The Best Improv Classes In Denver

A Denver based consulting firm was having an issue with listening. They wanted an improv-based workshop for their staff that would hone their listening abilities.

I have a number of great listening exercises that I love, probably none more than Repeat, Reword, Say Why. But this particular client described their work environment as chaotic and that this chaos was responsible for listening mistakes. Might I have an exercise that would address this particular challenge?

Fortunately I was aware of Focused Listening.

In Focused Listening participants are broken into groups of four and asked to arrange themselves in a diamond. They then number themselves from one to four. Person three will start moving while person one physically mirrors. While they move, person two and four will alternate asking questions of person one. Person two will ask simple math questions (Single digits, addition, subtraction, multiplication or division). Person four will ask person one simple questions, such as where were you born? Or, what’s your favorite food?, etc... (nothing too intimate or personal). Person One’s job is to answer the questions immediately without over thinking. If time allows, you alternate numbers for each person in the diamond.

Even the simplest questions can be hard to answer when you aren’t prepared for them and other factors are demanding portions of your focus. Not being flustered by the surprise of a question is key in being able to answer it accurately.

As a more difficult alternative you can have the questions directed at person three rather than person one. Person three will then have the much more difficult challenge of answering questions while physically mirroring player one. You might also increase the difficulty of the questions themselves.

This was precisely he sort of exercise my client was looking for and they have informed me that they have played the game on their own many times since the workshop! How about that?