When an actor auditions for a role in a play, one thing the director wants to discover is how well they take direction. This can mean various things to different directors, but for me, “taking direction” means:
Can this person see a different perspective? Can they approach this moment with curiosity? Can they put the work they’ve already done aside to try something new? Can they execute even when they don’t completely agree? Most importantly, can we build enough trust together so that we can experiment, and find what truly works?
Happily, taking direction isn’t just for actors. We can all benefit from suspending judgment, actively listening, approaching a new situation with curiosity, and creating trust.
