Exercise 1. Choose one of the situations for improvisation and develop them in pairs or in small groups.

Improvisation

Key Vocabulary

facetime (noun)- time together
to dialogue (verb) - to speak
to ping (verb) - to contact someone
pushback (noun) - to object to, complain about
synergies (noun) - combinations in efforts that improve something
value chain (noun) - the group of processes that provide something positive
value proposition (noun) - the improvement idea
seamlessly (adverb) - flowing smoothly
to integrate (verb) - to include in a process
win-win (noun, also used as an adjective) - successful outcome for everyone involved
ramp-up (noun, also used as a verb) - time it takes to do something
roll-out (noun, also used as a verb) - time it takes to do something
C-level (adjective) - upper management, directors
to dial-in (verb) - time it takes to do something
end-to-end (adjective) - complete
time-frame (noun) - amount of time needed
to map out (verb) - to plan
deliverables (noun) - specific improvements or products to be made
to leverage (verb) - to take advantage of something
heads-up (noun) - notice of something
performance management (noun) - way of managing someone

Study:

Improvisation is a dramatic hypothetical situation in which two speakers interact without any special preparation.

The key to successful improvisation is impeccable listening. Since you have no idea what your improvisation partner is going to say, you have to really listen in order to respond effectively.

How could this technique help you craft the content for your speech or presentation. Listening, really listening, to your audience. Of course you won't be in the same room with them trading lines back and forth when you're crafting your content. However, if you take the time before you write to study your audience - what is on their minds, what questions they have, what they wish they could do that they're not doing now, what would make their day - you are really listening, and then you'll know what your speech or presentation must include.

1. You are in a restaurant. You have just had a good dinner. The waiter is waiting for you to pay the bill. You look for your wallet and find that you have left it at home.

2. The car in front of you suddenly stops, and you cannot avoid hitting it. Both cars are damaged. The driver gets out of his car and comes toward you.

3. You are at home alone. Suddenly the telephone rings. You pick up the receiver and hear a strange voice on the other end of the line.

4. Your friend asks you to return a book that you borrowed from him several months ago. At first you cannot remember what you did with it. Then you explain why you kept the book for so long time.

5. At the theatre you discover that another person is sitting in your seat. You talk to him explaining that he is in the wrong seat.

6. One day you get up early and go downstairs. There, to your surprise, is a stranger sleeping on the sofa. You wake your mother up and ask who the stranger is.

7. You visit a friend’s home. After sneezing several times, you realize that you are allergic to your friend’s cat.

8. You are walking downtown with a friend. Suddenly you remember that you left some meat cooking on the stove at home.

9. You buy a sweater and leave it in the store by mistake. When you discover it is missing, you return to the store and ask the clerk if he has seen it.

10. You sit down in a chair. Suddenly you realize that you’re sitting on your friend’s hat. The hat is ruined and you apologize to your friend, offering to buy him a new hat instead.

11. You have not cooked anything for dinner because you were at a club meeting all day. Your husband comes home and is very hungry. He wants to eat right away.

12. You are awakened in the middle of the night by a loud noise outside the window. You look out of the window and see a strange man standing there singing. You ask him to stop singing but he refuses.

13. You are so busy that you cannot get all of your work done. Your boss calls you into his office and asks why you have not finished a certain project.

14. It is a midnight. You are walking home. Suddenly you see a shadow in front of you. You hear a voice telling you to stop.

15. You are a teacher. When you walk down into a room you see that one student is crying at his desk. You ask him why he is so upset.

16. You run into an old friend whom you have not seen for years. He used to weigh 120 kilos, now he weighs 80 kilos.

17. You get off a train in a strange country. You find a person who speaks a little English and ask him how to get to a certain address. After speaking with him for some time, you understand hoe to get where you want to go.

18. You are one of the first tourists on the moon. You are sending a message back to someone on earth.

19. Your house has been robbed. You call the police. When the policeman comes, he asks you a number of questions.

20. Your child has not been doing very well in school. The teacher calls you and tells you she would like to meet with you.

21. You bought a plane ticket to London. You go to the airport and learn from the airline representative that the flight has been cancelled. You are very upset because you must be in London today.

22. You bought a lottery ticket and left it in your coat pocket. Your wife does not know the ticket is there and she gives the coat away because it is so old. Later on you learn that you have a winning number. You ask the wife for the coat.

23. You are very near-sighted, and you lose your eye glasses in a crowded room. You ask someone to help you look for them.

24. You are strolling downtown. Suddenly you meet an old friend of yours whom you haven’t seen since you were in elementary school. You are surprised to learn that he has become a millionaire.

25. You are trying on shoes in a shoe store. You have tried on many different pairs, and the salesman is losing his patience.

26. You go to the bank to withdraw some money from your account. When the cashier asks for your identification, you discover that you have left all identification at home.

27. You are walking down the street. Suddenly you see a friend in front of you. You run up to him and say hello, but when he turns around you discover that he is a stranger.