with these skills, we tend to lose them because we don’t
practice them the way we did as children. If you observe children, you will notice that they are the best improvisers with
the best imaginations. They don’t censor themselves. They
don’t worry about being judged for their off-the-wall ideas or
imaginary friends. They truly have fun in the moment. As
adults, we are encouraged to NOT behave in these ways and
this weakens our natural skills to improvise and use skills we
already possess.
Improv training is not new. It really picked up momentum
in the 1950s when a woman named Viola Spolin developed
exercises or “games” for actors to unleash creativity with a
focus on “play” to unlock the individual’s capacity for creative
self-expression. Her book Improvisation for the Theater
became the foundation for theatrical and improvisation training, and this ultimately led to the birth of Second City and
Saturday Night Live.
The Training Experience
In the world of “applied improvisation,” the use of improv
training has been applied to every industry imaginable. While
the techniques are not new and trendy, the technique applications are always unique, based on the objectives of the
subject-matter being taught or presented. By participating and
encouraging your spa staff to take part in this type of training,
you and your staff are able to re-capture the skills necessary
to provide excellent customer service, sell more effectively,
build relationships, communicate better, brainstorm ideas,
lighten up and get along better with others.
Improvisation improves training and is a perfect fit for a
spa setting for a variety of reasons:
l Learning by Doing: Studies show that we retain more information when we physically apply what we are learning. By
applying improv activities to content, the experience is
more memorable, motivational and engaging. Instead of
sitting through lectures and “death by PowerPoint,” improv
allows for the opportunity for people to learn in chunks of
time by getting up and applying an exercise to something
that was just presented.
l Fun, Laughter and Team Development: Many participants of
this type of training are often uncomfortable in the very
beginning until they realize that they are all in it
together—meaning, they are all feeling uncomfortable,
silly and awkward. A good facilitator creates a safe environment to make it okay to feel this way; to make it okay
to fail in front of others. Ultimately, this leads to laughter
and camaraderie and higher learning retention. The exercises also help to break down barriers of participants who
l
l
are resistant to training, while helping to relieve anxiety
and fear.
Personality Profiling: Using improv exercises, also called
“games,” is a great indicator of personalities, providing
that you are hyperaware and observant of behaviors.
Improv can be used to learn if employees are “in the right
seat on the bus” by displaying their abilities to communicate, play well with others, be in the moment, stay
focused, commit to the task at hand and much more.
Additionally, it improves the ability to “read” people
quickly, including verbal and nonverbal communication.
Aside from training, the exercises can be used in an interview process or in effectively assessing clients’ needs.
Being Centered and “In The Moment”: Many of us are
“boxed” into a corporate way of thinking, yet still need to
balance the holistic approach of running a spa. Improv
training helps employees come up with creative and positive ways to approach company culture, customer service
and quick, mindful thinking. It also helps staff members to
focus on a client a hundred percent, instead of talking to
co-workers during a service or texting in front of clients,
etc. Dedicating full attention to internal and external cus(CONTINUED ON PAGE 44)
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November 2012