Let's Make Mistakes!

Let's Make Mistakes!

There’s a special move improvisers use when working together during rehearsal, and that is:?the circus bow.?It comes in many shapes and sizes, but in general it’s an over-exaggerated, ridiculously theatrical bow that sometimes comes with a loud and boisterous, “TA DAAAAH!”??

To do this, some improvisers cross their feet and bend low at the hip, sweeping their arms dramatically back and upward behind them.?Others stand upright, heels touching and hands outstretched into the sky.?

However its manifested, the circus bow symbolizes a very important performance skill:?celebrating mistakes.

Because despite what fear tells us in her tantalizing language of?shoulds, mistakes are magic.?We learn and grow and expand from them.?Some of the most revolutionary mistakes that inspire our aliveness ask that we make mistakes.?Then get back up, loosen our grip on the stories we tell and live a little more improvised.?Unscripted.

Things will go wrong, for sure.?We’ll bumble and trip and say the wrong things at the wrong times.?We’ll expose what we’ve been hiding; shine a spotlight on our faults.?Others around us may peek above their own manuscripts long enough to wonder and judge.?

There might be embarrassment and, in some cases, a sense of full-frontal failure.

But we’ll be alive, with skin in the life-game.?Growth-minded and ready to see differences in opinion, perspectives, worldviews.

Brene Brown, in her book?Daring Greatly?talks about being in the arena.?She writes, “Get in the arena, show up, do your thing, and don’t be afraid to get your ass kicked a little bit.”

Hallelujah, sister!?

And when those outside the arena -- who aren’t ready to scrape and bruise and bleed yet; who aren’t prepared to make mistakes for the sake of bigger, better, brighter outcomes -- look at us dumbfounded when we go off script...

We take our bow.??

Let's talk about creating psychological safety in your organization!

Alexandra Suchman

Team Builder | Change Catalyst | Speaker | Facilitator | Game Enthusiast | Humanist | Tap Dancer

2 年

I love this! I need to think of what my equivalent of a circus bow should be to mark and celebrate a moment for learning and growth.

Sharon Olken

Education and nonprofit leader | Curiosity, kindness, and a good dose of laughter

2 年

Yes, yes, yes! I love this. Mistakes are magic, and so are you!

回复
Jenn Toro PHR, SHRM-CP

Human Centered Workplace Strategist | Heart Centered Leadership Facilitator + Coach

2 年

This paragraph is gold: “Because despite what fear tells us in her tantalizing language of shoulds, mistakes are magic. We learn and grow and expand from them. Some of the most revolutionary mistakes that inspire our aliveness ask that we make mistakes. Then get back up, loosen our grip on the stories we tell and live a little more improvised. Unscripted.” Let’s make life magic in the arena. All. In. Magic.

要查看或添加评论,请登录

Shannon Hughes的更多文章

  • Facilitative Leadership: A Few Tips

    Facilitative Leadership: A Few Tips

    Thank you for being here! Let's start with a question. Do you consider yourself a Facilitative Leader? Facilitative…

  • Feedback Like a Coach

    Feedback Like a Coach

    Let's continue our conversation around Facilitate Leadership, with this prompt: Are you giving feedback like a coach?…

    2 条评论
  • Culture Tips from My Notes App

    Culture Tips from My Notes App

    I have a list I keep, on my phone. It's called "Culture Roadmap Ideas", and I add to it all the time.

  • Facilitative Leadership: A Few Tips

    Facilitative Leadership: A Few Tips

    Thank you for being here! Let's start with a question. Do you consider yourself a Facilitative Leader? Facilitative…

    2 条评论
  • Want culture change? Start anywhere.

    Want culture change? Start anywhere.

    "Start anywhere..

  • What's your culture manifesto?

    What's your culture manifesto?

    Can everyone on your team clearly express what it's like to live and work in your company culture? Can they confidently…

    2 条评论
  • Skills for an Unscripted Leader

    Skills for an Unscripted Leader

    "Make your partner look good." "Play the scene you're in.

    1 条评论
  • Noticing the Offers

    Noticing the Offers

    In improv, we talk a great deal about "offers". An offer is a verbal or nonverbal cue expressed by a performer, as an…

    15 条评论
  • Improv: A Business Practice for Employee Engagement

    Improv: A Business Practice for Employee Engagement

    The statistics abound. According to Gallup: Only 15% of employees worldwide and 35% in the U.

    2 条评论
  • A Practice in Curiosity

    A Practice in Curiosity

    I've been thinking a lot about Curiosity (capital 'C'). How powerful it can be as a means to discovery.

    4 条评论

社区洞察

其他会员也浏览了