Fifteen

Watching Sarah Palin’s interview with Katie Couric sends tingles down my spine – politics aside, it is exactly the reason why fear of public speaking ranks number one in the minds of people above fear of death. You can be touted as a master debater, yet still degenerate into Miss Teen South Carolina, grasping for air and wondering, “Why CAN’T Americans point out the US on a world map?” As MBA students, we are often put on the spot from classroom cold-calls to probing McKinsey interviews. How do we save ourselves from self-destruction?

In comes Lakshmi Balachandra: improv comic, MIT Sloan lecturer and alum (MBA ’04) who saw improvisation as “a different avenue of learning leadership communication.” Lakshmi has taught Improvisational Leadership at Sloan for the past 4 years, spearheading a new wave of management training based on improvisational techniques.

Since recruiting season is around the corner and the climate is tough, I asked Lakshmi to give us some advice on interviews and networking events:

1.    Don’t force it. A common mistake is to deliver a canned elevator pitch on your accomplishments and goals, especially when nobody asked for it. Recruiters will see right through you. It’s much better to stay natural.

2.    Focus on the moment in front of you. Be aware and ready to work with whatever transpires in the conversation and in the marketplace in general – e.g. if you are looking for a job in finance, be sure to be up-to-date on the current financial crisis.

3.    Listen! Your agenda may be very different from the other person’s. If an executive just came in from a long flight to a networking event, he probably doesn’t want to hear a detailed account of your recommendations for his company. You could catch the signals by listening carefully to what people are saying or how they are acting (e.g. lots of yawning is a good thing to watch out for.)

4.    Add the right information - - at the right time. When you do see an opportunity arise, make sure you keep the conversation on point. Assess the person – if her demeanor is curt, keep your answers short rather than stumbling and rambling.

Lakshmi will be teaching Improvisational Leadership again this Spring as an H1 course. Students in the class will go through improvisational exercises and watch a show at the Improv Asylum in Boston. As some one who took the class last semester, I can attest this is the best way to satisfy your Leadership requirement and gain important in-the-moment communication skills.

As to what Lakshmi thought about Sarah Palin’s interview? She suggests being honest would have worked out much better. “She could have said, ’You know Katie, I have five kids and, as the governor of Alaska, I don’t have time to read the paper… actually I have it read to me!’”