Simple and Profound
“That’s the first time I ever felt heard”, a nurse shared during a communication workshop!
My jaw dropped. I wondered how she could possibly be a good listener if she didn’t know what it was like to feel heard. It was a powerful teaching moment for me in terms of integrating improv activities into communication workshops.
Image by Myriams-Fotos from Pixabay
The nurse had just participated in an experiential activity I adapted from improv to teach communication and related skills. A a teacher, the nurse’s feedback was compelling. I could see how it would help her appreciate the value of truly being heard. From here, she could internalize the experience and develop awareness about listening with respect to being connected, understood, valued
This skill development is much deeper than simply hearing what someone says and checking off a box. It is a door to becoming more sensitive to how and when this kind of focused listening could be helpful. Such as a patient who is nervous about a procedure, a family member becoming angry about a treatment issue, or a colleague showing signs of burnout.
What’s more, her future life experiences, feedback, and leadership guidance could all be grounded back to this simple, profound experience. This contributes to a ripple effect of more awareness and skill development for the nurse and modeling for all in her circles.
What is this activity?
Same-Time-Story, also known as Story Mirror, involves one person telling a story while her partner tries to tell it simultaneously. Something you can only do by focusing on what your partner is saying and if s/he goes at a pace conducive to your success.
You can see it here in this two-minute video from a workshop several years ago. Notice how in the middle I tap one of the participants on the shoulder, signaling the switch of leadership roles!
Other valuable feedback
When facilitated properly, Medical Improv experiences like this are engaging and safe for social and emotional development. The learning is internalized as staff practice, reflect on and discuss the skills, and their application to professional communication and organizational goals. In this particular activity, participants have shared things like:
- “I had to focus on her and stop thinking.’
- ‘Her facial expressions helped.’
- ‘I realized I was speaking too fast.’
- ‘You never know what is going on in someone’s head.’
- ‘It was fun!”
Imagine how the learning content can be framed around vital skills such as expression of nonverbal language, identifying social cues, developing awareness of speaking too fast for someone to understand and what that might feel like, and/or realizing we don’t know what others are thinking even if we think we do!
When facilitated properly, Medical Improv experiences are engaging and safe for social and emotional development. The learning is internalized as staff practice, reflect on and discuss the skills, and their application to professional communication and organizational goals.
With this activity, nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals become better prepared to listen attentively to an anxious patient, a colleague in trouble, constructive feedback from a manager, or a family member with signs of escalating anger.
