What an improv stage can teach you about leading cross-cultural teams in Tokyo

I have never done improv, but as the americans say I was a "theatre kid".

This means I was swirled around in the world of people who do random noisy shit all the time. Whilst I didn't do improv, Improv happened to me.

When I was doing sales as a favour at one of the trade shows I was working at, I realised that whilst sales is not improv, there are a set of rules that the interactee tends to follow.

Generally there are three type of people(yes this set collapse, generalisations are important):

1) fuck you, I'm not buying from your fucking company

2) OK, I probably want what your selling, but I need specific information before I'll consider

3) I just here because I had nothing better to do/was too slow/drew the short straw.

the best signal, if you can get it, is from number 1. Sometimes they just have had a bad day, others because they've been burnt, or they think youre full of shit. But this is where the improv comes in. "I bet your product can't do x" aha! I see your are an engineer of distinction, what is it about x, that doesn't work with $product?

if you manage that, you have a focus group on why your product/marketing/reputation is shit.

Improv is a very good hobby to have. It helps you to get out of difficult situations.

One of the things done at an improv show is called "story in 4".

To do a four-person improv story with random changes, have one player start a scene. Ring a bell or shout "Change!" at random times. When that happens, the last speaker must change their last line, or a new person must jump in to shift the plot, setting, or character traits completely.

It is super fun on stage and very useful in meeting rooms where you might need to pivot quickly.

Ex PM in Japan here. Excellent advice. Works great for families too.