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Master
Facilitator Journal | Issue #0245, February 28, 2006 ....
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Dear
friends,
A few months ago, I published an article in this ezine entitled,
"Be
an Authentic Performer." It explored the apparent paradox
between authenticity and performing well in front of groups. This
week's article takes this concept further with 10 questions to ask
yourself to bring you closer to "Becoming an Authentic Performer."
Read
these, try them on, and let us know how they resonate with you.
Walking Your Talk. Sue Walden and I are hosting a live four-day
version of the Improvisational Facilitator class called "Walking
Your Talk" in San Francisco from March 15th - 18th. It
will provide a multi-dimensional approach helping you build the
skills to create an environment for participative learning; one
that encourages openness and risk-taking for you and groups. See
details after the article. I'd love to meet you there in person
where we will take our skills to the next level!
Need a Telephone Bridge Line? Two fellow coaches and I are
looking for a fourth, and possibly a fifth person to share the yearly
lease of our telephone bridge line which renews April 1st. If you
or someone you know is interested in this, please contact
me for details.
Have a great week!
Steve
Davis
Publisher
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The
Point
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Be
an Authentic Performer II
10 Questions
to Discovering Your 'Authentic Performer'
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Self-Facilitation
Skill
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As facilitators, trainers, and group leaders, our role includes many of
the challenges of public speaking. We must, by definition, be in front
of the room addressing our groups as leaders to help align and serve their
collective purpose. This role requires that we get and command attention,
motivate and inspire, and garner the respect required for us to effectively
lead.
With that said, most of us dread speaking in public. But this is true
only to the degree we believe that we have to be somebody we're not. When
we operate from our authentic selves, we discover magical connections
to our audience and ourselves, and we express ourselves effortlessly.
The following 10 questions take the concept of "Becoming an Authentic
Performer" to a deeper, more practical level. Read these, try them
on, and let us know how they resonate with you.
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Application
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10 Questions to Discovering Your 'Authentic Performer.' So how
do you become an authentic performer? Ask yourself the following 10 questions
- when you can say 'yes' to each of these, public speaking will become
one of your greatest joys.
1. Do
I feel good in front of an audience?
When you're "on," it feels good. It feels right. You're at your
best when you feel good, and being at your best makes you and others feel
good. It's a feedback loop provided by your biology to let you know that
you're in the flow of life. Any struggle, pushing, or forcing goes against
the flow and is off course.
2. Is my audience feeling good? The same rule in #1 above, applies
to your audience. If you're having fun and feeling good, it's contagious.
You're audience will pick up on this. When you are connected to your audience
and they feel your positive feelings, your energies converge and you grow
together.
3. Am I rediscovering myself as I speak? Speaking in public, and
hearing your own voice and words, is a process of self-discovery. When
we slow down and speak from our passionate heart, we are in touch with
ourselves, and what we say is often quite surprising. This is very different
from the fast-paced, mind-chatter that we are used to hearing inside our
heads. The heart is always more revealing. Speaking from our heart before
an audience is a high-speed personal growth experience.
4. Are my
words coming through as if they were from another source? The excitement
of being on stage, the energy of your audience, and the group consciousness
is all directed to and through you. Maintaining the observer position
allows you to witness the flow of energy, emotions and thoughts, and with
this, your soul is presented with an opportunity to speak. Take it. When
you relax and speak from the "witness," you will be surprised
to see that your soul shows up. And what your soul says is always perfect
for you and for your audience in the moment.
5. Is my
speech almost poetic or prose-like? When your soul is speaking, your
voice tone, cadence, and rhythm will be different than your usual dialogue.
This deeper self is in service to delivering your message. And the message
is from a higher source. No wonder it sounds like poetry. Your energetic
self communicates with fewer words more efficiently. Your audience "gets
it" and so do you.
6. Is my
voice peaceful, direct, harmonic, and clear? When you're speaking
from an authentic place, you feel no fear. You speak from deep in your
belly, from your natural soul voice, without the distraction of "filler"
words. You speak your truth as it occurs to you in the moment without
apology. You are the conductor and your words the symphony.
7. Do new
creative ideas of the "group mind" arise from nowhere? When
you operate from your authentic presence, every performance will be different,
even when presenting the same information. We are all different people
every day, at least in subtle ways, and our different audiences bring
a unique blend of energy to the room. When we are attuned to our environment,
and ourselves, we will express new creative ideas and insights that are
even new to us. You are at the source of creation.
8. Are most
of the participants onboard? When you're speaking, you can tell when
your audience is with you and when they're not. There are of course non-verbal
cues and there are subtle energetic cues. When you are attuned to your
audience, you feel their support, you know they are getting what the came
for.
9. Are the
silences powerful and synchronistic? The use of silence in your presentations
is a powerful tool. Without space between the notes, music just isn't
possible. When you stop at appropriate times, there is a quality to the
silence between your words--a fullness--that let's you know what you say
is resonating with your audience.
10. Do I
feel my energy expanding beyond previous boundaries, including others
in the group? There are times when people align, open, and unite in
such a way as to experience the "group mind". This is a tangible
and accessible entity. Learn to be open to, appreciate, and create this
in your relationships. Let the universal group mind lead your energy and
awareness beyond your perceived boundaries. When this happens, your authentic
presence is bigger than life!
These are subtle
questions - you obviously can't stop and think about the answers in the
midst of a group session, but you can get into the habit of using these
questions to evaluate each group situation. The more you do this, the
more conscious you'll become of what distracts you from being an authentic
performer, allowing you to improve the next time around. Soon, there will
be nothing in the way - your authenticity will simply be a part of who
you are as a public speaker.
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Action
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Which of the questions
above do you resonate with? Which ones do you have resistance to? Take
a minute to jot down some thoughts on what you can do to apply at least
one of these perspectives this week. I look forward to your comments,
insights or feedback about this article - just click reply and type them
directly into this email.
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Note
to Publishers
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you like to republish this or other articles from the journal? You are free
to do so providing you follow these guidelines.
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In
the Spotlight
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Walking
the Talk
An
interactive "train the trainer" experience
in facilitating interactive learning
Learn
improv techniques to revitalize your "inner"
leader and put you in the master's class of group facilitators,
trainers, and leaders
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When...
March 15th-18th, 2006, 9:00 am - 4:30 pm daily.
I attended Sue Walden's 4-Day Train the Trainer and wanted to
tell you about my experience. This
wonderful, insightful seminar helped me become even more aware of
my impact. Using videotape and group feedback, I was able to see
where I accomplished my desired impact and when I'd get in my own
way. It was fun, delightful and very beneficial. This class helped
me be more aware of when I show up in my strength.
Sue provided
lots of materials from her extensive experience in improv work and
I walked away feeling it was well worth my time. Sue is a Pro and
a bright light in the industry. Feel free to call or email me if
you want more information or encouragement to attend.
--Marti Bolton, (503) 694-6165, martib@centurytel.net--
Do
you encounter any of these problems when working with groups?
1. Do you take your work with groups way too seriously? So
seriously that sometimes you get uptight and afraid about what might
happen. In this class, you'll learn and practice tools that will
help you relax and have a lot more fun with your groups.
2. Are you afraid of encountering the unexpected? Learn simple
strategies that will help you to be more open and flexible to the
specific and dynamic needs of your groups.
3.
Are you bothered when participants try to take the group off on
a tangent? Be
able to connect whatever people share to the group purpose or theme.
4. Do you have a tough time being "present" with your
groups, trying to juggle all that needs to be done? Learn and
practice strategies that will let you take a breath and get comfortable
being "in the moment" with your groups..
5. Do you ever fear that you'll "lose your place" in
your workshop? In this class, you'll learn exactly what to do
in that circumstance.
6. Is "speaker's block" a problem? You'll learn
a tool so that you never have speaker's block again.
7. Do you sometimes question your creative abilities? Discover
reservoirs of creativity within you that you didn't know existed.
8. Do you often feel like you're doing this group leadership
thing all alone? Come collaborate and learn from a community
of your peers, all passionate about empowering groups.
If you answered
"yes" to any of these questions, then read on. You'll
find help overcoming these issues and more in this dynamic 4-day
workshop.
The
Improvisational Facilitator Workshop...
The inner attitudes of facilitators, trainers, and leaders is the
key to their success with groups. However, very few trainings address
the development of those inner qualities that can make a good leader
great. In this workshop, you'll learn, practice, and receive video
feedback on
powerful, practical improv techniques you'll put to work with your
group of fellow students. Through this experience, you'll not only
learn to apply improv skills to solve the problems listed above,
but you'll get real clear about how you affect others positively
and negatively as a group leader.
This dynamic workshop, led by master trainer,
Sue Walden, is for anyone who facilitates, manages, teaches, mediates,
coaches, counsels, directs any group. This highly interactive workshop
provides an experiential approach using very novel exercises
to help you build the skills to create an environment for participation;
one that encourages openness and risk-taking for you and groups.
When...
March 15th-18th, 2006, 9:00 am - 4:30 pm daily.
Improvisational
Facilitator Training Agenda...
Here's what you'll be learning and doing during the course...
- Crucial
core skills for working with groups of any size.
Do you tend to fall into lecture mode
for fear of losing control?
Facilitating experiential learning is a lot different that lecture-format
learning. There is less control because there are more surprises;
and this only increases with greater numbers of people involved.
In this workshop, we'll practice the skills of presence, openness,
and flexibility and how to use them to consistently embrace the
big picture (the learning) while flowing with what happens in
the room.
- Environmental
dynamics that set the stage for interactive learning.
It
can be tough to get strangers to trust one another enough to take
the risks required to learn new behaviors. Come
to know the environmental dynamics that set the stage for interactive
learning. Learn to manage and adjust the many factors that contribute
or detract from an environment that encourages experimentation
and exploration.
- Verbal
and non-verbal communications skills.
Our unconscious behaviors get in our way without our consent!
Whatever
we're thinking and/or feeling "leaks" out in our non-verbal
behaviors, our tone of voice, and our choice of words. The more
aware we are of our unconscious behaviors, both the ones that
work for us and those that don't, the more "at choice"
we become in the message that's received.
- Giving
and receiving objective, constructive and encouraging feedback.
Do you have a hard time giving
and receiving objective, constructive and encouraging feedback?
Negative
feedback only increases inhibition. We use the "Positive
Feedback Model" to guide our feedback sessions. We focus
on "what works" so that we can continue to grow in that
direction. You'll learn and practice this model throughout the
workshop so that it becomes second nature.
- Video-feedback
of facilitating group exercises. Wouldn't
you love to know how you really "show up" in your groups?
Participants
get daily practice in leading activities that are video-taped
and debriefed for an objective view of your unconscious competencies.
The truth is, we all are coming across much better than we are
thinking. Wouldn't you like to see that and know it in your gut?
- Generous
number of energizers, exercises and resources.
How
would you like to feel comfortable facilitating, and even designing,
your own experiential exercises? You'll receive extensive
resources and practice in conducting and "tweaking"
energizers and interactive exercises throughout this workshop.
- Special
Treat: Your attendance includes a ticket to
see "Sue & Friends," Sue's one-woman [sorta] improv
show on Sunday, March 19th.
Sue Walden's
Train the Trainer workshop gave me an invaluable opportunity to
try out leading some exercises, get immediate feedback from Sue
and the other participants on my impact, and see myself improving
everyday (on video!) That was well worth the price of admission!
-- Marj
Plumb, (415) 492-8692 marjplumb@aol.com--
Pricing...
The full cost of training/access is $850 and this is the last time
Sue will not be offering the training at this price again as
she plans to raise the fee to $1,200 on future offerings of this
program.
Registration...
Contact Sue Walden at 415-863-9500 or sue@improvworks.org
to discuss your goals, your objectives and to register. To hold
your spot, send a $100.00 non-refundable deposit by check or money
order made out to ImprovWorks, 1801 Franklin St. Suite 404, San
Francisco, CA 94109. Limited space.
I took the Train the Trainer program with Sue Walden and my
skills in leading grew exponentially, as well as increasing the
number of icebreakers and other exercises available to me. The class
got my creative juices going and I even created some of my own exercises.
-- Chris Pepper-Wong, (702) 562-0886 coachchris@aol.com--
Your instructor
Sue Walden. Sue Walden is the Founder and Director of ImprovWorks,
a not-for-profit organization dedicated to building Life Skills
through Improvisation. Her experience includes a BA in Education
and 26 years of teaching, performing and adapting and widely applying
the techniques of improvisation. She approaches improv training
as a powerful and joyful way to peel away constraints, restraints
and inhibitions, allowing the naturally expressive, collaborative
and creative self to emerge.
Sue is a skilled
teacher in ImprovWorks' public workshop program, a dynamic corporate
facilitator, an engaging speaker, an author (Working with Groups
to Enhance Relationships, Whole Person Assoc.), the delightful "Playmeister"
of both the public and corporate Recess! programs, the director
and a regular performer with San Francisco's longest-running improvisational
theater company, "Flash Family". She has been a member
of the Specialty Staff for the year-long Co-Active Leadership Program
since its inception eight years ago.
Her current
passion is training trainers and consulting on how to design powerful
experiential workshops. Sue promises that, in any of her programs,
while the learning may be challenging, it will also be fun!
Comments?
Please contact
us with your comments. Thanks for your help!
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Master Facilitator Journal Web Site
