The Importance of “Warm and Fuzzies” in Business, and in Life

I never thought of training as a “warm and fuzzy,” but I get it now. I suppose training is to business like the study of literature, speech and theatre is to the study of business and management analysis. When I taught English and speech at the U.S. Air Force Academy, I taught those “warm and fuzzy” subjects to future pilots, astronauts and other officers who would leave the Academy with the equivalent of an engineering degree no matter what their major. There was no English major by the way, and certainly not theatre, although we did have a film club, a speech forensics club and a drama club. So there was interest in those “fuzzy” subjects even if they did seem off point to the cadet career goals; some actually liked them, but wouldn’t admit it for fear of being uncool.

Imagine the challenge of teaching these “warm and fuzzy” subjects to students who think in “black and white.” I wanted them to look at gray areas, have opinions and back them up, and I wanted their creativity. If I’ve got it wrong, I’m sure you’ll tell me. There is a reason why we call these subjects the humanities; it is because they make us human. I have a hard time putting training (although education works) in that same category, I think there are similarities in this context and it is the same force at work.

I believe it was my job as a teacher of “fuzzy” subjects, as now, to take those “warm and fuzzy” subjects and demonstrate their relevance in the real world. When you’re a teenager, even a smart one, you still see the world in black and white.  I probably won’t surprise you that I delighted in getting them to see the gray areas and venture out in the colorful creative world.

Funny thing.  We admire those heroes who think outside the organization protocols; if what they do benefit us, we are happy.

If you’re interested in seeing what a guy does with the theatre arts under the of training and development, I have a training blog, translated into 60 some languages, and I am author of the Cave Man of Training and Development. By the way, “caveman” is not misspelled, but a “Cave” way at looking at the place we work and learn as the similar Cave as the caveman had, and looking at training from that perspective. To use on overused term, outside the box. My blog articles there tend to be longer and I use my background in theatre, education, psychology, training at the corporate level, my military experience and civil service.

Not all actors, act all the time. I was fortunate to a have a real job and do some professional theatre and commercials, although often I wish I had poured more energy into the theatre and did wait on tables until the next show came along. Who knows how different life would be? I did learn an actor learns more than just acting, an insight into reality in much the way a psychologist gains insight into behavior.

Here’s the link for my Training and Education Blog at The Free Management Library. BTW, if you are interested in reviews I also write for STAGE Magazine from time to time.

If I Am An Actor, Why Am I Here?

“I y’am what I y’am, what I y’am.”

Now, I am an actor, a speaker, and a trainer–as well as a writer.  When I act, I act. When I speak, I speak. When I train, that’s different, too.   As I said earlier in my previous blog, acting is more than “being someone else” or “a scripted performance.”   Keep in mind that there is a huge difference between those actors on film and those on stage–so don’t give me the unprepared actors’ speeches at the Academy awards routine.

Here’s something to think about: I use acting coaching methods to help speakers and trainers to better know how to interact with their audience. Why?

While some people believe actors need a script to act, the best do not.  Just between us, there is a lot more to acting than some people think. Some actors can make it look so natural.  Actors do interact with their audience and they damn well better be aware how they are affecting them. Actors need to be sincere and real in their delivery as well; if they are not, believe me, they will get told by me as a performance critic that they are not doing their jobs.  So, it goes for anyone who is communicating with an audience.  Trainer and public speaker come to mind.

There were some great comments and, unfortunately, some not so well-informed ones made in response to the LinkedIn question on actors and speaker differences that prompted the blog above.  The very fact I come from an acting background and use “Acting Smarts” as the title of my company and blog may make some “business professionals” think I teach only acting. I teach communication. I don’t make a speaker become someone else to deliver a message; I help that person use who they are–the best of who they are–to present his or her message.  The ability to act only makes me more comfortable at connecting with my audience in a personal way.  We, actors, often reach deep inside and are willing to share those truths.  But the same can be said of many people and many professions, yes?  It just happens to work for me and entertain as well.

By the way, my background includes a masters in social psychology as well as an interdisciplinary dual masters in English and Speech/Drama with an emphasis in performance criticism.  As for practical application, I have 30 years in government and the military as a spokesperson, trainer and writer.  Actors are not only actors, speakers not only speakers, and trainers not only trainers, but a polygamous marriage and more; each are communicators in his or her own rights, and the best of us do whatever it takes and learn whatever we can to get the job done.

This makes me think of a great follow-up:  What makes a great trainer?  What is the difference between a public speaker and a trainer?  A speech or training session? Next time.  I invite your comments and questions.  And, if you are looking for someone to communicate to an audience any of these things, please let me know.

Jack Shaw-On Memorizing Speeches & Presentations

My first rule about memorizing a speech or presentation:  Don’t.  Unless you are an actor who has never missed a line or misspoke a word, and I don’t know any.  I actually give a presentation on presenting. I worked with someone who used note cards, but that was his style of presenting and it worked for him. It is also the standard for college public speaking. 

Most important, be yourself.  I also use the note pages on PowerPoint to, imagine this, take notes.  I write down what I want to say about a particular slide as a way of making sure I’m on track.  When I want to have something exactly right, i.e., a quote, I will write it down exactly or if I think I wrote something especially well or memorable and will impress my audience with these exact words, I will memorize them (or have it down on a note card because an audience will understand I want to get it right just for them). 

In front of my audience I use my slides or internal organization to guide me.  Not a bad thing.  The key is to be natural.  Be yourself.  You sell both yourself and your subject matter.  If you can’t sell “you,” they won’t listen.  If you can’t sell your subject matter, it means to them you don’t care so why should they.

Here’s your mission:  Be welcoming, charming, caring, passionate and knowledgeable because that is who you are.  You’ll knock them dead–even with note cards–with your confidence.  If this doesn’t work for you, call me. It won’t cost of thing.