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Lessons from a Professional Clown Turned Trainer
May 18, 2009
By Susan Landay
More than 200 clowns attended the 40th reunion of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. I was one of them. Today I am president of Trainers Warehouse, and am dedicated to developing effective, innovative, and fun products for trainers and educators.
While in the reunion spirit of reflection and reminiscing, I realized the lessons learned from clowning, and the mottos ingrained in me 20 years ago when attending Clown College, would resonate well for teachers and trainers. Here's what came to mind:
1. KISS—Keep it simple and stupid.
2. Make it BIG!
3. Get in, get the laugh, and get out.
4. Relax and let it happen (I was an uptight Yale graduate when I started in Clown College).
5. Laugh at yourself.
KISS—Keep it simple and stupid
As human beings, we are complex creatures with complex minds. Language allows us to communicate nuanced thoughts and complex theories. This usually works well when talking one-on-one with another person. Even so, consider how many times we've mis-communicated with a spouse, family member, friend, or colleague. The challenge of clear communication is magnified when we address larger audiences. In fact, the more people who are involved, the greater the chance for misinterpretation. Hence, the clowning motto, "keep it simple."
Clowns perform in an arena with audiences of tens of thousands, seated in as many as five balconies. When performing before groups of this size, it's critical to simplify both the content of our "gags," and our movements in performing them, so every person in the audience "gets it," without working too hard to interpret what they see.
Teachers and trainers should keep it simple, too, and understand it's hard to learn new material. Like a clown gag, simplicity is important as it relates to both content and the presentation or explanation of it. Cut down the clutter and boil your material down to easily digestible parts. Practice your delivery so it is concise. Ensure directions are clear and easy to follow.
Make it BIG!
For clowns, everything must be big—again, so everyone can see it, even those in the highest balcony. Every movement and facial expression is exaggerated. Each clown's makeup is tailored to the individual's face, emphasizing the person's natural facial contours. Good make-up helps the clown broadcast a range of facial expressions, whether a frown or a smile, to large audiences.
The "Make it BIG" lesson for trainers is to keep your eye on the big picture and not get muddled in the details of the lesson plan. Stay focused on the goals and purpose of your training and periodically check in with your group to ensure they're picking up the biggest, most important points.
Reinforce your big points with exercises, activities, examples, and simulations that illustrate and emphasize their importance, thus making them memorable. In the spirit of clowning itself, remember, too, that gestures, props, and vocal volume should be scaled to the size of the group. Subtle gestures or quiet asides will be lost on larger audiences.
Get in, get the laugh, and get out
In clown vernacular, the motto "get in, get the laugh, get out," means we keep our gags quick, tight, and funny. The rest is unnecessary—especially given the number of acts awaiting Ring Two (commonly referred to as the center ring). Don't waste time meandering without a purpose.
This stay-on-task lesson is a good one for those of you concerned with the ROI of your training. Every aspect of the training session—each game, icebreaker, and activity should have a content-related purpose. Help your group appreciate your sense of purpose. Be transparent. Tell them exactly why they are doing an exercise such as a role-play or icebreaker.
The "get out" aspect of this principle is the one I’m least comfortable with as a trainer. Teaching and training are not finite processes with a precise endpoint. Learning requires frequent reminders and follow-ups to ensure success. Still, we must recognize that in each phase of teaching and training, there is a point at which the teacher should "get out," and let the implementation of learning happen. It doesn't mean you'll never be back, only that you are done for now.
Relax and let it happen
My Clown College dean, Steve Smith, once told me, "I can always see the gears spinning in your head. Just relax. Let it happen." At the time, we were practicing chair falls. It probably didn't help that in the early years of my life I studied the precise movements of gymnastics and ballet, and that at Yale I simply studied, studied, studied. But the lesson was important nonetheless. Whatever was going on in my mind shouldn't be the concern of my audience. I needed to make it look natural and effortless.
As a clown, this meant I needed to be able to "take a hit," "put a pie in someone's face," juggle, walk on stilts, or fall on my face, without having the audience worry I would get hurt. Since medieval times, performers such as clowns and jesters have been tasked with this same challenge: to entertain the royal court and help reduce stress. The funny antics should take their minds away from everyday worries, not add to them.
As teachers and trainers, we need to do the same for our audience of learners. Create a stress-free environment that will enable maximum learning.
Brain researchers say one of the biggest destroyers of memory is stress. When we are stressed, our bodies release high levels of cortisol into the bloodstream. Cortisol is known to destroy glucose, our brain's only food source.
We can reduce learning stress in several ways. Know your material and practice your presentation and facilitation techniques. We should come to sessions prepared. If our group has confidence in us, and our ability to help them learn, they'll feel more relaxed about the process. Help individuals relax by using icebreakers to introduce them to fellow students, playing relaxing music, integrating humor into workshops, and by using stress-toys.
If we, as trainers, are relaxed, and we help our students relax, the learning WILL happen.
Laugh at yourself
As clowns we're taught to laugh at ourselves, at human weaknesses, and at any kind of difficult situation. Clowns aren't worried about embarrassment or helping people save face. To the contrary, if someone spilled soup on their fancy tie, tripped on the way down the aisle to receive an award, or got a really bad haircut, we would laugh. We wouldn't politely ignore it. We look for humor in everything, purposely embarrassing ourselves to get a laugh.
As facilitators of learning, we appreciate the vulnerability people feel when pushing their comfort levels and trying new things. The truth is, foibles are an important part of learning. So, trainers and teachers must create mind-sets and environments that encourage and celebrate students' efforts.
Here are some ways to set a tone of acceptance:
• Purposely trip on your way up to the front of the room, and laugh at yourself.
• Poke fun at yourself and encourage laughter.
• Give a prize or award to the first person to answer a question incorrectly.
• Discuss ground rules with the group. When is it appropriate to laugh at a gaffe? When is it hurtful?
• Insert cartoons or humorous graphics with, "Don’t Worry, Be Funny."
• Pull out a rubber chicken.
As a clown and trainer, my job is to entertain people and help them grow. Based on the brain research I've read, I believe entertainment and learning go hand in hand. Individuals are more receptive to learning, and better at absorbing new materials, when they feel good. So, whenever I train I'll continue to keep my Clown College mottos in my back pocket, along with my rubber chicken.
Susan Landay is president of Trainers Warehouse. Prior to joining Trainers Warehouse in 1997, she was a consultant and trainer in the field of negotiation and business. Landay is a graduate of Yale University and The Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. She also was a professional clown for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
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