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Dec 01
1

Adapting an Improvisational Mindset

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by Patty Gaul

Achieve better business results by communicating differently.

logo_block-finWith the increasing discussion around innovation, and the need to do business differently, many organizations are turning their usual way of operating on its head.

Many are working to instill a culture where risks are welcome, making small changes in process that can lead to new solutions, and asking questions to spur new thinking. One method that can support these changes and which is gaining ground is that of using improvisation.

Bob Kulhan is—along with Chuck Crisafulli—author of the soon-to-be-released Getting to “Yes and”: The Art of Business Improv. Kulhan is president, CEO, and founder of Business Improv, which creates executive education programs for top business schools in the United States and abroad, as well as leadership development and experiential learning programs for corporations, including many Fortune 500 companies. Among the organizations that have pursued Business Improv are Google, the Ford Motor Company, the U.S. Naval Academy, the United Nations, and Hilton Hotels. Read More

Oct 22
3

An Improviser’s Guide to Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse

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The Zombie Apocalypse is upon us! The government has collapsed. Communication is down. Chaos is the new order. What do you do? Who do you team up with? How do you survive? On Sunday, October 23, the premier of Season 7 of The Walking Dead (TWD) will air. What follows is a memorandum on how to embrace change and thrive in the unexpected, told through the lens of an improviser.

Before we begin, let’s acknowledge that most of us already live in a world based in VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity), at least in one form or another. It is also important to remember that in times of Crisis, Risk, Stress and Uncertainty, we fall back on our most overlearned behaviors. They are part of our muscle memory, and we rely on them. Because of that, we must remember to deliberately develop and strengthen a skill set that we can fall back on in turbulent times. Improvisation will be key to surviving a zombie apocalypse. Read More

Sep 26
0

How Improv Can Help Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Win the Debate

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Bob Kulhan is Founder and CEO of Business Improv and author of Getting to “Yes, And”: The Art of Business Improv”, out in January

They should apply the ‘yes, and…’ technique

If the primaries taught us anything, it’s that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton should fully embrace the tenets of improv heading into their first presidential debate Monday night. This is tricky because American politics are as pre-packaged as a can of pork and beans. But once we get past the over-rehearsed lines that presidential candidates regularly regurgitate, we’ll have a real opportunity to see them “go off script” with a reactive and adaptive style of communication known as improvisation.

This requires practice. Some of the improv we witness may be a cluster f*ck—over-reaction, back-peddling, exaggeration or over-extension. But we may also see them thrive by honestly reacting in the moment, taking advantage of unexpected opportunities, and letting their natural intelligence and personality rise to the surface.

Jul 18
0

Please read this book. For years, the business world has echoed with refrain “yes and” rather than just “yes,” but we were light on details, until now. This book, a run romp from Chicago’s Second City to Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and beyond, threads together improv and such business essentials as negotiation, sales, and management how-to like goal setting and conflict resolution. Read it, do it, and you’ll get better results, and maybe laugh a few times along the way.

Dave Logan, coauthor of Tribal Leadership