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From the category archives:

Humor Talks

Talking Improv Wisdom, an Interview with Patricia Ryan Madson

by Drew on September 21, 2009 in Humor Talks

Patricia Ryan Madson, author of one of my favorite books on improv, Improv Wisdom, has been teaching for more than four decades, with a quarter century of experience as a instructor in improvisation.  I talked with Patricia about her book and the value of improv in life and the workplace.

Patricia Ryan Madson

Patricia Ryan Madson

To hear our discussion, check out the audio below:

 

Highlights of our talk include:

  • What is Improv Wisdom all about? (0:43)
  • Want 40% higher self-esteem? Take improv classes. (7:10)
  • Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up. (10:35)
  • Raise your hands and say, “Tada!” (16:28)
  • The value of stating the obvious. (21:15)
  • Improv makes really nice people. (23:56)
  • “Mommy! There’s a monster in my closet!” (32:09)

For more, check out:

And last but not least, I’ve transcribed the interview for those who prefer reading to listening (note: it has been edited for clarity).  You can find the transcription at:

Note: This is the second Humor Talks interview, a series with some of today’s thought leaders on the topic of humor and fun in the workplace.  You can sign-up for the Humor Newsletter to stay up-to-date with new interviews or get all future interviews via Podcast.

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The Mind of a Funsmith, an Interview with Bernie DeKoven

by Drew on August 24, 2009 in Humor Talks

Bernie DeKoven, Master Funsmith and author of DeepFun.com, JunkyardSports.com, and MajorFun.com, has over 40 years of experience with games and play for both kids and adults.  I sat down with Bernie to talk about the value of play, not only in the workplace, but in life in general.

Bernie DeKoven

Bernie DeKoven

You can listen to the interview below:

 

Some highlights from the talk include:

  • What it means to be a funsmith. (0:30)
  • How teaching games to adults turned into an hour of playing Duck Duck Goose. (10:27)
  • How playing games relates to our adult lives. (14:40)
  • How you can learn system dynamics from games. (21:14)
  • The value of play in the workplace. (26:43)
  • The most creative Olympics you’ll ever watch. (29:30)
  • The serious side of fun. (34:10)

A few of the resources and names Bernie referenced include:

Finally, the interview has been transcribed for those who prefer reading to listening (note: it has been edited for clarity).  You can find the transcription at:

Note: This is the first of what will hopefully be a number of interviews, called Humor Talks, with some of today’s thought leaders on the topic of humor and fun in the workplace.  You can sign-up for the Humor Newsletter to stay up-to-date with new interviews or get all future interviews via Podcast.

http://www.infed.org/thinkers/senge.htm

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