Exploring "Purple on Purpose"

What if there was a way to bridge the divide we all feel everyday, especially in our political views?

What if there was a skill that could help people connect meaningfully by listening first, keeping judgment at bay, and finding common ground?

UnScripted Products posed that question and launched a pilot workshop to explore ways to communicate more satisfyingly thru improv.

I've been blessed with many opportunities to practice improv with truly fabulous, sincere, and creative people all over the USA -- in New Jersey, Chicago, Michigan, Colorado, Pennsylvania -- all over. Each improv group brings their own spark and joy. One wonderful feature of participating in different improv groups is that it does not feel like we are competing with each other because improv is a community.

That makes it just about a perfect model for improving communication, crossing polarized divides, and recognizing people for the marvelously complicated but at heart well-intentioned beings that they are.

Last week I participated in a wonderful and meaningful workshop with UnScripted Productions: Purple On Purpose. Skillfully facilitated by Will Dennis, the two-hour workshop explored practicing improv as a way to strengthen communication and conduct difficult conversations without creating enemies. "Everybody wins" I heard Will say.

The evening was filled with flashes of inspiration. We did between ten and twelve exercises (or games) that built on each other creating a fun path toward connection, acceptance, and learning. The work on listening first was challenging and inspiring. The energy in the room was trusting, fun, and formative.

We're not ready to save the world in one conversation yet, but as Will pointed out -- sometimes it's the second time, or the third time, or the one-hundredth time you communicate that you bridge the gap and reach mutual understanding.

I highly recommend UnScripted Productions and I look forward to working with them more in the future.

-- doug smith

Comments

Human Problems

Any problem created by a human can be solved by a human. I wrote that long before AI started solving problems for us. Many days it feels like we will soon not even need to solve our own problems at all because AI will do it for us. Honestly, we know better than that, right? For as long as it's still true, humans can still solve human problems. Let's do that. -- doug smith

Clear Improvement

The best we can do is not yet the best we can do. Improvement is part of everyone's job and leaders must make that abundantly clear. -- doug smith

How's Your Reputation

How important do you think it is to sustain a positive leadership reputation? It matters to your team. It matters to any future team that you might be leading. Your reputation tells a story about how you operate, how you facilitate and how you achieve your results. Leading positive change builds credibility. Making a difference right now builds credibility. Keeping your promises and showing care for others establishes the kind of character that people want to work with and maybe even follow. What positive change are you currently working on? -- doug smith

Creatively Human

In a world where anything can be duplicated, create what cannot be duplicated. -- doug smith

Dig deeper

Obvious solutions are great, except that they seldom work. The chances are that the solution that first occurs to you has already been tried. Sticky, mysterious, subtle problems evade the obvious. They hide. They mask. They simmer. Mysterious problems seldom surrender to obvious solutions. Dig deeper. -- doug smith

Extremes

Do you know what it is like to work for an unreasonable boss? When no matter what you do is ever good enough it can become demotivating, even crippling. We do need to challenge our teams, but not to esteem crushing extremes. Unreasonable expectations cause disappointment. High performance? Yes. Perfect performance? Not attainable. -- doug smith

Where to Start?

It's harder to solve a problem alone when you are at the center of the problem. Get another perspective. Stay open to your own part of the problem. Sometimes, deep into the search, we discover that we could be the cause. Start with reflection. It could provide direction. -- doug smith

Strategic Secrets?

If you have to keep it a secret it's not as much in your control as you think it is. Every secret eventually becomes revealed. -- doug smith

No Victims

There will be offers, heading your way in obvious as well as subtle channels. Strong looking barriers. Refusals to see you. Efforts to take advantage of you. That's not meant for you, no matter how strong someone else's intentions imply that it is. Decline any opportunity to be a victim. It does not suit you. -- doug smith

Careful of Force

Anything held together by force will be forced apart. -- doug smith

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