training

Talking Improv Wisdom, an Interview with Patricia Ryan Madson

September 21, 2009

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. To hear our discussion, check [...]

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Better Business Through Improvisation

May 6, 2009

Joe Keefe says, “Good humor means good business” and I have to say I agree.  Keefe, co-founder and executive producer of Second City Communications share his thoughts on business and improv in the FastCompany article Stage Coaches by Zoe Barton. Some of the key points include: “Businesspeople need to learn to open themselves up to [...]

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What I Learned on the Internet, Language Edition

May 1, 2009

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 [...]

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Humor That Works – Look Away

April 30, 2009

Want to improve your memory and observation skills?  Of course you do, who doesn’t?  Well the best way to do that is give your memory a workout.  By simply looking at something briefly and then looking away and recounting what you saw, you can train your brain to be more observant of the small details.

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Humor That Works – That Is A …

April 23, 2009

Speaking with more confidence can help you during presentations, in conversations with your manager or with clients, or even at home.  Here’s a quick exercise to help you sound like you know what you’re talking about. You can also try it out at your next off-site for an interesting team-building exercise.

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Humor That Works – Smile

April 16, 2009

There’s this misconception that injecting more humor into the workplace requires a lot of work or is hard to do.  A lot of times it’s the simple things that can make the office a nicer place, something like a smile. And the interesting thing is that the same applies over the phone, and with most [...]

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Humor That Works – Figure Eights

April 9, 2009

You should be moving around at least once every 90 minutes throughout the workday.  It doesn’t have to be huge movements, though it is great to take a walk around or stretch, but it can also be as simple as making figure eights with your limbs.  The added advantage to this exercise is that it [...]

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Improvise: Scene from the Inside Out

April 6, 2009

In the book Improvise: Scene from the Inside Out, improv guru Mick Napier explains how to build an improv scene from the inside out.  And while the book is a must-read for improviser, there are also a lot of valuable lessons that can be applied in business and life. Buy It Now | 6 Nuggets [...]

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Humor That Works – Emotional Mapping

April 2, 2009

It’s not always what you say, but how you say it.  Some studies suggest that as much as 93% of communication is nonverbal.  So how do you effectively present a topic that you may not be that enthusiastic about?  Try some emotional mapping to deliver an energetic and passionate presentation on anything from your nonprofit [...]

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Humor That Works – Dissociation

March 26, 2009

When looking for more creative ideas, people always say to “think outside the box.”  But thinking creatively isn’t really about thinking outside the box, but rather removing the concept of a “box” or, rather, the filters in your head. To get to some truly unique ideas, you want to tap into the subconscious ideas in [...]

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