14個月的即興表演課程，我學到了些什麼？

Improv techniques have been used for years to help corporate types get over their onstage jitters. As a marketer, I’ve always felt pretty comfortable with public speaking, but I decided to challenge myself anyway–and see what the hype’s all about–and enrolled in some improv classes with Improv Asylum here in Boston. Long story short, I learned way more than I expected to, and wound up completing six levels of classes over 14 months, ultimately performing in a 90-minute comedy show in front of 200 people.

多年來，即興表演技巧一直用於幫助企業克服他們在舞臺上的緊張情緒。作爲一名營銷人員，我一直都不害怕公開演講，但我還是決定挑戰我自己，看看爲什麼大家會緊張。我報名參加了波士頓的即興表演課程。長話短說，我學到的比我預想的要多，並且在14個月的時間裏完成了6個級別的課程，最終在200人面前進行了長達90分鐘的喜劇表演。

But what’s surprised me most is that the lessons I’ve taken back to the workplace have little to do with public speaking. Having to start from a blank canvas and create something engaging each time I stepped up was a really powerful experience–one that’s changed the way I approach my job well beyond just giving presentations. Here are a few of the more unexpected ways it’s improved my career.

但最讓我驚訝的是，我帶回職場的經驗與公衆演講幾乎沒有什麼關係。我必須從空白的畫布開始，並在每一次我的成長過程中創造出一些有趣的東西，這是一種非常有影響力的體驗，它不僅僅改變了我的演講，還改變了我的工作方式。下面是我沒有預料到的改善了我的職業生涯的幾點：

As an introvert, I absolutely hate small talk. It feels like an unnecessary waste of energy. But learning improv taught me that being good at small talk actually means being good at listening.

作爲一個內向的人，我絕對不喜歡閒聊。這感覺像是在浪費精力。但是，學習即興表演教會我，善於閒聊實際上意味着善於傾聽。

How often in ordinary conversations do you catch yourself thinking about what you’re going to say next, instead of really hearing what the other person is saying? In improv, if you’re not actively listening to your scene partner for something odd, unusual, or interesting to build upon, then your scene will go nowhere.

在普通的對話中，你經常會發現自己在思考接下來要說什麼，而不是真正在聽別人在說什麼。在即興表演中，如果你不積極地聽你的場景搭檔做了些什麼奇怪的、不尋常的或有趣的事情，你的場景將會毫無進展。

Improv requires a heightened sense of listening, observing, and empathy–all vital components of small talk. Improv forced me to listen to other people in ways I never had before. By paying attention to details of even the most trivial conversations, I got better at advancing small talks with clients, partners, and colleagues. Because I take the time to respond in a way that’s meaningful (and valuable) to them.

即興表演需要更多的傾聽、觀察和共鳴——這些都是閒聊的重要組成部分。即興表演迫使我以我從未有過的方式去傾聽別人。通過關注最瑣碎的談話細節，我更加擅長與客戶、合作伙伴和同事進行小型談話。因爲我開始以一種對他們有意義(有價值)的方式做出迴應。

When starting an improv scene, each actor must quickly decide on his or her character’s point of view: What’s their temperament and opinion? Are they going to complement or contrast their scene partner? The stronger the character’s point of view (and their ability to heighten it over the course of the scene), the better the improv performance.

在開始即興表演的時候，每個演員都必須馬上決定他們角色的觀點:他們的性格和觀點是什麼?他們是要配合搭檔還是跟搭檔唱反調？角色的觀點越強(以及他們在場景中加強這個觀點能力)，即興表演效果就越好。

Having a strong point of view about a client’s businesses allows me to fight daily battles alongside them. But improv helped me find new ways of actually doing that. My field (like many others) is often unpredictable, and it can be easy to just take a position out of urgency and run with it. Since improv is all about gathering information on the fly and reacting to it in real time, I’m better now at adopting a point of view that’s well-informed.

對客戶的業務有明確的瞭解和觀點，讓我可以與他們並肩作戰。但是即興發揮幫助我找到了新的方法來真正做到這一點。我的領域(和其他許多領域一樣)往往是不可預測的，並且很容易就能以一種緊急的方式去做。因爲即興表演就是到處收集信息並實時對它做出反應，所以我現在的觀點所涵蓋的內容更加豐富。

Any good marketer needs to keep up with what’s changing, and decide how cultural shifts, ad-tech launches, business developments, or media trends affect the brands we work with.

任何優秀的營銷人員都需要跟上時代的變化，並考慮文化變遷、廣告技術的發佈、商業發展或媒體趨勢會如何影響我們與之合作的品牌。

It’s easy to narrate an improv scene, but doing that won’t entertain an audience. In improv, you need to actually perform. Likewise, speakers have long been told not to recite a script or read directly from their slides. But I’ve found the “show, don’t tell” ethos extends to other facets of my work life, too.

講述一個即興的場景很容易，但這樣做不會取悅觀衆。在即興表演中，你需要表演。同樣地，演講者一直也被要求不能背誦一個腳本或直接從他們的幻燈片上讀臺詞。我發現這種“展示而不是講述”的精神也延伸到了我工作生活的其他方面。

Improv artists don’t have props, so they have to make do with creating and manipulating invisible items and spaces. If during a scene you suddenly decide to milk a cow, just saying that you’re milking a cow is not going to be compelling. Instead, you need to figure out how you can show the audience that you’re milking a cow.

即興表演藝術家沒有道具，所以他們必須創造和操縱無形的物品和空間。如果在一個場景中，你突然決定給一頭奶牛擠奶，只是講述說你在擠牛奶是沒有好效果的。相反，你需要弄清楚如何向觀衆展示你正在擠牛奶。

This is something I now bear in mind in just about every meeting I participate in. I’ve seen too many client presentations fall flat when presenters do nothing more than describe their ideas. But the same goes for team meetings and even one-on-one chats with coworkers, too.

在我參加的每一次會議上，我都牢記這一點。主持人只是描述他們的想法時，展示就是過於平淡。團隊會議，甚至與同事的一對一談話也是如此。

The scariest (and best) part of improv is that anything can happen during a scene. The only thing you can be certain of is uncertainty. Business leaders never tire of reciting that platitude, urging their teams to see this as an opportunity. But my 14 months in improv training has actually helped me get better at that.

即興表演最可怕的部分(也是最好的)是在一個場景中任何事情都可能發生。你唯一能確定的就是不確定性。商業領袖們從不厭倦背誦那些陳詞濫調，並敦促他們的團隊把這視爲一個機會。14個月的即興訓練實際上幫助我在這方面做得更好。

Advancing an improv scene requires thinking bigger than what’s unfolding right in front of you. Yet that’s not quite the same as just planning. Making contingency plans can limit risk, but it’s actually serendipity that opens up possibilities. At work, you’ll be more likely to be remembered for your responses to those moments rather than how rigidly you stuck to your plan.

即興表演需要你未雨綢繆，然而，這並不完全等同於計劃。制定應急計劃可以規避風險損失，但實際上是意外發現開啓了更多可能性。在工作中，你會更容易被人記住的是你對這些時刻的反應，而不是堅持自己的計劃。

Through improv, though, I’ve learned to become a lot less uptight. Because I’m less burdened with the stress of uncertainty, I’ve found myself able to get more excited about all the opportunities that come by unexpectedly.

通過即興表演，我學會了變得不那麼緊張。因爲我對不確定性的壓力減輕了，我發現自己能夠對所有意想不到的機會感到更興奮。