Learning From Experience: A Practitioner's View

By Debbie Nicklaus

Originally appeared in the International Creativity Network Newsletter, volume 6, number 1, 1996, pages 4-7, 10-11.

Editor's Note: This issue begins an ad hoc column by Debbie Nicklaus highlighting practical application of creativity and leadership as they relate to personal and professional experiences.

Anxiety Alert and other Screenplay Critiques for Project Teams

My friend Dave is someone I admire a great deal. Somehow he balances a technical position and long hours; a family with a recent addition; intramural sports; and home repair (he recently performed a most dreaded feat ‚ constructing a swing set) with many other roles and responsibilities. In addition, he pursues his passion for writing by writing screenplays. He recently completed a thrilling murder (play, that is) and invited a few friends with diverse views to read and critique the screenplay. My participation stimulated some interesting comparisons for creative leadership.

I was especially impressed with the facilitative critiquing process he used. Periodically, at designated points, we debriefed what had happened and noted our learnings. Dave provided us with four "alerts" to watch for in our reading, and we were encouraged to call out these alerts whenever we noticed our reading being affected by one of them:

• Drag Alert:
  • Is there a loss of momentum?
  • Is there a dead spot?
• Credibility Alert:
  • Is something unbelievable?
  • Did someone do something out of character?
• Confusion Alert:
  • Is there something you don't understand?
  • Does something not make sense?
• Anxiety Alert:Are you feeling anxious about someone or something?

Shakespeare's reminder that all the world is a stage and that in our everyday lives we are players seemed to fit my screenplay alert experiences. "Alerts" like those above could be useful in a project team or in any self-reflecting learning organization. For example, a team might establish guidelines that could encourage members to question the project or organization using one of these alerts or others that they might create to give each other permission to speak up when things stopped working or moving.

If, as some maintain, art imitates life, then it is possible to combine the language and experience of screenplay writing with affirmative feedback and encouragement to participate as a co-creater on an organizational level.

Contact Information: Debbie Nicklaus, 370 Frederick Douglas Street, Rochester, New York 14608, USA, phone (716) 477-1960.