The past two years have created a lot of isolation and distance. It has also brought many people together, in ways that would have been previously unimaginable.

My last workshop for a client had participants in Singapore, London, Johannesburg, Mexico City and all over the United States. I've adjusted to waking up at all different hours to accommodate all different time zones. As much as we have been at home, adjusting to virtual work and figuring out how to look good on Zoom while in sweat pants and slippers, we've had the opportunity to connect with people in places all over the world. I can now count these people as friends. I get to hear how their lives and situations have been in upheaval due to COVID, and they get to hear about what is happening here in the US. They have expanded my understanding and knowledge of our connected  human experience in ways I would have never imagined. We share stories of our lives, families, joys, sorrows and recipes. 

​We have all lost something  in our lives from this pandemic. Let's also look at what we have gained: a global understanding, an international reach, and new friends. For this, I am grateful.

​Happy New Year everyone. I hope to see you all face-to-face soon. 

You might have heard of OMG or ROFL.  Well, here’s a new acronym to help with your communications at work: LARO 

What does it stand for? Listen, Acknowledge, Reflect and Offer.
 
When you are in a work meeting, and people are blocking the forward motion of the conversation by saying ‘yes, but that will not work because of…’ or ‘we don’t have the resources for that…’ or ‘that’s a bad idea…’, they have lapsed into CRITICALthinking rather than staying in DIVERGENT thinking. CRITICAL thinking is about evaluating, DIVERGENT thinking is about problem solving and solutions. There is a time and place for both methods, however, shutting down creative problem solving at each turn is not a useful strategy.

Try LARO to keep the conversation moving forward:

 - LISTEN to the objections that people are bringing up. 
 - ACKNOWLEDGE they are bringing up a valid point. Critical thinking is necessary for strategic planning. 
 - REFLECT back what you hear. This allows the person to know that you heard them, and understand what they are saying and feeling. 
 - OFFER alternatives to move them into the possibility of problem solving. Use sentences like:

• “What if (blank) was not a factor… What could happen then?”
• “What if we had the resources…. What could we do?” 
• “What if we tried it, what might happen?”

 Try it! Report back. I’d love to know how it works for you.

​I recently spoke to an individual who is in charge of a company, and he mentioned to me an award they give out called the ‘First Penguin Award.’
 
The idea is - if you are a penguin on the edge of the iceberg, with all the other penguins standing with you, who is the first one to jump into the water and swim to land? What risks are lurking under the surface? Will they all just freeze waiting on the iceberg? No one wants to go first… because maybe the first penguin will get eaten. And if they do get eaten then the others know not to jump in. So all the penguins just stand on the iceberg looking at each other.

Until one brave penguin steps up. They are the ‘first penguin’ to jump into the unknown. And they make it to land safely! The other penguins decide to follow! And everyone moves forward. Or, maybe they don't make it safely. And the other penguins now know they will get eaten if they jump in. Either way, someone had to take the first step...
 
The leader I spoke to encourages his employees to be the ‘first penguin’. To jump. To try something scary. He especially rewards them if they fail. And he publicly acknowledges them for being brave enough to jump off the iceberg.
 
By making failure something that is celebrated, his company culture encourages taking risks and trying innovative new ideas. 
 
How can you encourage taking risks in your organization? 

One way is to make it fun to fail. Employees can be more confident to experiment and try new things, knowing it is more important to try than to worry about failing. Give out your own 'first penguin' award. The winner gets to keep a stuffed penguin on their desk for a month.

That is how you succeed and create an innovative / growth mindset for your company.

To learn more about Innovation and Growth Mindset workshops, Contact Andrew for more info.

In over twenty years of teaching, I have met many individuals who have taken a progression of classes (levels 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500) with the plan of becoming an ‘expert.’ They complete all the classes, and then feel as if they are finished. They reached the last class, and are now 'experts.'
The idea is planted in our heads by most higher education. I go to school, I learn things, I take a test, I get a degree and I am an expert.
Tests are binary. There is a right, and a wrong. You get graded. Some people pass, some fail.
This is the mindset of a ‘test taker.’ 
In acting, it doesn’t work that way. When you are an accomplished actor and getting hired everywhere, you STILL have to practice and stay active. It is a skill you NEVER WIN. You constantly work on, and you get better, and you keep learning. If you consider yourself finished learning, you stop being an actor.
Why is that? I believe it is because the arts are eternal; you can see the same Shakespeare play over and over, and hear something new each time. It can suddenly be relevant to where you are now, as opposed to where you were five years ago. It can help illuminate you current world. Just like a balance sheet is a snapshot in time for a business, the arts can be a snapshot in time for your life.

So ask yourself;

• Am I closing off new learning by considering myself an expert?
• What can I do to learn more?
• How do I get 1% better each day?

One thing I coach my clients is rather than focusing on what is the same, focus on what is different. By focussing on the new, we can explore find the creative experience in each situation.

Click here to email Andrew for information on coaching, workshops and presentations for your group.

 The iPhone was known as a disruptive force in the phone industry. I hear the term ‘disruptor’ being used a lot these days; how a new product will be the disruptor of whatever industry, and will be ‘shaking up‘ everything.
The question becomes: how do you figure out what can be a disrupter? If you are planning to improve on something, an idea or a product (like a phone) you have to break the pre-conceived notions of what you believe is possible. You have to think of what is desired, or what is outside the realm of possibility to create something new.

This is a hard task, considering we all have our own confirmation bias. We all have a frame of reference that our brains operate within. We can only step outside of that if we begin questioning that frame of reference and looking for things that do not fit into that frame. Only by doing that can we discover real changes.

And most importantly – you have to WANT to change. You have to want to recreate the new story to see the possibilities.  For a long time, Kodak thought they were in the film business. As a result they missed out on the beginnings of the digital photo revolution, and other innovations. The frame that Kodak couldn’t change was understanding that their business wasn’t in film, it was in creating memories. The film business had worked for them in the past, so it was easier to stay with that frame, rather than looking to see what could be the next disrupter.

How do you do this? How do you constantly question the frame of reference you have, and see if it still serves your business? One way is through the ruthless and radical acceptance of reality. Things will always change, and we have to accept that and be prepared for new ideas. This is where the tool of using ‘yes, and’ (accepting the current status, and seeing what is possible in the future) is key.  It is that skill of building on the reality we have, and using that to create innovation.  

Yes, and. The ultimate disruptor.

To learn more about 'yes and ' training and find out how it can transform your organization, contact us!

Whenever I meet with a client about incorporating Improv into their training programs, I hear the same refrain: "So, do I have to stand up and say something funny?" 

I've even had clients who thought that the workshop would entail wearing funny wigs or hats, and everyone being forced to do 'skits.'

I understand why people are asking me that question - clients have told me they have had Improv workshops where the instructor made them make animal sounds and toss imaginary balls at each other.

All of these descriptions make me CRINGE. As a professional actor, I have been forced to do many exercises like this before. As a leadership facilitator, I would NEVER make my clients do something like this. Exercises like that are embarrassing, and do not achieve measurable results (unless I am measuring what I never want to do again).
​
To help clarify a few things, I have compiled a few Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) to clear the air:

Q: Is an ImprovMindset workshop embarrassing?
A: NO! We spend at least 30 minutes creating a safe space to allow everyone to feel comfortable with being on their feet and working this manner. We adjust as needed to the group's energy to ensure that everyone can participate fully and equally. 
Q: Will I have to stand up in front of people and make jokes?
A: NO! The core tenet of Improv is about making the others around you look good. The goal is to make your scene partner look good. We call this an external focus. Participants can relax knowing that the everyone has each other's backs. It is not about being the spotlight, it is about serving others.
Q: Will it be relevant to my work?
A: YES! Each of the lessons cover everyday tools to help you and your team be more productive, efficient and clear with your communication. It also helps your team be agile, and adapt to new ideas and innovate. An ImprovMindset is a shift in thinking that allows teams to move forward, fail fast and learn, and drive new ideas to completion.

If you have any questions you want answered about Improv for Business, just drop me a note! I'll be glad to schedule a call. 

On a recent trip to Kaua'i, I had a chance to learn a lot about the water, survival and some great life lessons. (My last post had one of those - about assessment and evaluation.)
One great life lesson I learned was about water safety and how to react in a difficult and life threatening situation; how to survive being caught in a  rip tide.
The first instinct we all have, when we are caught in a powerful force of nature that is dragging us away from shore and safety is to swim against it.  We are in a battle to ensure our own survival - against an OVERPOWERING force of nature.
What I was told is that if you get caught in the rip tide, don’t swim against it! You want to swim parallel to it, until you reach the edge and can then you can get out. (See the picture above for clarification.)
The biggest mistake people do then when they get free of the rip tide, they start to head back to shore. The rip tide is still there, and if you go directly back you'll get caught in it again and dragged out to sea AGAIN. What you want to do is swim parallel to the shore for a while, then head back. This will allow you to get clear of the strong currents at the beginning of the rip tide that can pull you in again.
As I thought about that - I had to ask: 
What issues do we all get caught in, and how do they lead us out to sea?
What do we do to get out of them?
Are we frantically swinging against a tide to try to save ourselves, or are we calmly accessing the danger and discovering tactics to overcome adversity?
And, does our plan work? Should we have swam parallel to the shore longer before we go back into the fray?

The lessons: 
1. Identify the rip tide. What is it that is dragging you out to sea? Can you swim against it? 
2. Use the shore. Identify your guiding principals, and use them to navigate your way out.
3. Access the danger. Spend time identifying how strong the force is that pulled you in. Then after getting distance, head back to the safety of the beach.

Be safe out there.

​I recently had the opportunity to take a paddle boarding lesson in Kaua’I with an experienced surfer. There are a series of blog posts coming up regarding this instance, as I found it pretty fascinating. If you are ever on Kaua’I, take a lesson from Bear Bubnis; http://www.kauaiadventurefitness.com
The first thing we learned was to respect the ocean. A few visitors a year lose their lives to the waves by not paying attention, and by not respecting the ocean for the awesome power it has. We started the lesson with some simple water safety.
Bear told us to spend 5-15 minutes looking at the water:

• Are the waves rough?  -  Is this a day that you want to head out into the water? Are you sure? They have a saying: ‘If in doubt, don’t go out.’ So the first step is seeing what is in store for you, and then deciding if you believe you have the skill, knowledge and ability to tackle it today.
• Where is the break in the cresting waves? – You are trying to define where the rip tide is. If you see two sets of crashing waves, and a center portion that is not crashing, that is probably where the water is moving at a high rate of speed to head back out to sea. You want to identify this spot, so that you know where the forces are that could drag you away from shore quickly, and put you in harms way.
• Is there a different color in the water?  - As you are trying to find that rip tide, you are also looking to see where it flows so you can follow the rip tide. That different color in the water can be from debris being sucked out to sea, or sand that is in the water, or even just the movement of water. If you look closely, you can see where the water is moving.
• Are there any floating items in the water? Which way are they floating? – This can help you define where the tide is headed. Watching an item in the water lets you see how you and your board might be affected by the tide.

 
These simple safety lessons made sense to me, and make me question how often we all look at the warning signs in our everyday work.

• Do you spend the time accessing the situation before you dive in?
• Are there external forces that you can see that might affect the actions you are about to take?
• Can you see any effects of those external forces in other activities? (The color of the water, a floating object / person stuck in the issue.)

Then you can you properly access the situation. Be prepared for the forces of nature that might affect your new venture. You can ask yourself what parts of your training, abilities and experience are going to help you in this new reality.
And we can learn to respect the power of these forces, and be prepared for them.
​
Ask Bear. He’ll tell you all about it.