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ImprovisationWhat if communication goes right?
A fellow facilitator described how he had worked with a high-performing team and tested the team with an activity with which some of you may be familiar.
It’s called ‘Telephone’ and it involves each player in the team passing a mimed
Your storytelling is more than just the story
Your storytelling is more than just the story "The art of storytelling is centred on the storyteller's involvement with character and plot. He cannot, in James Joyce's words, sit back godlike and pare his fingernails. He must have an attitude towards the contents of...
Getting beyond the fear when we drop our scripts
I’m always glad to see new books about applying improvisation. From a random dip, there’s a lot to like in Jeff Katzman and Dan O’Connor’s ‘Life Unscripted’. I was particularly looking forward to this one as I’ve enjoyed watching Dan perform and was glad to see he might be combining an improviser’s insight with those of his psychotherapist co-author.
Why it’s important to celebrate risk-taking rather than mistakes or failure
Why it’s important to celebrate risk-taking rather than mistakes or failure It’s in our nature to make mistakes, notably in everyday life. We pour the wrong drink, utter an incorrect word and leave the house without an umbrella. We get unintentionally overcharged, on...
Playing to play – on and off the sports field
Playing to play - on and off the sports field One of my favourite tenets of Applied Improvisation (AI) is 'Play to Play'. It reminds us that most people play most games to win - which, to be fair, is inherent in the nature of many games. Take for example the Cricket...
Three Ways to Let Go
Three Ways to Let Go The first of the LIFEPASS principles is ‘Let go’. Easy to say, sounds OK, but what does it mean? Here are three intended interpretations. Let go of the plan – especially when it is apparent that the plan is no longer serving you. If you are...
Federer, Kasparov and Perfectionism
Federer, Kasparov and Perfectionism If you feel caught in a trap of perfectionism, consider this: the very best champions of all-time are not perfect and never could be. Gary Kasparov, the most dominant world champion of chess sometimes won and sometimes lost. He won...
What’s improvisation got to do with your psychological strengths?
What's improvisation got to do with your psychological strengths? If you’re keen on strengths-based psychology, you’ll love Applied Improvisation. The strengths movement is all about finding out what you are good at. It’s not so interested in your weaknesses or...
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‘Fail’ succeeds in getting the headlines
‘Fail’ succeeds in getting the headlines When I mention there's a Failure Fetish, which is unhelpfully skewing the way we talk about and teach improvisation, fans of Celebrating Mistakes look affronted, as if there is no such thing. They ask where is the evidence for...
Playing with time when facilitating a session
Playing with time when facilitating a session When facilitating a session, time is often the dimension that gets away from us and is the undoing of an otherwise wonderful event. You are facilitating a session It’s an important topic - that’s why it’s on the agenda and...
How do you get groups out of their comfort zone without resistance?
How do you get groups out of their comfort zone without resistance? "I have a presentation coming up for a large group of 270. I am invited to take them out of their comfort zone", a colleague told me recently. This was a corporate audience, with 50 minutes for a...
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