Singer Equipment Company

Michael Ambyth

Human-Centered HR Leader

Taking Lessons from the Stage into HR

I have been on stage in front of audiences since I was 8 years old. My late older sister helped me land my first role as Theo in Stephen Schwartz’s Pippin at her high school when I was in second grade. Little did I know that this would lead me to unlocking keys to my success as a learning and development professional throughout my entire career. Being comfortable in front of people has helped me be successful with teams, managers, and leaders that I interface with regularly in my roles within HR.

I have taken key tools from my time on stage and integrated them into how I work, how I build relationships, and how I share information and communicate. From basic public skills, like knowing your audience, to improvisation’s ubiquitous skills of “Yes, and”, these skills have helped me build credibility with my organizations and with key stakeholders.

Making Every Message Relevant to Its Audience

My current CHRO always asks me, “So what?” Why should the person I am speaking with care about what I am saying, and this goes back to the key skill of knowing my audience? Whether I am trying to get an initiative funded, a learning topic to resonate, or just want to get others to laugh, I need to know what they are looking for out of my interaction with them.

“When I work with employees or leaders, I do not assume I know all the questions they are asking. I want to listen, pause, consider, and respond with thought and intentionality.”

Learning the motivations that mean something to my audience will shift how I communicate. If the audience comes in expecting Romeo and Juliet and you give them Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, you will lose them from the first moment.

Building Better Conversations through Active Listening

This is an improvisational actor’s key tool in their toolkit, and it is often misunderstood. It is not just agreeing with anything and everything offered by your fellow stagemates, but it is stopping, listening, processing, and building off what they are saying. It is not simply listening to respond but listening to hear and learn.

When I work with employees or leaders, I do not assume I know all the questions they are asking. I want to listen, pause, consider, and respond with thought and intentionality. I want to help be a part of the idea, the discussion, and the conclusion of ideas. I want to gauge their emotions, their connotation, and their intention with the topics being discussed. My “Yes, and” to them is to take what they are saying, hear it, and add my experiences to enhance.

Bringing a Human Touch to Every HR Interaction

In conclusion, being practiced and polished in these skills has not only enhanced how I work, but it has also enhanced how I build relationships.

No matter the role within HR, human is in the title. Our interactions with peers, colleagues, superiors, leaders, and employees can make or break our success. Treating everyone like my fellow star on stage helps me to lift them and provide them with what they need to succeed and to thrive.