and a ‘letting-go’ of a whole heap of other stuff! Stuff that can simply wait … stuff that is noise and is my ego.

Now I am ready for sleep.

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February 15, 2010

Trying too hard!

I have been noticing some stuff written about working and trying too hard. Allow me to ramble and explore some emerging thoughts on this and other related (or maybe unrelated) things …

One example was in an email conversation and gave the example of a ‘process/model’ (for doing things differently) that appeared on the Open Space list. A comment made about it was something like, “yer working too hard …”.

So where are you/we/I working too hard? Where are we working hard at following processes and linear schemes to get things done better and more effectively? Are these processes a distraction from what is actually happening? Do approaches like Solution Focus, where descriptions of ‘Future Perfect’ are central, distract us from the the here&now?

Johnnie Moore comments here on Dave Snowden’s latest post ‘Avoiding reality in favour of a Vision‘. Dave suggests that a future focus provides a good excuse to avoid dealing with the drudgery of reality:

“Present possibilities are rarely as compelling as future visions… visionary journeys through the silvan forests to the land of milk and honey that lies beyond is much more fun that dealing with the harsh reality of the present.”

Johnnie’s response really has me thinking (and re thinking) about the processes I use like Solutions Focus …

“However, I think when we really get attuned to what is happening now, really see all that is going on, it can turn out to be a lot more interesting and thought-provoking than we imagine.”

Viv McWaters also buys in by asking …

“Ideas, and thoughts are rarely linear. Makes me wonder why we try and capture them that way, why we struggle to make order out of chaos. And why we focus on what might be, sometimes avoiding what’s happening right in front of us.”

Dave Snowden is right. As a consultant it is easier to take groups into “Future Perfect” and avoid the ‘harsh reality of the present’. I still believe that future-focused processes serve an important step as they help groups to imagine new ways of doing and being. Experientially, they can help groups to feel open to the possibilities of the present and generate enthusiasm and energy.

So, this blog post started out with the title “Trying too Hard” … it started with a direction in mind and as I read more and wrote, it evolved into something else. That something else is challenge to myself. A challenge to hold space for groups so they can focus on (and be present to) what is happening right in front of them. No linear roadmap will help here. Instead I’ll continue to explore and learn from these types of ongoing/iterative processes …

• Watching how my own kids grow, learn and adapt
• Notice more of myself in pursuits such as learning Karate – my biggest block here is in the ‘trying too hard’ which was the original inspiration for the post
• Playing more with Improvisation and watching groups struggle and learn about themselves – I feel inspired to jump in and take Improv to my son’s school community … or join an Improv group … or start one up myself!
• Re engage with playing music with others and notice what happens as we develop over time and finally …
• Use Open Space more in my work with groups – why don’t I use it more is the big question???

Geoff

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July 16, 2009

a personal story about food, people and change

For our family it appears that the monthly food budget is the biggest slice of the household expenses pie. With myself, Ingrid and 3 growing boys that’s probably no surprise to anyone! Now here’s the bit that surprised us …

It appears that a humble little Nursery-come-Organic Grocer tops our list and the story of how we have shifted our vote (aka the $$ we spend) over the past 18 months is interesting … interesting enough to make us feel great and for me to decide to write about it here.

Spend more, shop local & feel great

Once upon a time (and not that long ago), we were like most people and we sourced the majority of our fresh fruit and veges from mainstream supermarkets like Coles and Safeway. We liked the convenience of everything being in the 1 place, but, we both had a nagging voice inside our head which lead to feelings of frustration … we just weren’t satisfied with the quality, price and the fact that we were supporting the dominant supermarket chains (and in Australia the Coles and Safeway dominance is a whole story in itself).

Unlike most people, we do grow a steady stream of high quaity vegetable, herbs and fruit at home. Organic gardening at home is one of my passions so the gap between what we produced and what were were buying from the supermarket was really beginning to grate.Unfortunately, the reality is you can never produce enough with 5 mouths to feed (not counting the 2 dogs and 8 chooks!).

So then, along some some other dis-satisfied locals, we tried out various home delivery services. People who source fresh, organic produce from the markets and deliver to the door. We persisted for a while but we often ended up with way too many potatoes and produce that we didn’t cook with often.

Then, one day … a local Nursery (McGains link here) made a bold business decision. Noticing the large number of locals who sourced vegetable seedlings and seeds from their nursery, (my guess is) Peter McGain and his fantastic staff took a punt and set up a small organic fruit and veg shop at the entrance to their nursery. Then something started to happen and people began to talk about it. Soon, this little shop front became a focal point for people like us. A small tribe of locals kept coming back and, like us, shared their excitement with others about having our own, local grocer that stocked quality organic and un/in/not-organic produce. Added to the produce is a set of great staff – mostly women who have worked at the nursery for a long time and all of them passionate about what they do and the goods and services the business provides … well that’s the way we read them anyway

As more and more people voted with their wallets at McGains, the range of food on the shelves has expanded. We now buy a good proportion of our fruit, vegetables, organic milk and organic meat from this quaint, almost out-of-the-way nursery/grocer.

In the past 18 months we have lapsed back into old shopping habits, but, it doesn’t take long for that little voice to start up again … and then we are drawn back into the McGains-way.

So what’s the Moral of this story?

Satisfied customers?  It’s more than that.

A good business decision by a Nursery owner? That’s an assumption but they do continue to invest in this part of their business. And in the face of climate change Nurseries will have to diversify to survive.

A positive environmental impact? Getting close because in the climate change emergency we face  we are going to need more services like McGains?

A social movement? This one gets my vote! From where I sit, McGains has built an inviting space and filled it with ‘stuff’ that people were looking for anyway (high quality including organic food). When customers arrive they are made to feel welcome and chances are they’ll bump into someone they know anyway. So this little shop has become an attractive and vibrant meeting place (and I’m hoping a thriving, successful business). Being seen at McGains sends a signal to others and around all of this a loyal following has emerged.

Geoff

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July 7, 2009

My 1 photo per day project

Web enabled phones with cameras and video are becoming ubiquitous and these technologies are driving new behaviours in the way we share information and collaborate with each other.

So, armed with my new iPhone 3Gs, I have started My One-Photo-per-Day-Project over at my Posterous Blog.

Like my YesAndSpace blog, these photos will tell a story and be my visual journal. Part of my business is to present stuff, so many of these photos will show up in Slideshows that I design. It’s a resource that I and you can use … just take note of my Creative Commons license on the sidebar of my blog if you want to use anything

You can also view/use/share any of these and other photos over at my Flickr site here.

Cheers

Geoff

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May 8, 2009

Improv when Parenting

Wow! Improv has become such a source of inspiration for me of late.

If you ask yourself “Improv … what is he on about?” … then read this great summary from Viv McWaters (who I must thank for all of her advise and wisdom over the past 8 years!).

Viv has designed these great Improv Gift cards and I was lucky enough to receive her very first set. Recently I spoke over Skype with Viv and Robert Poynton where we discussed our work and how Improv was a core part of what we do. Viv went a step further and said that Improv was like one of her key ‘Operating Systems’ … like a lens that everything else in life runs through. Viv describes Open Space as an Operating System here in this post.

Gifts from Improv – here are some insights about how I use Improv in my daily life … these example are about Parenting, but, these gifts are applicable to everything from running a business to staging a workshop! And by the way … I am far from the perfect parent and I really struggle to ‘practice what I preach’ below, but that’s ok.

The Gifts

Be Present: Show up. Be attentive, alert, listening, feeling…

… when our kids ‘lose the plot’ and ‘all hell breaks loose’, sometimes, I have the presence to ask myself the (Ben Zander) question “Who am I being, that my children are behaving this way”. Nearly always it’s because we (the parents) have become disconnected from the kids. The solution, which always works, is to get down to their level … physically and emotionally. Listen to them and let them know they have been heard. The tricky part is being ‘present’ enough to remember this strategy when emotions can be running high!

Let Go: Let go of judging, yourself and others, and allow ideas to grow and evolve. Be surprised by where they end up …

… let’s face it, ‘control’ is an illusion for parents. We can’t manage and control our kids like we think we can. So, embrace your inner control freak, let-it-go and use what you have around you to influence them. 2 things spring to mind:

1. Use the SPACE (and everything in it) – When paying attention to the space (eg. living room) it’s easy to conjure up something inviting that draws the kids in and allows them to use their imagination.

2. Be the MIRROR – Our own behaviour is mimicked/copied/duplicated by our kids so ‘Be the Change you want to see in them’. Our own behaviour is shaped by those around us and nowhere more than in the home. Have you noticed that the behaviour that most frustrates you about your child is the same behaviour that you demonstrate everyday! If you haven’t noticed this yet … try being more present and ask yourself ‘Who am I being?’ As a dad, I need to work on calming my reaction to unexpected/unwanted stuff that arises (particularly when I’m tired) … AND …

… as a parent, the practice of ‘letting go’ reminds me to shed the default ‘parent role’. You know what it’s like … you walk into a shop on auto pilot and you play the role of ‘customer’ and the check-out person plays the ‘serve-the-customer-role’. Well it’s the same at home … parents play the parent and children play the child. It takes presence to let go of that role from time to time. A game I play here is to become unpredictable and respond to their offers/requests in a way that catches them off-guard. Respond in a way that one of their friend might respond. It usually ends up with all of us falling about laughing and it can break that horrible ‘parent versus child’ cycle.

Be Average: Do the obvious. Say yes to yourself and your ideas and allow your natural brilliance to emerge …

… as a parent you improvise all the time! You have to because kids can be very unpredictable. In the moment, a parent has to respond decisively and promptly to situations everyday. This gift reminds us to trust our first idea and our instincts. If we make a mistake, as we learn in the last gift, celebrate it, learn from it and move on. This gift also reminds me of Ben Zander’s Rule #6 which says … “Don’t take yourself so seriously!”

Accept Offers: Say ‘Yes, and…’. Let others know that they have been heard. ‘Yes, and…’ is about acknowledging and building on the offer …

… practicing the first gift of ‘presence’ is critical here! So often, even with my attempts to practice this stuff, I find myself blocking my children’s offers and become the guy who always says ‘No!’. In other words, I’m playing that darn ‘parent role’ again! My kids get sick of hearing ‘No!’ and I’m sure it does their confidence and our relationship no good at all. So, for me ‘Accept Offers’ is a reminder to say ‘Yes!’ more often. Saying yes ends up satisfying everyone and brings me closer to my boys.

Do Something: Solutions lie in actions – move your body! Try something. Anything. Follow your instincts …

… in parenting I link this one closely to ‘Be Average’. ‘Do Something’ reminds me to do something physical. The power of body language is way more effective than the dribble that flows from parent’s mouths! Invariably, what we say gets ignored or misinterpreted … our physical presence in doing something active is so much more effective. Quieten the mouth and move the body!

Make Mistakes: Mistakes are the flip side of creativity. Try something new. Acknowledge and celebrate your mistakes …

… this gift cuts both ways and comes in many different guises:

1. Parents make mistakes -The other day I misread a fight between my eldest 2 boys and sent one outside to “calm down and think about what you’ve done!” It turned out his younger brother deserved what he got and I realised that I had been quite unfair to the one outside (who was most upset by now). I went outside, sat down next to him and hugged him. I asked him “Did Daddy make you upset by yelling at you?” His reply was ‘yes’ and then admitted my mistake. When then spoke about ways he can cope better when his younger brother rips up his paper aeroplane!

2. Children make mistakes too! – Our response to their mistakes is critical. I have a tendency to ‘over react’ and guess what … they copy me! I can happily blame my dad for this because he modelled the same. At the moment a mistake (or failure) happens this is a golden opportunity for parents! It’s all about building their confidence and resilience. Confidence doesn’t come from being right and successful … instead it comes from NOT being fearful of getting it wrong. Counter-intuitive … maybe? Strategy = Celebrate mistakes with them! Help them to see the lighter side of failure and learn from it. Acknowledge when they turn previous failures into success and remind them that we have to fail over and over in order to succeed.

This video sums failure up nicely …

Cheers
Geoff

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May 5, 2009

I wonder if this idea will catch on?

Here’s yet another short-term solution to landfill problems. Take the old advertising billboards (made from toxic PVC) and turn them into art. Helps beautiful spaces and keep nasty stuff out of landfill.

Hopefully we’ll get smart and future billboards that get pulld down will be made from materials that could be taken away by landscape gardners and used as mulch mats … or something similar.

But for now … I like this solution!

Geoff

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April 27, 2009

Plan-less & Prepare-more

Last year I wrote this blog post about other people … who I observed to be ‘Too Busy to be Creative’ and I drew this little graphic …

Well, I’ve fallen victim to the same disease of late. Even though I haven’t been busy facilitating, my time for creative stuff feels like it has compressed … it’s a stretch to fire up the tablet and draw something and I’m giving no time to reading my favorite blogs and great books on my shelf?!

What to do? What to do?! Here’s where I’m going to start today …

1. Plan-less … in other words spend less time thinking about and trying to come up with plans for facilitating workshops AND replace these planning activities with …
2. more – Preparation … in other words spend more time doing stuff that get’s me prepared so I can ‘show up’ and ‘do more with less’

Some examples of activities that, for me, are less about planning and more about getting prepared (or getting in the right position) include:

1. Reading my favorite blogs for about 30 minutes each day
2. Watching 2 new TED talks each week
3. Walking the dogs daily – often helps me to ‘unblock’ and consider my work from a new angle
4. Draw at least 1 picture and write a blog post about it each week
5. Do at least 2 blog posts of my own per week – based on things I have seen, heard or learnt
6. Collaborate with other people at least weekly – if I’m not sharing/collaborating with others on Skype/email/F2F then I’m getting lazy and withdrawing
7. Tweet more – that’s posting and reading other’s Tweets
8. At the end of the day REFLECT a little on what happened and NOTICE what’s going on

I am feeling better already … now time to get those invoices done and finish of 2 workshop plans!

Geoff

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April 16, 2009

Seth’s Hierarchy of Presentations

Seth Godin just wrote this blog post called the Hierarchy of Presentations

I like the plain language Seth uses so I turned his post into a slideshow. Geoff.

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March 17, 2009

Accepting Offers in Action: Playful analysis of myself on video

I am reading Robert Poynton‘s book Everything’s An Offer (How to do more with less) and some things happened on the weekend that I have to write about.

By the way, even though this post refers to Improvisational Theatre … people working in the traditional domains of leadership, teamwork, strategy and business can learn a lot from Rob’s book (and this post).

Part 2 of Rob’s book is titled ‘Let go, Notice More, Use Everything’ – which is also the heart of Improvisational Practice. I have some video of myself and 2 other musicians literally ‘improvising’ at the Aireys Inlet Open Mic Festival which happened 2 days ago … let’s apply some of Rob’s ideas to some real-time action … a performance where the pressure was on and the musicians were willing to just ‘show-up’ without a plan!

What follows is a series of super-quick video clips … quotes from Rob … then a paragraph of reflection about what ‘I notice’ is happening here. I’d be interested to hear about what you notice too. By the way … I went into this 30 minute set and the MC role I had for the entire day with Rob’s advice to ‘Accept everything as an Offer”

Story 1: Recovering from a Shaky and Unpredictable Start

Impro Take #1 from Geoff Brown on Vimeo.

“To an improviser an offer is anything and everything you can take and use to further the story” Rob Poynton. EaO. page56.

“When something awkward occurs you can productively reframe it as an offer” Rob Poynton. EaO. page 60.

“When panic sets in this thought (of using what you have) can keep you centred. It gives your mind somewhere to go other than into a spin. All you have to do is ask ‘What can I do with this?’ and immediately you have something constructive to do.” Rob Poynton. EaO. page 63.

When Dazza started playing harmonica, we produced a surge of dreaded feedback through the front speaker. The crowd winced in pain, I stopped playing and thought to myself ‘Holy Shit! I have to manage this’ … BUT … Clayton (on drums) was nearest the mixer and quickly sorted it out.

A few years ago, I probably wouldn’t have recovered from an event like this on stage. Having the mantra ‘accept everything as an offer’ really did help me to reframe and feel comfortable, despite the discomfort of the situation. Letting-go of a disruption like this when ‘on stage’ is really hard … and I struggled for more than a few moments.

Story 2: Having a Plan … Throwing it Out and …

Impro Take #2 from Geoff Brown on Vimeo.

… Trusting Thyself!

Impro Take #3 from Geoff Brown on Vimeo.

“A well known military maxim says that ‘no plan survives the first contact with the enemy’. Generals (like business leaders or MC’s at music festivals) and their strategic planners know that no commander, however powerful, can see everything coming.” Rob Poynton. EaO.

I had a ‘back-up’ plan in place which was … ‘if I forget the lyrics, I’ll have them written in front of me on a music stand’ … and … ‘if it’s windy I’ll have a peg to hold the page in place’. Well, like most plans they fail in the heat of battle. The wind gusts blew the pegs off anyway and I was left to remember the words.

“Playfulness is at the heart of this work and if you take what I say too seriously, you are less likely to play around with it and arrive at something new”. Rob Poynton. EaO. page 48.

You probably also noticed how the lyrics consumed much of my attention and by fumbling around the flow of the performance was affected. At least I could laugh at myself along the way … being playful as you stumble and fumble at least keeps the audience from ‘feeling your pain’. (In organisations where mistakes are not celebrated, the fear failure becomes a cultural norm and innovation, new ideas and creativity are stifled.)

When I realised I was on my own and I accepted the futility of the lyric sheets, something happened. I became much more aware of the beat of the music … I began to notice what the others were playing and notice and respond to the crowd. By letting-go and trusting my own instincts, I started to play with more feel and timing. I have always played by ear and the effort to read lyrics, sing and play guitar at the same time was unnatural for me anyway.

Story 3: Letting Go … Noticing More … Using Everything

Immro Take #4 from Geoff Brown on Vimeo.

I made a few observations in this clip …

1. I had no plan about how to introduce each song. In this case I just worked with what I had … the name of the the cover song, the artists and our names and scrambled them together. I think it worked out ok.

2. The fact the we had done very little rehearsal meant that we had to really sharpen our awareness of what each other was doing and playing … so a potential negative worked in our favour. (By simply noticing and paying more attention to what others in your workplace are doing/saying is one of the best ways to improve teamwork and collaboration.)

“You (the improviser) listens to your colleagues, to the audience, to any sounds in the theatre. From moment to moment, from one show to the next, an improviser has to practice listening constantly”. Rob Poynton. EaO.

3. 1 person offered us a clap in beat with the song … I accepted that and invited more to join in. By midway through the song all 50+ people were participating and clapping along! Imagine if I’d blocked the offer and instructed “No clapping please!”. Worse still, I might NOT have noticed 1 person in the crowd clapping in the first place! (So often, organizations block offers like this with out dated protocols and in an attempt to control behaviour and employees)

Story 4: Accepting & Blocking Offers

Impro Take #6 from Geoff Brown on Vimeo.

More observations & quotes to learn from …

“They (improvisers) are quite accustomed to working at the very limit – in real time (and with their customer watching).” Rob Poynton. EaO.

1. Despite wearing his “L Plates”, our drummer (a great guitarist and singer) is learning his craft in front of the crowd. By keeping it simple and doing ‘one less thing’, he brings a whole new dimension to the performance.

“On stage it is vital that improvisers accept offers … It is by accepting offers that they join one idea to another and create flow in their story. If they block offers, the cut flow (or prevent it from occuring) and disconnect ideas and people.” Rob Poynton. EaO.

2. The birthday announcement was known in advance and the obligatory rendition of Happy Birthday was always going to happen. BUT … I put myself on-the-spot and invited the crowd to improvise with a 12-bar-blues version of Happy Birthday … then … I blocked my own offer!!!! I remember my thoughts … “How are you going to pull this off? What if this doesn’t work?” I asked myself. A classic case of ‘fearing failure’ and ‘playing it safe’ at the end of an otherwise really fun and improvised gig.

I have probably done way too much thinking here, however, the process of self analysis by video has helped me to better understand Improv principles and how they play out in the real world.

Geoff

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March 1, 2009

The Hudson River Runway

Thanks to Marty over at Amazing Planet, a video that recreates the events of US Airways Flight 1549 landing in the Hudson River is here …

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