By Patrick Villanueva, Media Lab Assistant

The GOTE Technique is a practice from Theater and is a strong complement to Design Thinking. When used practically, it can help with a more focused process. 

How Theater is Practical 

While taking some business classes many years ago, it dawned on me that a theater class could help refine my presentation skills. I had heard some things from a Theater major friend and figured I could sign up and drop the class if I wasn't into it. A semester later, I looked back at this class as probably one of the best decisions I've ever made. 

Weeks into this class, it was clearer how the arts were applied when our instructor, John Frisco, taught us about the GOTE Technique. That's spelled, G-O-T-E. You would think you can recite your lines from the script and apply a persona onto yourself. It's a pretty logical approach but know that you can make things easier on yourself when portraying characters on stage or even on camera. There's no need to mentally stretch yourself more than needed. You can apply your natural emotions to character. This is what happens when using the GOTE technique, and it completely changed what I thought about Theater or acting as an art form. 

 

Breaking Down the GOTE Technique 

The GOTE Technique was a theory developed by Robert Cohen that, according to an actor named Stephen Morgan-MacKay, is a "practical approach for actors to develop their characters during the rehearsal process." GOTE is an acronym for Goal, Obstacles, Tactics and Expectation. With your character, you set a goal, evaluate the obstacles involved with that goal, make a conscious choice about the tactics that you use, while expectation helps you refine and focus on what is conveyed through your portrayal. 

When learning how to do something for the first time, you're pretty focused on the task itself. For example, let's take learning how to type. You were very careful and methodical at first, but over time, it became more second-nature. You no longer have to think about everything you're doing, and it's all muscle-memory. This frees up your mind for other things while you're typing.  

So, let's associate this typing example with a script while the things in your head is the GOTE Technique. The script falls into the background, while your primary focus as an actor is on everything involved with GOTE. 

Now let's talk about a simple goal and say, you're in a class. You're asked to get up and count the number of people in the room. Pretty straightforward, right? Everyone sees you counting. But now you're asked to repeat this while paying attention to a fly moving around the room. Your focus changes, which brings about a different kind of response. 

Let's consider another example from my class. You interact with someone who's highly serious, and the goal is to make him or her laugh. The obstacle is clear. So, you tell a joke. No laugh. You make funny faces. No laugh. You belch, and then you finally get a laugh. These are all examples of tactics, and you can strategize what you would do. They can range from extremes to something conservative. Maybe you stub your toe thinking that it would make them laugh uncontrollably. Maybe you can simply ask or beg the person to laugh. Again, it's your tactics that bring out the natural response to your character. 

Now, let's think about expectation. Say that if you don't make the person laugh, in context to this class exercise, you get assigned more homework for the following week. Maybe you're given a cash reward for achieving the goal, and you have 5 minutes to accomplish this. These are just examples, but it changes how you strategize getting to the goal. Expectation also helps you focus and adds a sense of urgency. 

As you apply the GOTE Technique to more characters, the more complex and interesting the interpersonal dynamics become. This made me see its relevance beyond the stage. 

Practical Example 

One of the most practical examples to applying GOTE is with job searching, especially as a new grad. I remember what it was like just after art school, and the goal was to find work. I had my preferences and went through the typical process. I applied to listings, wrote cover letters, sent resumes, and followed up. Responses were limited, and it was discouraging. Career folks would tell me that's what I was supposed to expect. But that's where the gap begins, and life doesn't wait. 

I remember the different advice I've received, including words from my bigger support network. They all made sense, but there was conflicting information. I now realize it was all relative; everyone's experience is different. 

The goal and obstacles were pretty clear, but my tactics were traditional. It wasn't until I resorted to creative thinking when things began to change. Consciously, I made the choice to differentiate myself. My resume was standardized early on, formatted into Microsoft Word, which was an odd recommendation. The foundation of the field is creativity, and the traditional Word document made no sense. I started to push a typographically different resume, one of which was very radical, and included neat hand-crafted pieces. The difference was apparent. Not only did I get more responses, but there was momentum on my side. In later searches, I used a time-based expectation and it certainly helped my focus. 

The GOTE Technique is universal. And with an emphasis on tactics and expectation, goals can be reached in potentially effective ways that's worth the effort. 

Creative Design Thinking 

So, let's revisit Design Thinking momentarily. Defining the problem ultimately coincides with the goal, but the parameters need to be clear before getting into different solutions. Expectations are considered at this point. With the foundation set, exploration reveals the path. This is where potential solutions and tactics come into play. The question then becomes, what is appropriate and what is not? 

This is how you can combine the GOTE Technique with Design Thinking. 

Please feel free to reach out to talk about the GOTE Technique. You can reach me or the Media Lab by emailing, MediaLab@lakeforestlibrary.org. And please feel free to make an appointment by visiting our webpage, lakeforestlibrary.org/medialab. 

And until next time, please stay healthy and safe!