Your Scene Partner Is a creative genius

Honoring your scene partner as a creative genius is a fundamental part of improv - it's also a fundamental part of building healthy relationships personally and professionally. Good communication, productive confrontation and natural collaboration live and die on whether or not you're honoring your scene partner! But it does beg the question... what happens when my scene partner is a JERK?!

Listen - I totally get it! I've been there too, as have many (if not all) of my clients. Here are some things that can help when you're in a situation like this:

1. Remember that your scene partner is more than how they do this one thing. She/he is bigger than just how they're showing up in this moment.
2. When we really believe our scene partner is a creative genius, we believe they can be trusted with the truth. We don't have to coddle or treat with "kid gloves." As long as we offer our perspective with equal parts honesty, clarity and kindness, we'll be set!
3. A creative genius can survive a moment of silence! Silence is not an emergency, as I'm eternally fond of saying. It's completely safe and appropriate to take a moment to collect your thoughts before responding to something distasteful.

And one final point -- sometimes the best way to honor a creative genius is not to collaborate with them. There are times when the best way to serve everyone's highest good is to part ways. This is not quitting or giving up - it's trusting that there's another creative genius out there who can build with this person, and it's creating space for that to happen.

If you'd like to hear more about handling confrontation in a way that sets you up for growing as a professional and advancing your career, I am offering a FREE 30-minute webinar on September 4th! More info and registration here.