In a
Plenary, the Stress Doc analyzes going from presentation to unanticipated improvisation
with startling effect. Grasp and wield “off
script” concepts, tools, and techniques for more “surprising” and engaging
communication and powerfully inspiring presentations – whether in a conference
hall, boardroom, and classroom, as well as in a team meeting, on the work floor,
or during a family meeting in the living room.
Going
Off Script: The Art and Craft of Startling Presentation-Performance
by Analyzing an Improvised “Power Struggle” Exercise – Part I
Last
week, reviewing a Power Point Slide with a group of Agency Executives,
Community Advocates, Allied and Mental Health Professionals, Educators, etc., a
voice from my subconscious cried, “Just do it!”
(And I’m more a New Balance, cross-trainer kind of guy.) This subterranean echo occurred during my “Practice
Safe Stress” Plenary Speaker presentation at the Virginia/Statewide Refugee
Mental Health Summit. At the time, I was
highlighting key items from the “Heart of Letting Go,” such as
“Necessary/Universal Life Stage Loss” (death, breakup, downsizing, illness,
mind-body mobility, moving away, etc.) and “Existential Loss” (when your sense
of identity and meaning in/of the world is disrupted or turned upside down; of
course, there may be overlap among loss categories). Waxing poetic with “Power Struggles” (issues
of loss of control and/or pride, status/turf wars, anger, letting go, etc.),
nonetheless, my ambient radar was operational.
Picking up on body language, eye focus, and quiet in the room, I sensed
the audience was captivated by the “loss and power” subject. And suddenly a Nike moment: “I’m going off script. Let’s try an exercise.”
The Power of Surprise
The
atmosphere definitely shifts; there’s a restlessness, an uncertainty: “Where is this guy taking us?” I quickly have the group break into forty
pairs: “Find an eyeball partner.” And for this mini role-play, the
quintessential power struggle: one
person declares, “You can’t make me!” The
other counters with, “Oh yes I can!” And
both are thinking about someone “who is or has been a pain in your butt!” (Hopefully, someone other than their exercise
counterpart. ;-) After a brief, back and
forth verbal volley, each participant is instructed to “Say what you’d really
like to say” to the antagonist inside your head. I won’t go into all the details; suffice to
say, the room exploded with a mix of genuine-playful aggression, focused
interaction, exaggerated body language and gesturing, (I don’t recall if
anyone, in this audience leapt from their chair), verbal buzzing, as well as an
uproar of laughter. The room was alive
with engagement electricity!
And,
apparently, this motivational juice had staying power. As Dr. Eva Stitt, Summit Coordinator, noted
in her post-conference testimonial: Thank you so much
for inspiring our participants with your wit and humor as well as helping set
the tone for the rest of the day.
Drive Time Reflection and…Aha!
The drive home from Richmond, VA, enabled the reliving of the
sudden shift from poignant presentation to playfully out-rage-ous group exercise/interpersonal confrontation. While this “power struggle” exercise usually charges
an audience, there was something about its surprise introduction and
energy-focus transition that amplified “the sound and the fury”…and the FUN!
It was as if we were all on a vital edge.
And then, thirty-six hours later, the real epiphany hit…waking me
in the middle of the night: the “off
script” maneuvering was not really unprecedented; for me, a strategy of
surprise is hardly random. While this
time spontaneous, mentally scanning the years, Stress Doc ™ “mirth and madness”
programs have always featured “surprising” if not purposefully jolting elements,
invariably spicing “motivation and method.”
Six Stage-Three Variable Analysis of
“Surprising” Dynamic
Let’s
examine this surprise dynamic: as a
speaker or workshop leader there are numerous ways to be “surprisingly provocative”
and “provocatively surprising,” that is, from the French, provocare, to awaken the
mind and arouse curiosity. Roget’s Thesaurus lists three main verb
synonyms for “surprise”: astonish, take by surprise, and attack, as in surprise attack. Disrupting
expectations and mindsets is a good base for productively shaking-up a learning
setting and heightening audience attention.
Not surprisingly, defying expectations while dramatically intensifying
(“on the edge of their seat”) anticipation impacts individual curiosity and
concentration as well as group energy, engagement, and process.
To
illustrate this “unpredictable” or “bolt from the blue” force-field, consider
this breakdown of the ”Presentation to Improvisation Transition,” that is, from
highlighting a PPt Slide to suddenly enacting the “You Can’t Make Me” Power
Struggle Exercise. More specifically,
this analysis will examine “Six Presentation-Performance Transition Stages.” These are:
1. Speaker as Expert, Audience as Listeners
2. Speaker as Observer, Audience as Learners
3. Speaker as Disrupter, Audience as Uncertain
Partners
4. Speaker as Director, Audience as Actors
5. Speaker as Facilitator/Debriefer, Audience as
More Cohesive Collective
6. Speaker as Role Model, Audience as Future
Adaptors.
And
each of the “Six Stages” will be illuminated by examining three variables: “Atmosphere & Energy,” “Role/Status
Positioning,” and “Get FIT – FUN-Interactive-Thought-provoking
– Group Process.”
Transition Shift: Going from Presentation to Improvisation
Highlighting
key items from the “Heart of Letting Go” Power Point Slide, especially the
power struggle item, I sensed the audience was captivated. Trusting that inner voice and gut…I shook up
the speaker-audience energy, roles and relationships, along with the group
process. Here is the Six Stage-Three Variable Analysis of the Evolving – “Before-During-After”
– Presentation-Performance Dynamics:
1.
Speaker as Expert, Audience as Listeners
a. Atmosphere & Energy: quiet attentiveness; audience had been
previously engaged in opening group exercise; we are presently
b. Role/Status Positioning: during this stage of the program, I am the Expert, the audience are Learners; may be perceived as a Leader-Follower or Superior-Subordinate relationship
c. Get FIT – FUN-Interactive-Thought-provoking – Group Process: I am the Initiator,
projecting ideas and energy to the Audience, who (at least theoretically) are Receivers; while people seem engaged, this
can be one-way, Active-Passive
information exchange
2.
Speaker as Observer, Audience as Learners
a. Atmosphere & Energy: audience’s rapt silence begins to speak
volumes; we are at a “turning point”; when people are on the edge of their
seat, it’s easier to move them in a new direction.
b. Role/Status Positioning: scanning the room, aware of the undivided
attention; I’m more keenly absorbing audience signs – alert body language, eye
focus, and quiet in the room.
c. Get FIT Group Process: now an internal voice gives me a sign; I need
to stop talking, to shift away from Lecture-Educator
to the role of Interactive Facilitator;
I quickly announce, “I’m going off script.”
3.
Speaker as Disrupter, Audience as Uncertain Partners
a. Atmosphere & Energy: catching folks off-guard, the announcement stirs
up the room, breaking the one-way, Expert-Listener
flow; amidst the group murmuring, the unspoken question: “what’s happening now?” or “where is he
taking us?”; I move to a more central place in the conference room, outside the
conventional podium “lecture space”; the pending Passive/Receptive to Active/Interactive shift is already impacting
the audience’s sense of anticipation and control.
b. Role/Status Positioning: unease is also generated because the audience
is in limbo, not sure what roles and rules, instructions and expected behaviors
will follow; some may feel disoriented.
c. Get FIT Group Process: during this undefined transition, it’s not
just physical position that undergoes change, but speaker role as well, from Educator to Leader; in addition,
suddenly stopping the lecture may not only be confusing, some will feel
frustrated by the rupture or lack of closure; in the room, there’s often an increased
sense of vulnerability that, paradoxically, heightens both unease as well as
excitement; the question of group trust in the leader will be put to the test.
4.
Speaker as Director, Audience as Actors
a. Atmosphere & Energy: once announcing the looming power struggle
exercise, the buzz gets even louder; and when I say, “find an eyeball partner,”
and explain the intra- and interpersonal parameters (“thinking of someone who’s
a pain in your butt,” and then instruct the pairs to aggressively or
passive-aggressively declare (or whine/tease), “You can’t make me!” (Person A)
or “Oh yes I can!” (Person B)...well, the room is getting ready to “act out”;
now, decibel levels are skyrocketing with buzzing and laughter (nervous and
otherwise), especially when after a brief standard volley, folks are encouraged
to “say what you’d really like to say”; also, recalling that “pain in the butt”
and the related painful or conflicted interaction just may ratchet up a
role-player’s performance angst: do I
want to release all this pent up emotion?; how much of me should I reveal?; in
this public setting, can I manage venting or will I lose control?
b. Role/Status Positioning: clearly there’s been a profound shift: instead of all eyes on me, they are focused
on their counterpart; each audience member has been turned into a symbolic
adversary; and the individual’s mental space has been purposely segmented into
past (pain) and present (role-play partner).
c. Get FIT Group Process: and once the starting gun sounds, very
quickly “the room is alive with the sound of manic!” However, there is no panic. Structured surprise (as in an unexpected
group exercise) increases uncertainty.
However, the same medium, through clear guidelines and rules, (e.g., “no
getting out of your chair”) as well as brief, supervised timelines, also
provides for improvisational relief and release. Each player has the opportunity to step
outside of conventional roles and relationships, take on a provocative
personae, and express frustration and assert control in a purposefully-playfully
absurd manner. And within each role-play
dyad, the risky yet safe interaction along with the informal, post-power
struggle discussion, frequently leads to some intimate sharing and
trust-building.
5.
Speaker as Facilitator/Debriefer, Audience as More Cohesive Collective
a. Atmosphere & Energy: now, through the exercise, all in the room
have shared a common experience; the aftermath of playful-aggressive energy,
venting and laughter is palpable; in fact, some don’t want the exercise to end,
battling through the call for closure.
b. Role/Status Positioning: refocusing the group by acknowledging the heightened
energy in the room, returning to Lecture as
Debrief-mode, I now underscore key learning points: 1) a person can quickly get into a “power
struggle” framework, yet not have an ego so wrapped up in winning, 2) though a game, the back and forth verbal volleying often
feels somewhat real: we don’t like people telling us what to do;
in addition, many carry around past hurts or frustration with others, 3) it
feels good to let out these feelings in a safe setting and in an aggressive yet
playful and measured manner, 4) such an exchange can facilitate some post-power
struggle “feedback” intimacy, and 5) finally, the response to the exercise was
pretty universal despite our many shades of diversity.
c. Get FIT Group Process: after hitting the highlights, another
decision must be made…and quickly: the “You
Can’t Make Me” exercise lends itself to the presentation of a number of
conceptual and applied tools and techniques for disarming “power struggles.” My favorite, for example, asking
trust-building “good questions.” But,
alas, I inform the group that we’ll have to get together another time to
explore further the communication-conflict skills arena. However, this transition is a great segue
into the next interactive experience, the “Heart of Letting Go”
Exercise. And this upcoming exercise is
more poignant than playful, asking people to reflect upon and share how issues
of loss, change, and letting go impact their work with refugee clients. Clearly, we continue to climb an exercise
ladder that progressively increases attendee vulnerability, risk of disclosure,
as well as social-collegial intimacy.
6.
Speaker as Role Model, Audience as Future Adaptors
a. Atmosphere & Energy: if the power struggle exercise was
surprising, my closing number can only be called shocking. The whole program, I suspect, but especially
my out-rage-ous close, performing a
“Shrink Rap” ™ (more in Part II), motivated a young woman to approach during a
break. She shared her way of being
outrageous and startling people:
normally serious and somewhat shy, she has taken up skydiving! Friends and
colleagues are amazed.
b. Role/Status Positioning: I believe numbers in the room viewed me as a
role model, both for my style – insightful
yet playful, outrageous, high energy orchestra leader, helping others bring out
their best music – and substance –
conceptual and interactive tools and techniques, especially on stress resilience,
burnout, and loss/letting go. Folks
seemed to need and want an infusion of ideas and inspiration from a
“Motivational Psychohumorist” ™, a leader also facilitating peer-to-peer sharing
and energy transfusion. Again, as Dr.
Eva Stitt, Summit Coordinator, noted in her afore-referenced post-conference
testimonial: I believe you have
felt their response – how much they enjoyed it, as well as how much they need
it, so they can effectively carry out their job of helping others. The
strength of our initiative depends on these people who champion our cause for
refugee mental health.
c. Get FIT Group Process: my goal is to educate and entertain, perhaps
to inspire; to provide an experience that can excite and fortify program
attendees and help them share our collective energy and enlightenment with
others – from clients to colleagues.
Consider these two testimonials:
one from the Refugee Summit and the other from the 2015 University of Maryland's Diabetes/Endocrinology
Center's Managing Diabetes Conference:
Jul 9, 2016
HI Mark,
It was a pleasure spending time with you and I really appreciated your
presentation. I will discuss your presentation with our trainers. I will
keep in touch,
Deborah C. Moore, RN, BSN, MPH
Nurse Manager II, Senior
deborah.moore@vdh.virginia.gov
Hampton-Peninsula Health Department
3130 Victoria Blvd., Hampton, VA, 23661
Office (757)315-3779
416 J Clyde Morris Blvd., Newport News, VA 23601
Office (757)594-7903
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
University of
Maryland's Diabetes/Endocrinology Center's Managing Diabetes Conference; 100 +
Allied Health Professionals; 1.5 hrs
Practice Safe Stress: Stress and Change Resilience through Humor
Mar 12, 2015
Hi Mark-
Great presentation. It really inspired me to improve my own presentation skills
and brainstorm with my coworkers how to make our diabetes education classes
more fun.
Best Regards,
Alison Massye
Alison Massey MS, RD, LDN, CDE
Director of Diabetes Education, Mercy Medical Center
250 N. Calvert Street Baltimore, MD 21202
amassey@mdmercy.com
P: (410) 659-2833
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Closing Concept: From
Aha to Haha!
Finally,
there is a micro-surprising dynamic within the macro-surprising transition and
process. And that dynamic mix involves
humor and wit. As Mark Twain, acclaimed
author and humorist, noted: Wit is the sudden marriage of ideas which
before their union were not perceived to have any relation. And according to William Shakespeare, the
master of verbal presentation and performance:
Brevity is the soul of wit. One of the staples for evoking laughter is
surprising an audience, quickly defying their expectations, tickling them in a
slightly sensitive area, i.e., before they can block the punchline, having them
acknowledge, while still saving face, their own flaws and foibles. Or poking fun at myself by using
self-effacing humor, e.g., the old saw, Vanity
thy name is Gorkin! Okay, as a
“healing humorist” I also may generically poke surprising fun at unnamed
others. For example, one of my
brain-body stress symptoms is the “jaw-dropping” TMJ: Too
Many Jerks! Remember, people are less defensive and more open to
a serious message gift-wrapped with humor.
On a
personal note, one of the best compliments as a speaker was from a Training/OD
colleague who stated: Mark, I’ve never known anyone who can take
an audience from the serious to the humorous and then quickly take them back
again. So learn to ebb and flow with
that surprising comic-tragic connection.
All I can say is, Amen and Women,
to that!
Closing Summary
Part I
of “Going Off Script” employs a six stage-three variable analysis of the
evolving – “before-during-after” – dynamics of a Plenary Speaking Program. More specifically, an outline format
highlights how the Doc transitions himself and an audience, shifting from straight
forward presentation to unanticipated improvisation…with startling effect. Through
the three-pronged lens of “Atmosphere & Energy,” “Role/Status Positioning,”
and “Get FIT Group Process,” the essay illustrates “off script” concepts, communication
tools, and interactive techniques for more “surprising” – on the edge engaging and powerful – presentations.
While
this essay examined one Interactive Exercise, Part II of “Going Off Script” will
capture a number of Stress Doc exercises and other communicational tools and
techniques for startling, awakening, and motivating an audience. Encourage a large community or small group to
interact with you and each other. Playfully
yet purposefully broaden a transformation-inspiration horizon by shaking up the
presentation landscape and mindscape.
Mark Gorkin, MSW, LICSW,
"The Stress Doc" ™, a nationally acclaimed speaker, writer,
and "Psychohumorist" ™, is a founding partner and Stress Resilience
and Trauma Debriefing Consultant for the Nepali Diaspora Behavioral Health
& Wellness Initiative. A former Stress and Violence Prevention
Consultant for the US Postal Service, he has led numerous Pre-Deployment Stress
Resilience-Humor-Team Building Retreats for the US Army. The Doc is the author of Practice Safe Stress, The Four Faces of Anger, and Preserving Human Touch in a High Tech World. Mark’s award-winning, USA Today Online
"HotSite" – www.stressdoc.com – was called a
"workplace resource" by National Public Radio (NPR). For more info, email: stressdoc@aol.com.
