It's engagement you fool! | Alan Heap | TEDxLeamingtonSpa

Summary

In this TED Talk, the speaker humorously engages the audience in a mock rehearsal, highlighting the importance of audience participation in delivering a successful presentation. He then transitions to a serious discussion about the role of the 'licensed fool' in society and business, advocating for the inclusion of humor and playfulness in the workplace to foster creativity and open dialogue. Drawing from historical examples and personal experiences, he argues that fools can offer unique perspectives and challenge the status quo, ultimately benefiting organizations and their leaders.

Takeaways

• 😄 The speaker humorously admits to not being asked to give a TED Talk but having to plead to get on the list, highlighting the importance of persistence.
• 🎭 The speaker playfully engages the audience in a rehearsal to ensure their performance complements his talk, emphasizing the collaborative nature of communication.
• 🤡 The concept of the 'licensed fool' is introduced as a historical role that allowed for humor and commentary on societal norms and authority.
• 🏛 The history of fools, from ancient Greece to Shakespeare's court jesters, is recounted to show the role of humor in challenging the status quo.
• 🤹 The speaker's personal journey from a school prankster to a professional 'idiot' in the performing arts is shared to illustrate the legitimacy of humor as a career.
• 💼 The transition from theater to business is discussed, with the speaker noting the stark contrast in appreciation and acknowledgment between the two fields.
• 😶 The speaker critiques the business world for its lack of humor, openness, and appreciation, suggesting that these elements are vital for a healthy work environment.
• 🤝 The importance of breaking down hierarchical barriers and fostering open dialogue is stressed, using the fool's role as a metaphor for challenging authority.
• 🎭 The role of improvisation in comedy is celebrated as a symbol of freedom, creativity, and the ability to inspire and challenge conventional thinking.
• 🤔 The speaker calls for the reintegration of fools and clowns into positions of authority to provide a different perspective and prevent leaders from taking themselves too seriously.
• 🙌 The talk concludes with a call to action for leaders to embrace the fool's perspective to foster creativity, openness, and a lighter approach to leadership.

Q & A

What was the speaker's initial goal after watching Sir Ken Robinson's TED Talk?

The speaker's initial goal was to be asked to deliver his own TED Talk on creativity and education.

Why did the speaker feel the need to rehearse the audience?

The speaker wanted to ensure that if his talk ended up on the TED website, the audience's performance would match his own, avoiding any underperformance that could detract from his presentation.

What role did the speaker ask the audience to play during his talk?

The speaker asked the audience to participate in practicing facial expressions, nodding, and different types of applause to simulate a responsive and engaged audience.

What is the historical significance of fools in society according to the speaker?

Historically, fools like Diogenes in ancient Greece played a role in challenging authority and commenting on societal norms, providing a different perspective and sometimes even influencing the decision-making process.

How did the speaker's career as a professional fool begin?

The speaker's career as a professional fool began in school, where he was noted for being able to achieve good grades while also being silly, leading him to pursue a career in comedy and performance.

What is the role of a fool in the context of the speaker's business experience?

In the context of business, the speaker believes that a fool can bring fun, lightness, and a different perspective to the working world, challenging the status quo and encouraging open and honest dialogue.

Why does the speaker think that organizations should make room for laughter?

The speaker believes that laughter and the presence of a 'fool' can break down barriers to communication, foster a more human and engaging work environment, and prevent organizations from becoming too serious or rigid.

What is the speaker's view on the current state of modern society in relation to fools and clowns?

The speaker views modern society as having separated clowns and fools from their traditional roles of providing commentary and challenge to authority figures, suggesting that they should be reintegrated into positions where they can influence and inspire.

What does the speaker suggest as a solution to the lack of humor and human connection in the business world?

The speaker suggests that business leaders and authorities should welcome clowns and fools into their organizations to provide a different perspective, encourage creativity, and prevent an overly serious work environment.

How does the speaker describe the importance of improvisation in the role of a fool?

The speaker describes improvisation as an essential aspect of the fool's role, as it allows for adaptability, openness to the moment, and the ability to challenge predictability and planning in a constructive way.

What personal anecdote does the speaker share to illustrate the power of a fool's license?

The speaker shares an anecdote about a conference where he had planned to improvise with a senior civil servant who initially resisted but eventually joined in, leading to a successful and revealing interaction that demonstrated the value of embracing a fool's perspective.

Outlines

00:00

😄 The Art of Fooling Around

The speaker humorously introduces himself as an uninvited TED Talk presenter who had to fight to be on the list. He playfully engages the audience in a series of rehearsed reactions to his talk, including facial expressions and applause, to ensure the quality of the video. He then transitions into discussing his career as a 'professional idiot', starting from school and referencing historical figures like Diogenes, to advocate for the importance of humor and the licensed fool in society.

05:03

🤹‍♂️ The Role of the Fool in Comedy and Commentary

The speaker delves into the history of fools and their roles in society, from ancient Greece to Shakespeare's time, emphasizing their dual function as entertainers and commentators on authority. He shares personal anecdotes from his career in physical comedy, including injuries and the sacrifices made for humor. The speaker also discusses the fool's role in challenging the status quo and the importance of laughter in business environments, contrasting it with the often humorless corporate world.

10:04

🤔 The Resistance to Humor in Business

The speaker explores the resistance to humor and playfulness in the business world, where he found a stark contrast to the applause and appreciation he received in the theater. He describes the corporate environment as one that controls employees through technology, processes, and strict rules, with little room for open dialogue or laughter. The speaker recounts his experiences with organizations that either embrace or resist his efforts to bring fun and creativity into the workplace, highlighting the hostility he faced from one manager who took offense at the name of his company, 'Purple Monster'.

15:05

🎭 The Value of Fools in Modern Society

In the final paragraph, the speaker argues for the reintroduction of fools in positions of authority to provide a different perspective and prevent leaders from taking themselves too seriously. He reflects on his experiences with a senior civil servant who, despite initial reservations, engaged in improvisation and found it rewarding. The speaker calls for a society that values the contributions of fools and clowns, not just for entertainment but for their ability to challenge norms and bring a lighter approach to serious matters.

Keywords

💡Creativity

Creativity refers to the use of imagination or original ideas to produce something new and valuable. In the video, the speaker expresses a desire to discuss the importance of creativity in education, inspired by Sir Ken Robinson's TED Talk. Creativity is a central theme as the speaker advocates for a more playful and imaginative approach in various aspects of life, including business.

💡Fool

A 'fool' in this context is not someone lacking intelligence but rather a person who plays the role of a jester or comedian, traditionally in a court or theater, to entertain and sometimes offer candid commentary. The speaker identifies as a 'professional idiot' and discusses the historical role of fools in challenging authority and providing comic relief, suggesting that the presence of a 'licensed fool' could benefit modern society and business.

💡Improvisation

Improvisation is the process of creating or adapting something spontaneously without prior planning or preparation. The speaker emphasizes the importance of improvisation in comedy and its ability to challenge predictability and planning. It is presented as a valuable skill that allows for adaptability and innovation, particularly in the context of the business world where it can foster a more open and dynamic environment.

💡Authority

Authority in the video is depicted as the power or right to give orders, make decisions, or enforce obedience. The speaker discusses how the presence of a fool can challenge authority figures, making them less likely to take themselves too seriously and more open to dialogue and new ideas. An example is given where a senior civil servant initially asserts his authority but later engages in improvisation, demonstrating a willingness to step out of his usual role.

💡Commedia dell'arte

Commedia dell'arte is a form of improvisational theatre that originated in Italy in the 16th century, characterized by masked performers playing fixed character types. The speaker mentions this form of theatre as an influence on his own comedy, highlighting the use of exaggerated stock characters and physical comedy, which is a key element in the tradition and in the speaker's work.

💡Laughter

Laughter is the natural expression of amusement or joy, and in the video, it is presented as a vital component of human interaction and a tool for breaking down barriers in communication. The speaker argues for the inclusion of laughter in the workplace, suggesting that it can foster a more relaxed and open environment, which is conducive to creativity and honesty.

💡Performance

In the context of the video, 'performance' refers to the act of presenting a creative work, such as a play, comedy routine, or speech. The speaker engages the audience in a mock 'performance' to demonstrate the importance of audience participation and emotional investment. This interaction serves to highlight the speaker's point about the value of active engagement and emotional expression in communication.

💡Emotional Content

Emotional content refers to the feelings or emotions conveyed in a performance or message. The speaker asks the audience to practice different types of applause, each with a distinct emotional tone, such as cynicism or warmth. This exercise illustrates the speaker's argument that emotions play a significant role in communication and should not be suppressed in professional settings.

💡Business

Business, in the video, represents the corporate world where the speaker finds a stark contrast to the world of theater. He describes a business environment often devoid of laughter and fun, controlled by technology, processes, and strict rules, which he argues stifles creativity and open communication. The speaker advocates for the integration of humor and playfulness into the business world to foster a more engaging and creative atmosphere.

💡Perspective

Perspective refers to a particular way of considering or regarding something. The speaker suggests that having a 'fool' in positions of authority, such as business leaders or government ministers, can offer a fresh and different perspective. This new viewpoint can lead to innovative solutions and prevent leaders from becoming too entrenched in their own seriousness or dogmatic views.

💡Human Frailties

Human frailties are the weaknesses, imperfections, or vulnerabilities inherent in human nature. The speaker argues that acknowledging and embracing these frailties, rather than suppressing them for the sake of productivity, can lead to a more authentic and emotionally intelligent workplace. The acceptance of human emotions and imperfections is presented as a key to unlocking creativity and open dialogue.

Highlights

Speaker humorously admits to not being invited to give the TED Talk but having to plead for the opportunity.

Speaker jokes about rehearsing the audience's reactions to ensure the quality of the talk on the TED website.

Audience engagement is humorously instructed through facial expressions and nodding to simulate attentiveness.

The concept of 'cynical applause' is introduced as a unique way to engage the audience.

Speaker transitions to a serious topic by discussing the historical role of the licensed fool in society.

Anecdote about Diogenes of Sinope illustrates the fool's role in challenging societal norms.

The speaker's personal journey from school to becoming a professional 'idiot' is shared with humor.

The importance of physical comedy and the risks involved are highlighted with personal stories.

The role of the fool as a commentator and challenger of authority is discussed using Shakespeare's characters as examples.

The speaker's experience in business shows a stark contrast to the world of theater, lacking in acknowledgment and appreciation.

A critique of modern organizations that stifle creativity and joy through strict control and lack of communication.

The speaker's mission to inject fun and lightness into the business world is introduced.

Hostility towards the idea of bringing humor into the workplace is exemplified with anecdotes.

The benefits of lowering one's status to open up dialogue and honesty are discussed.

The importance of improvisation and its contrast to predictability in the business world is highlighted.

The speaker advocates for the inclusion of fools in positions of authority to provide a different perspective.

A plea for society to give a license to fools to help prevent seriousness from stifling creativity and progress.

The talk concludes with a heartfelt thank you and an invitation for applause, emphasizing the human element in all endeavors.

Transcripts

Transcriber: Ryan Hildebrandt Reviewer: Amanda Chu

Thank you, my friend.

Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen.

So, hello, TED!

(Audience) Hello.

Ah nice, that's lovely.

So, I'm really pleased to be here.

And I think ever since I first saw

Sir Ken Robinson deliver his talk on TED about creativity and education,

I've always wanted to be asked to deliver my own TED Talk.

But I have a confession to make.

I haven't been asked to deliver this talk at all.

I've had to plead and beg and cajole

and do, like all my fellow speakers, everything to get myself on the list.

And also like my fellow speakers, I've been practicing a lot.

But one thing I've noticed

is that nobody ever bothers to rehearse the audience.

(Laughter)

But all that changes now.

(Laughter)

And there's a good reason,

because I can't take the risk

that if my talk should end up on the TED website,

that all my hard work, quite frankly, has gone for nothing

because you, as an audience, have slightly underperformed.

(Laughter)

That's all I'm saying, okay?

You know what I mean,

there's me, sparkling, witty, insightful, all that stuff,

and then they cut to you,

(Laughter)

chatting to your neighbour, looking at the phone, that kind of thing.

And I've seen these TED Talks, I've looked.

So I hope you don't mind a bit of indulgence,

but I'm going to ask you to do a little bit of performance for me,

a little bit of practice yourselves.

So here we go.

I'm going to start with just simple facial expression and some posture, okay?

So what I want you to do now for me, please, is to try this.

I want you to look relaxed but interested.

(Laughter)

Okay?

All right, just do that for me now.

Yeah, that's not bad. Okay, nice.

Now, I'm going to step it up a little bit,

I want relaxed, interested but with added nodding, okay?

So you know, like I'm saying, important stuff, okay?

Right, so try that for me now. Go, added nodding.

Yeah, try not to do it all at once. It looks a bit staged.

(Laughter)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, he's good, that guy.

Okay, good.

Okay, we now up the ante even more.

This is about emotional content.

Throughout this thing,

you're probably going to applaud every now and then,

I hope you will, in all the talks,

but I want you to bring emotion to it - not just any old applause.

This is a special audience.

So, I want you to try now for me a small smattering of applause,

but I want you to convey cynicism with it.

(Laughter)

I want cynical applause, a small smattering.

Go.

(Applause)

Oh. (Laughs)

Yeah, remember that, everybody, won't you? Okay.

So, now, let's get somewhat a bit nicer.

I want you to bring what I really want from a fabulous audience,

which of course is warmth, if you have it in you, love,

you know, anything like that.

A little bit of love and warmth, and really sort of put that over.

So, try that for me right now.

(Cheers) (Applause)

Oh, yeah! Oh, great! (Laughs)

Whoo!

Well, you all are going to be fantastic,

and to be honest,

it's probably not going to get any better, I might as well finish now.

Okay, you've probably gathered by now

that I am not the rocket scientist of the day

nor, indeed, a serious academic of any kind,

but I do hope that I've got an idea worth spreading.

So I'm going to talk to you

about why I think we should bring back the licensed fool.

My life as a professional idiot began at school.

I started off at school.

One teacher said of me on a school report,

"If Alan can get 72% and be silly, what would he get if he were sensible?"

(Laughter)

Unfortunately, Mr. J.C. Siddons, physics, would never find out,

because I never got sensible.

It turned out I was going to be an idiot for a living.

But of course, there were no classes for that.

So, as a result,

I fooled around and clowned around in all the other lessons.

Throughout history, there has been a place for the fool.

All the way back to ancient Greece, take Diogenes for example,

who lived in a barrel in the ancient Greek marketplace,

along with the likes of Socrates and Plato.

They didn't live in his barrel, you understand,

they were just in the marketplace, somewhere.

Some of the well documented escapades of Diogenes

include holding up a light to people's faces

to see if he could find someone that was honest,

and masturbating in public to prove that as far as he was concerned,

manners and etiquette were just ridiculous.

Relax, I'm not going there, okay. I just, you know -

(Laughter)

The Italians, for example,

picked up the baton of clowning and comedy with commedia dell'arte.

And in my own performing career, along with my comedy partner, Mick Wall,

who incidentally trained at the Lecoq school in Paris.

I don't know why I'm doing that, because he trained and I didn't

but nevertheless - (Laughs)

We borrowed hugely from the commedia tradition,

which was all about exaggerated stock characters

such as foolish old men and devious servants

and scheming mistresses and so on.

And we had great fun.

We also pursued the physicality of comedy, and I still have the scars to prove it.

For example,

in one particular, shall we say, a spectacular "Lecoq up," you might say,

my intended summersault was about 10 feet in the air,

but because my foot slipped through Mick's hands,

the summersault was at two feet in the air,

and I knocked myself unconscious.

And I'm not alone in going through the physical pain for the art of comedy.

The great clown Grimaldi, for example,

he gave his benefit performance in 1828 at the Drury Lane Theater from a chair.

Why? Because he was so injured from his performing career,

he could no longer stand up.

Now look, I'm not the only one to have gone through pain for comedy,

but of course, it isn't just about laughter.

We know from Shakespeare's depictions of fools at courts

that the clown and jester had another role,

that of commentator, not just entertainer.

And in fact, we can know, for example,

if we look at Shakespeare's writing about Lear's fool,

we know he sails close enough to the wind

to be threatened with being whipped by the king

because he's challenging his authority.

We know, too, that actually, the last official fool in England

was in the time of Charles I.

But it's clear that part of their official role

was to challenge the authority

and comment on things that were going on and around the wisdom.

Also, clowns weren't just at court then.

Many towns had their own elected fool.

Some might say we still elect fools in towns now,

(Laughter)

but, you know, far be it for me to say so.

Now look, I hope it's interesting

to hear the odd performing tale or two and a little bit of history,

but I did say I have a serious point to my talk.

So I, some time ago, took the slow motion leap

from the world of theater into the world of business.

And I was in for a bit of a shock.

There's no substitute for the end of a day

receiving a rapturous round of applause at the end of your work.

Try to remember that, won't you, at the end of this.

But in fact, when I got to business,

I found a world where not only did nobody receive rapturous applause,

they didn't get thanked at all.

And in fact, I found, subsequently, some organizations that seemed to me

to be set up deliberately to keep their people miserable.

Companies control their employees

through a combination of technology, process, rules and so on;

and the constant desire

to measure and report sort of anything and everything.

And managers don't seem to be able to talk to their staff openly and freely.

And, more than anything,

there just doesn't seem much room for laughter.

Now I don't know, if you work in a bank or something,

surely there should be a little bit of room for laughter.

In fact, in my opinion, in a bank there should be a room for laughter.

(Laughter)

Certainly plenty of laughter when I go in the bank.

I know, really,

that's my bank manager by the way.

Thank you for coming in; it's really kind.

Now, I may be a fool, but I'm a passionate one.

And I've spent about 20 years in a small organization

trying to bring a bit of fun and lightness to the working world.

And we've come across people, individuals and organizations

who welcome us in,

who really promote creativity

and just encourage playfulness and engagement

in a whole host of ways.

We've also discovered organizations that don't do that at all.

They do something else.

You get an idea of the level of welcome

at the first meeting with senior management.

There's often a list of objections.

"Oh, no, no. Our people won't like that."

This is before they know what we've proposed.

"Our people won't do what your asking. They're engineers."

Well okay.

Or "We've had people like you before. Didn't work."

Yeah, seems fair enough, I guess.

But all those objections - what are they so worried about?

In the most extreme case of hostility - and I apologize, I won't do the swearing -

there was one gentleman who before I had said one single word

introduced our company.

And just for the sake of the story,

you need to know our company is called "Purple Monster."

This is how he introduced our company - and forgive the terrible Scottish accent -

"Aye alright, here is a man

who's named his company after an effing penis."

(Laughter)

Great, he didn't say "effing" either.

So why the hostility?

What is this person so concerned about

that someone like me is coming into his organization?

Well of course,

if he's in a position of authority,

he or she may be looking at me

and wondering whether they've got something to lose -

their title, their position, their reputation,

what about the respect of their staff and so on.

And they may look at someone like me and think,

"Do they know how important I am?"

And of course, the answer is "Probably not."

Or rather, I may know,

but I may not choose to give it that much credibility.

I may decide, instead, to have a bit of fun, of course.

Fools, at least fools like me, we learn to lower our status.

And in my experience, that opens up dialogue.

It allows people to start talking openly and honestly,

which is fine if you're comfortable with talking openly and honestly

with your staff.

Also, fools love to break the rules.

Yeah. Not really serious rules like safety and so on,

but rules like who can talk to who,

who should go where and when, and so on.

And, finally, fools - the art of the fool more than anything -

lies in being in the moment, in improvising.

And that flies in the face of predictability and planning.

That's why I love improvisation so much.

Its edgy, its dangerous and sometimes entirely inspiring.

And right now, I can feel the urge to get off this mat, which is a rule,

and say some stuff that I really shouldn't be saying,

and get in there, you know what I mean.

No, no, no, get back on.

Companies have so many borders that they set up

around hierarchy

and around what your perceived position is in the company and so on.

There are so many barriers to good communication.

And in my experience, fools and clowns like me,

we change that because we just treat people as humans.

I don't care what your title is, your authority, your reputation,

though you may bring it with you.

I don't care.

To me you're just humans in a room.

Just like now, hopefully humans who are up for a bit of a laugh.

Not that we don't do serious either.

In my experience, the best fools and clowns

can use a whole host of different emotions

and take us to all sorts of different places.

And whilst I acknowledge that in a working world,

we sometimes keep those emotions under wraps a little bit,

otherwise we wouldn't get things done so well

if we were in a highly-charged emotional atmosphere all the time.

But nevertheless,

I think we should acknowledge that we are all humans

and we have human frailties.

And therefore, we shouldn't trample on those emotions

just for the sake of productivity or output.

I once had the most, well, extraordinary experience really,

with someone who is now one of the most senior civil servants in the country.

This was on a conference stage,

and I entered on to the conference stage where he already was.

And at the time, I was gently lampooning his then chief executive

and having a bit of fun.

As I walked past him, he whispered to me under his breath:

"I'm not going to help you, at all."

Great. (Laughs)

He was establishing his authority.

Of course, it made me a little bit nervous;

in fact, it made me very nervous.

Especially as I knew that what I had planned

was a bit of improvisation with him.

He didn't know that,

but I knew that that was the centerpiece of the conference.

Having established his authority, of course,

he could then have decided just not to join in.

He could have ruined the whole thing and stopped it then and there,

but ... his status would not have gone up with his audience, with his staff;

in fact, it would have made him look really quite weak in front of them.

However, with a senior leader, like you would expect,

he did indeed join in, with some generosity and good nature,

and afterwards, was able to say to me

not only was it successful,

but that he had been able to share a part of him

that he felt unable to under ordinary circumstances.

I think that's a win-win.

More than anything else, he gave me the fool's license.

In general terms, our society is governed by the sensible,

those who have certificates that confirm their seriousness.

Doctors, lawyers, architects, accountants,

they all have the right qualifications to determine how things should be run.

After all, it wouldn't be a great idea - would it? -

to have someone silly in charge.

(Laughs)

However, I think it would be a good idea to have some fools around,

to see things from a different perspective,

to consider the unusual, the absurd.

And I think the problem with our modern society

is we have separated the clowns and the fools

from their patrons.

They don't sit next to the king anymore.

Modern fools are doing a fantastic job in comedy clubs, in films and TV:

Sasha Baron Cohen, Russel Brand and so on.

They're brilliant, but they're not there.

For me, the modern equivalent of Shakespeare's court

are the business leaders who sit around board tables,

the government ministers -

anybody who is in a position of authority,

that are making decisions on all our behalf.

I think it's time for them to welcome in the clown and the fool

and not push them away.

Have them there

and see what they might be able to achieve together.

Because in the end, a clown and a fool can help them see a different perspective,

a lighter way,

and also, just send them up a little bit,

and not let them get too serious,

or about their topic or about themselves, without pricking that bubble.

So my plea is for anyone in authority -

indeed, anyone -

to help out and bring in and give a license to a fool,

fools like me.

So far, you've been brilliant.

It's the end of the talk now, so now's your love and warmth moment.

And thank you for listening.

(Applause) (Cheers)