Improv+Healthcare = Player Reported Outcomes
Listening Skills
better attention; active and closer listening; intuitively attuned; more observant of all elements of communication (tone, body language etc); more mindful and reflective; more curiosity.
[listed reflections from IAMAZEBRA post event commentary and across medical humanities literature]
Speaking Skills
clearer; recognition of more appropriate terminology and common usage of language; making expectations clearer; speaking in an instructive manner rather than judgmental
Openness
more intellectually open-minded; more creative and imaginative; more delightfully spontaneous; ready to be supportive rather than discouraging; give as readily as receive
Perspective
better able to recognize other’s thinking and train of thought; better perceive cues; more readily grasp the perspective of others; recognize and better navigate status, hierarchy and power gradients; fully grasping and taking into account; recognizing context
Emotional Intelligence
how to be ‘in the moment’ and present; improved understanding and comprehension of others; newfound respect; find the power in authenticity, genuineness, allowing me to be me; feeling safe in my vulnerability and simple humanity; empowering intuition with compassion and empathy; person centered; recognition of values; building support
Relationship Building
finding new, different and meaningful ways to know others; come to appreciate the humanity of everyone; engage with others in a way that makes us all grow, and come to treasure each other
Being an Ensemble
how to be not just a team (a group organized – typically with a hierarchy - to meet a specific outcome), but an ensemble (a group that focuses on collaborative well-being of its members, emphasizing equally, individual’s contributions towards shared goals); finding common ground to work from; recognizing when to lead and when to follow; creating a culture and community of safety; assuring confidence and trust; accepting, adding, building; having your ‘scene’ partner’s back
Thinking Skills
pushing outside the box; reframing; accounting for and accommodating context; recognize patterns within changing circumstances; ability to change focus; intellectual agility and adaptability; make connections, yet readily be divergent in thinking; discovering, but also unburying and celebrating good ideas; willingness to move in a new direction; reconsider priorities; applicable in both clinical thinking (practitioner) and life decisions (patient); drop it, pick it up, move on
Acknowledging Uncertainty
recognizing the complexities of the healthcare world and moving with them; tolerating, managing, normalizing and embracing uncertainty and ambiguity; embracing failure; taking risks; appreciating the absurdities
Being Heard
opportunities to tell your story and hear the stories of others; speaking and hearing uncomfortable truths to provoke new thinking and sharing of the associated burdens to find new ways to move through the discomfort
De-Stressing
experiences that free one from the typically unrelenting obligations; sharing insecurities; having fun; stress relief; learning as we play; self-esteem built up and reassured; group bonding and trust enhancing; sharing a safe space
Connect with IAMAZEBRA
Would your group like to see some of these outcome?
Connect with IAMAZEBRA and let's see how we can make that happen!
Who Might Benefit from an IAMAZEBRA Event ?
Patient Support Groups
Improv Connections or stand-alone tailored performance piece to anchor and prompt conversation and relationship building amongst members. Improv workshop to learn skills in welcoming and engaging new members, or toward improving relationships and collaboration amongst patients, provider and payers.
Family Support Groups (families of people who are patients):
As with patient support groups, but tailored to the challenges of family members rather than ‘patients’ themselves
Disease Specific Advocacy Groups
Improv workshop to facilitate members knowing of and collaborating with each other; communication skills with political and legislative entities; supporting clinicians and researchers in the specific disease arena to better communicate with each other and the public about their specific issues; Tailored performance piece to educate the public about the needs of the groups they represent
Universities: Medical/Health Professional Entry-Level Education
Improv Connections and/or workshop to support students in learning skills in communication, relationship-building, collaborative decision-making and resilience...all critical to any doctoring practice (and generally required competencies)
Medical/Healthcare Practice Groups
Improv Connections and/or workshop to support communication, relationships and resilience within groups who inhabit the same workspace day after day; or just to have fun together; enhancement of practitioner/client encounters; communication skills to better engage alternative practitioners with standard medical practitioners
Professional Advocacy Groups
Improv workshop to facilitate knowing of each other; to more readily engage in inter-professional conversation, including alternative practitioners; communication skills as required with outside political entities; supporting clinicians and researchers in communicating with each other and the public; Improv Connections social event within a conference setting; Tailored performance piece to educate the public about the profession or as part of a conference experience, or fundraising
Healthcare Systems
Improv workshops with eclectic groups of players who have variant roles within the systems – professional practitioners, administrators & administrative personnel, technical staff, support staff (facilities management, logistics, billing, IT, housekeeping, dietary), or within specific departments, to come to appreciate variant perspectives and discern better ways to communicate and problem solve; finding new, different and meaningful ways to better understand all the stakeholders that the system serves and relies upon; come to appreciate the humanity of everyone
Healthcare Systems Corporate Administration
Improv workshop with administrators to facilitate collaboration and idea generation to address the ongoing challenges and ever-present changes in imposed rules; Stand-alone tailored performance piece as a stress relief for employees and/or clients or a mechanism to better engage the community; Presentation on improv in medical education for professional practitioners who engage in entry-level clinical professional education
Healthcare Researchers
Improv workshops to enhance communication skills of researchers amongst members and with groups outside of research - professionals, administrators, payers, consumers of healthcare and legislators
Legislators and Lobbyists
Improv workshops to foster communication skills amongst legislators and lobbyists themselves and support of relationship building to create collaborative solutions for constituents; also regarding relationships amongst lobbyists whose constituents have competing agendas (consumers, professional services, business interests, e.g. pharma, medical equipment, alternative therapies) . Stand-alone tailored performance piece to improve perception and community engagement
Payers
Improv workshops to facilitate communication skills amongst administration to improve collaboration, communication skills of employees who engage with the public; Social improv to support resilience and mental health of employees who are often the brunt of consumers irritation; Stand-alone tailored performance piece to improve perception and community engagement
Pharma / Patient and Institutional Medical Equipment Companies
Improv workshops with consumers to improve understandings of consumer needs and idea generation for new products; to facilitate communication and relationships between employees and institutional clients and their liaisons for more divergent thinking in meeting institutional needs and more effectively solving problems with equipment. Stand-alone tailored performance piece to improve perception and community engagement
All Groups
All these groups would especially benefit from participating in IAMAZEBRA events together!!
Groups have used IAMAZEBRA workshops or events to
- Engage the broader community
- Provide opportunities for garnering continuing education credits (have acquired physical therapy CE credits for courses from NY, NJ, CT, CA)
- Meet accreditation competencies within entry-level medical and health professional education related to communications, ethics, inter-professional relationships and collaboration
- Fundraise
Connect with IAMAZEBRA
Is your group ready to learn about itself, its members and all those with whom they need to collaborate across healthcare?
Connect with IAMAZEBRA to play and learn.
Let's see how we can make that happen!