“Um/Er/uh”, “Well”, “Actually”, “You see”, “I mean” and so many more are common filler words meaningless in theory but life saving to our psychology in communicative situations. And this is because they provide these seconds of hesitation that your mind is whirling to find what to say next.
But for how long will these pauses actually help you come up with all these ideas that were missing before or enlighten you with the best phrase or collocation to keep the conversation going? The whole communication process is meant to be more natural, easy going and flowing. And here comes Improvisation.
Improvisational techniques are often used extensively in theatre to train actors for stage, film, and television and can be an important part of the rehearsal process. However, the skills and processes of improvisation are also used outside the context of performing arts. This practice, known as applied improvisation, is used in classrooms as an educational tool and in businesses as a way to develop communication skills.
Improvisation in business conversations reinforces a mutually beneficial setting in which both parties can interact in a relaxed way without stammering, pausing or losing the essence of communication. Here are some suggestions of how we can adjust in a foreign language context so that our language skills do have an impact and don’t stand in the way of our success.
• Listen and don’t interrupt. The simple reason to that is that you are much more “in” to the conversation when you decode the speaker’s thoughts and their actual intention. How many times have you struggled to focus more on what to say next rather than listen? The bridge will come easier if you have totally grasped the speaker’s sharing idea and then respond spontaneously.
• Don’t over think it. Sometimes our brain is like a tornado. It’s absolutely fine if a brilliant response doesn’t pop out of your mouth. The fact that you are giving full attention to the other person is definitely appreciated and that is the bottom line. In case you aren’t sure what to reply you can thank them for sharing the thought and say for example “That’s an interesting view, let me think about it” or you can ask for clarification if you need to by saying “ What exactly do you mean by…?”
• Have your own voice. You don’t need to agree with the speaker’s comments. “I am not sure I quite agree with that” or “I have a few concerns over this”. You don’t need to overanalyse again but you can instinctively state your stance as if you were actively listening. There can be a follow up conversation when you will have built your case more analytically.
• Reflect or mirror the idea. A powerful way of showing that you are listening and you are active is by reiterating the speaker’s words in your way. Rephrasing is an effective way to keep the conversation going naturally and to make sure that you are both on the same page. i.e.”So what you are saying is….”
• Be positive with positive language. How many times have you replied “Yes but…”? I think most of us have; more than once. This answer simply shuts down the other person’s idea or at least this is what seems so. Try instead to remain positive by saying “Yes and…” showing that you are ready to explore their idea. Add a short comment or a longer one and make a follow up question. This is where creativity will step in. In other words, take one step at a time and don’t throw a torrent of words. It’s not good for anyone.
• Stay cool. If you mess up or if you fall into a mistake just acknowledge it and move on; laugh, learn and go forward with something new. The less seriously you take yourself the more relaxed you are. Your co-speaker will follow suit. Sometimes we are so obsessed with saying the right thing with the right structure that we miss the point. To have fun and interact. As the famous trumpeter Miles Davis said “In improvisation there are no mistakes”.
Improvisation is a dynamic process that can be practiced in simple conversations and then gradually become a natural asset. Mainly it’s all about creating a positive experience for all speakers, being genuine, interacting with confidence and coming out of the conversation with the feeling of having gained something out of it.
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