As a performer, the worst directors or coaches I ever had barked out a result and expected me to fulfill it.
“Be more angry,” they’d say. Or “I need you to be more vulnerable.” And I’d scratch my head, wondering, “how the heck do I do that? Give me something to DO?” Because, as my acting teacher, Michael Howard, used to say, you can’t play a RESULT. And acting is DOING. The way to achieve a result—on stage or in life—is to make a choice and take action– to DO something specific.
As an example, when I work with a public speaking coaching client to help her bring greater volume to her voice, I don’t simply ask her to speak louder (a result). I ask her to imagine that I—or the members of her audience—are slightly hard of hearing and to speak accordingly. Se’ll automatically make adjustments to the way she’s speaking to accommodate the direction, most often resulting in a louder voice.
Great coaches and directors focus on doable actions rather than results. They also instill a greater sense of clarity and confidence in their clients by reflecting back their strengths. I was reminded of this during this past season of American Idol –yes, I watch it, and you can stop laughing now– when several guest mentors /coaches were asked to help the contestants perform more effectively.
The singer and producer, Usher, turned out to be my favorite Idol mentor/coach. As one of my own coaching clients observed, after watching Usher work with the Idol hopefuls, “He really connected with those contestants. And he gave them specific stuff to DO!”
Exactly!
“Take those glasses off and really look at me,” Usher said to one contestant, Andrew, wanting to help him dial down his nervousness by getting to him to connecting more deeply –with himself and another person– while singing. Andrew did, and, as result, he sang with more focus and connection.
With another contestant, a young woman named Katie, Usher suggested she “connect with one person, and tell him your story.” Again, he gave her something specific to DO, which resulted in the song’s meaning being delivered with more clarity, creating a deeper connection between Katie and the members of her audience.
To Didi, another contestant, whose teary, emotional connection to the song threatened to make it less effective, he said “Wait for the end of the song to show your emotion.” She did, resulting in a more, more accessible, less emotionally indulgent performance.
Finally, and most impressive of all, Usher spoke from his heart to Lee Dewize, a good singer plagued by self doubt. “You have an incredible voice.” He said. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, especially considering the kind of talent you have. Believe that you belong here. If you don’t believe it, they won’t.” Those words, which were, coincidentlly, repeated in a video clip literally before Lee stepped out on stage to sing his number, lifted Lee’s shoulders and brought out a whole new level of confidence. He sang the heck out of this song, provoking the notoriously negative Idol Judge Simon Cowell to say “this night might have changed your life.” It did, in fact, pushing Lee ahead to eventually win the title of American Idol– thanks in no small part to Usher’s kudos and coaching.
Business coach and guru, Alan Weiss, writes “What we need are people who can help us believe in ourselves and jettison the accumulated baggage that impedes our actions.” The best coaches – like Usher– do just that, by not only helping us to see and embrace our own strengths, but by encouraging us to take specific actions. And actions—what you choose to DO– create real, and lasting– results!