A Collaborative Moment of Joy
By On Your Feet Co-founder, Gary Hirsch
A clip from TEDx where 700 people spontaneously co-create the history of a fictitious rock band, “design” the album cover, and then sing the made-up hit single "Red Booty."
My name is Gary Hirsch, Co-founder of On Your Feet, and I love collaboration.
For me, collaborating with others is one of the fastest ways to find inspiration, feel surprised, and have instantaneous moments of joy.
Above is an example of what this can look like, with a moment of collaborative flow I had with an audience 700 at a TEDx event. Here you will also find a few related thoughts for creating your own joyful collaborations.
Creating Collaborative Flow
This collaborative experience on the TEDx stage was exhilarating and joyful because we created “flow” together.
Flow is a key goal of applied improvisation, and can be an utterly positive experience to be in -- just ask famed “flow state” scientist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
In our collaboration at TEDx, our flow occurred as ideas moved back and forth, building upon each other, and being added to. Together, we made something that felt like it could have only been made collectively.
In improvisational terms, this was a classic “Yes, and” experience. We were listening, noticing, and were willing to be changed as we let go of our preconceived ideas. This allowed us to say “yes” to others’ ideas, plus “and” them with more of our own, until the ideas melded together as one.
Surprises were everywhere. I never imagined that the audience would yell out “drumming band” when I asked them for a musical genre, but they did, and it became an amazing offer to “yes, and.”
Rewatching this experience and creating these collaborative experiences every week with our clients gives me hope: Hope that when people come together under the right conditions, more surprise, creativity, and joy can be found.
Three Steps for Creating Collaborative Joy
First, arrive willing to let go and be changed by each other. Let go of how you may have wanted it to work. Be happy to be influenced by others.
Then, listen to others and notice more about what is appearing in the moment. Be focused and curious.
Finally, build off each other by recognizing each other's “offers” and then using them (“yes, anding”) to propel the flow of the experience.
Recent OYF Improv Mindset Keynote for Expedia | Event Recap
Learn More
Learn more about On Your Feet’s approaches to joyful and effective collaboration with the Improv Mindset and ACE Teams.
Learn more about On Your Feet interactive keynotes on topics including improv, collaboration, creativity, storytelling, influence, and more.
Watch Gary's full TEDx talk here.
