Last week I attended the Applied Improvisation Network (AIN) Conference, a gathering of some of the forem0st thought leaders on the use of improvisation to improve organizations.
From the AIN Website, the AIN “is a community of practitioners and clients who value the use of improvisation skills in organizations to:
- improve relationships
- increase authenticity
- promote spontaneity
- foster trust
- build communities of practice”
At the conference, I was able to take a number of great workshops and meet some amazing people. I’ll share more as the weeks go on, but wanted to share links to some of the sites of people who are doing some very cool things:
- Buffoonery Workshops – “discover your inner truth” (based in Canada)
- Caitlin McClure – (based in New York)
- Chris Corrigan – (based in Canada)
- ComedySportz – “The interactive improv experience” (based in 22 cities in US, UK and Germany)
- GameChangers – “Improvisation for business in the networked world.” (based in California)
- The Group Mind – “Teambuilding that connects and transforms.” (based in Ohio)
- Have More Fun – (based in Ireland)
- improvImpact – (based in California)
- IMPROVing Organizations – “Helping to make organizations better, one conversation at a time.” (based in Illinois)
- ImprovWorks – “Specialists in applying improv to business, theater & life.” (based in California)
- Innovation Styles – “The success booster” (based in New York)
- Koppett + Company – “Weaving passion into performance.” (based in New York)
- Maxine Shapiro – “If you’re not improvising everyday, you should be or risk being left behind.” (based in California)
- On Your Feet – “relate, create, communicate, and lead, all while having a ridiculously good time.” (based in Portland, London, Dublin, Arenas de San Pedro, Minneapolis)
- Paul Jackson Associates – “We’ll bring out the best in you.” (based in United Kingdom)
- playfair – “The world’s leading experts on fun and play at work.” (based in California)
- Spark Interaction – “Igniting hybrid engagement, interactivity & community.” (based in Pacific Northwest)
- Stop Stressing Out – “Life’s more fun when you stop stressing out.” (based in New York)
- widgetwonder – “make a connection, tell a story, effect change” (based in California)
For more, be sure to check out the AIN website: spreading the transforming power of improvisation.
photo by nighthawk7
With the current unemployment rate sitting at over 9%, nearly 1 in 10 people are in need of a job. Here are some great tips and tricks for getting back into the workforce (or at least taking advantage of the extra time you have).
Note: This is part of the What I Learned on the Internet Series.
- Stay Positive - Even though being laid off can suck, it’s important to stay positive through a layoff and focus on what you can do once the dust has settled.
- Get Inspired - Economic downturns don’t mean that nothing can survive. Look to some successful brands that launched during downturns form inspiration.
- Find Out How Much You Need – When looking for a new job, it’s important to understand exactly what you need to survive. The Living Wage Calculator can help you figure out averages in your region to know what you need to shoot for.
- Improve Yourself – Don’t just sit around hoping to find something–make yourself more marketable so you can become more competitive in the field of applicants.
- Find Your Niche – Getting laid off can be an opportunity to make a change in your career–learn your color to find the career for you.
- Work For Yourself – While searching for a job, you might find it an ideal time to start that business you’ve always dreamt about. If you’re stable enough to go that route, make sure you know the essential tools for starting up your side business.
I am a big fan of Karl Staib and his Work Happy Now! blog. The blog focuses on tips, advice, and stories that help any employee or CEO improve their work environment.
I did a guest post for Karl, titled Why Don’t People Laugh at Work? The post discusses some of the reasons employees are scared to laugh and enjoy themselves in the workplace, and starts to touch on ways to change that.
Be sure to check it out and leave a comment with any insights you have.
As companies continue to globalize, it’s becoming increasingly more important to be able to communicate across culture and language gaps. Here are a list of resources that can help you bridge that gap.
Note: This is part of the What I Learned on the Internet Series.
- Picture the Words - Pete Lidwell shares a great tip on using Google Images whenever you get stuck looking for the right word in another language.
- Stay Current – Website Newseum can help you understand what is happening in your co-workers country with its interactive map of front pages of newspapers from all over the world.
- Learn the Lanugage – The Open Culture website rounds up the best free resources for learning a new language.
- Practice the Language – Busuu.com will help you practice speaking and writing to help you learn a new language.
- Know the Names – Public Profiler provides a nice webapp that will map the popularity of surnames all over the world.
- See Exactly Where They Are – Vic Gundota explains how to use Google Latitude to show exactly where you and your contacts are located on a map.
- Learn the Culture – Website Every Culture lists the history, culture, and much more of almost every country in the world.
- Translate Your Search - Google Translate offers the ability to search for terms in websites written in another language, automatically translating them for your reading pleasure.
