In Improv, we teach people to be 'in the moment.' In the moment means being aware of what's happening NOW, and to reacting to THIS moment rather than reacting to something that happened previously or something that reminds you the current situation.

​I recently finished a workshop for a group regarding decision making and innovation tools. The process includes generating as much as possible (brainstorming) and then narrowing the field of options based on needs and desires defined before the process begins. 

For me, those things are in perfect union. The decision making process sometimes gets jumbled by not defining your goals and intended outcomes first. If you can spend the time getting closer to what you want and closer to what you are attempting to see as an outcome of the decision, then the clearer you can be in reacting to the offers you receive in the moment. Brainstorming then becomes focussed based on needs and strategic directions, rather than just about divergent thought.

The steps:
1. Define the outcome you would like to see: Start by defining what you are really trying to do, and get clear about the underlying motive of the action. .
2. Define the field of play: Where do you do this? What factors surround the decision?
3. Generate solutions without being tied down to the constraints of reality. An unreal solution can lead to a possible solution somewhere.

After that - it is about action. 
Question - How do I do this? Answer - Just do it!
Question - Am I doing it right? Answer - Yes!
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​Once you have made a motion forward, new information becomes available. That new information now makes the previous moment inconsequential, and creates a new situation to be dealt with.

So the question becomes, what role does a gut reaction play in your decision making process?

Many people look at the theatrical work that my company does onstage and they say "it's amazing that this is unscripted!" Or more often it is "So, what part was scripted, and what part was improvised..."
The idea that things are constantly being created in the spot using a few simple rules is mind boggling, and somewhat impossible for people to believe.
The truth is - Improvisation is an act of constant innovation. We take what the audience gives us and create a theatrical work that amazes, engages and involves the audience as active participants in the process. The audience leaves the theater knowing they had a part in the end product that was created.
Wouldn't that be great for your business? If each employee left with the thought that they were a part of the whole, that they had an amount of control over the larger piece that has been created?

These rules for engagement in improvisational theater cross over to any phase of work, to any industry. They can help shape how your company operates, giving each of your employees the chance to leave each day feeling like they are a part of the larger organization.

These tenets: Being willing to play, finding the drive / commitment in what you do, listening and building on offers with your team; these are all skills that we strive for in our organizations. 

So why would people look at Improv and say 'what can you teach me about business?' 

The answer is: a lot.

One of the best things that I have ever found to describe the process of 'yes, and' is a box of mismatched legos.

What can you build with them? ANYTHING! 

With each piece you have a short thought process to go through:

1. How can you use this piece to accomplish your vision?
2. Where can you place it that compliments the other pieces?
3. Can you build on to make things better with the next piece?

Each piece becomes a practice of seeing what is possible and adding onto the structure. It might not be the right color, or the perfect size but it is all you have so you make it work and fit the piece into the new structure.

And you have to be willing to play. To see your vision alter based on what you have. Not many of us running companies can scrap all our resources and buy new ones. We use what we have to accomplish the goals we set out. 

When a piece doesn't fit, we save it. We use what we can and remember that the next structure might need completely different pieces. The process of building an organization has sometimes been described as 'walking backwards. ' We see what we need  better in reverse than we did going forward. In that moment, we used what we had to do what we needed to do.

So the next time you are stuck on a decision - write down all the resources you have as 'Building Blocks' and see if there is a new way to arrange them.

What can you build this time? ANYTHING!

Learn how 'Yes, and..' training can support new idea generation and innovation in your business.

One of the jokes that I tell all the time is: How many actors does it take to screw in a light bulb? Six. One to do it, and five to stand around and say 'I could have done that better if I had been given a chance...'


What I love about the joke is the measure of truth about the statement. As a founder of an organization and a business leader, I am always struck by the amount of people who say "I would have done what you are doing differently..." And I agree! They would have. If they had been given a chance.

The 'chance' that everyone speaks about is something that differentiates people. Leaders MAKE their own chances. They don't wait for them.

It's in our nature to improve and build upon our world. To look at things and think about how to make them better. Once we see that something exists, then we can figure out how to alter it.

What I am fascinated by is the creation of something. The spark that is something new. The desire to create something outside the scope of that you already know. To risk doing something that hasn't been done before, in order to figure out what that new thing might be.

So ask yourself - are you playing it safe and waiting for the next thing to come along that you can alter? Or can you take the plunge to start the new thing, the scary thing? Are you willing to try and fail, or do you stick with what has already been proven to work?

In those moments I am reminded of the phrase that i heard years ago; "How do I do this - Just do it! Am I doing it right? - Yes." It is better to make a decision and find out what you learn from it (or from the failure) then to stand back and not do anything. 

Forward motion. Take action. Screw in the light bulb yourself.

For more information on ImprovMindset's Innovation and Action workshops, click here.

"Overconfident professionals sincerely believe they have expertise, act as experts and look like experts. You will have to struggle to remind yourself that they may be in the grip of an illusion."
—Daniel Kahneman

There are two parts to  the Overconfidence Effect that I am fascinated by: the 'Illusion of Control' and 'Contrary Evidence.' 

Illusion of Control is the tendency for people to behave as if they might have some control when in fact they have none. Example of this can be seen in businesses everywhere, especially by leaders who feel they must control every aspect of the business. (Side note: for years all hiring at Google went though Larry Page, regardless of the position...)

Contrary Evidence where people engage in more defensive pessimism in advance of important outcomes, in an attempt to reduce the disappointment of a bad outcome.
So rather than embracing what could happen, they look to sabotage themselves to lessen the blow of possible failure before that failure has even occurred. It is self preservation at the expense of growth and forward motion.

One lesson I always teach in my workshops is to embrace that feeling of danger and loss of control. When that fight-or-flight sensation hits you, reframe it into "This is going to be a train wreck!!! And I can't wait to see what I learn from it!!!" 

Understanding that we have no control over the outcomes, and embracing change is what ImprovMindset Training is all about. Letting go of expectations, responding to stimulus in the moment and not sabotaging the outcome - these are the valuable lessons that we teach, and that help form a new heuristic for decision making in the workplace.

Find out more and see what ImprovMindset can provide for your organization.

A number of years ago I had a house in South Seattle, and I used to ride my Scooter back and forth to work. On my route was a business called AA Roofing Supply - and on most days there would be a person standing out front in a costume waving to cars. Sometimes it was an Ape. Sometimes a Chicken. Sometimes a Super Hero, or a Mexican Wrestler. 

And on certain days, there would be a hybrid of costumes. A Super Hero with a Chicken head. An Ape with a Mexican Wrestler Mask. A Chicken with an Ape's head. The variety changed as much as possible.

I use this story to illustrate a point; I can't make up something that good. If I wrote that into  screen play, people would see it and say "That's impossible..." 

But it was REAL. I saw it. Every day. (And I have never needed Roofing Supplies. But I STILL remember the name of the store.)

Sometimes, reality is far more obscure that our imagination. Yet, we limit our imagination by saying "No, we can't do that innovation... it's too weird..." or "No one will ever go for that..." We shut down the next big idea since our version of reality is very tame. Then our version of reality comes into contact with a  giant Chicken wearing a Mexican Wrestling mask.

So as you are considering options for the next big idea, be aware that you might be limiting your own growth by setting perimeters on your innovation. You might believe that the limitations are based in reality, and you might feel as if you are being responsible to reality. For a moment - consider that maybe your reality needs to be opened a little wider. Consider a Superhero Chicken. And see if you can't find something that might have been outside of your concept of reality that can drive the new ideas forward.


"The level of our success is limited only by our imagination" Aesop

There have been hundreds of discussions about how people learn, and the process that each individual goes through for learning.

The Learning Curve is always fascinating to watch. Gathering knowledge and speed as you begin to learn, and then having steep acceleration. The hard part for a lot of my clients is leading to the Plateau, and the frustration of the Plateau. "How come I am not learning more?" "Why aren't I accelerating like I was before?" 

In experiential learning, we recognize the physical limitations of rapid learning and Plateaus and what they do to us. It makes some people feel alive and excited. It also makes other people scared and uncertain. The same is true of Plateaus; some people feel frustrated being in a holding pattern, and others feel comfortable and like they can finally exhale.
For me, the Plateau is a place to lean into. It's the time that your body is learning from the practice, and leading you to the next Steep Acceleration. You have to let the Plateau do it's job, and let the physical practice of learning catch up to the intellectual growth. By tying the physical and intellectual together, you can create real change.

So don't rest in the Plateau. See what it is teaching you. See what it has to offer when you can focus on the slower growth process. It's the time to get deeper into the learning and make it a practice.

And practice makes perfect.

Click here for more information on Andrew's work or to contact him for a quote.

One thing that comes up at every one of my workshops is the idea of Training, vs. Discipline. I introduce the idea of changing communication and culture by adopting the ideas of Accepting and Building on offers (Yes, and) and we discuss uses and methods.

The big question becomes; How does it become second nature?

When Kevin Durant goes to dunk the basketball, he doesn't think "let's see, right foot first, then the left foot, then I jump at this spot, then I move the ball up..." It all just Happens. Practice makes perfect, and it makes a new reality where you don't have to think, your body just Knows how to do it.

Accepting and Building is the same. It is a practice. And when you practice it enough, you just end up doing it. It becomes a new Discipline that your body understands and automatically does.

The first step is being aware of where your feet go. 
The next step is practicing where your feet go. 
The third step is letting them go where they have learned to go.

What things are you in the process of practicing that you want to become a Discipline? 
And also, what Disciplines do you have now that are detrimental to your goals? 

Identify habits.
Practice new habits.
Act.

It seems to take at least two days to relax. Regardless of the situation or surroundings, I find my brain gets so entrenched in work and 'must do' thought processes that it can't let go.

One thing that I have noticed is when I perform, it instantly relaxes me. It's like a session of meditation - my mind lets go of all else besides the moment I am in and I enter a state of readiness.

I also find the lasting effects of performing are widespread. For the next few days I am clear, I make decisions easier and I enjoy life more.

So - as vacation starts - it's time to find a sense of play first to let all else slip away.

For yourself - what is the one thing you LOVE to do that makes you the happiest. Can you replicate that item on day one of your vacation? Start out right - and enjoy every moment of the time you have.

That way - you can relax.

When was the last time you gave yourself a gift?

In improv, we are told to accept and build on the offers given. So many people stand around waiting for an offer, forgetting that they can give them to themselves.

The offer you give yourself is as important as the offer that someone else gives you.

This theme runs the same way in our everyday world.  Do you listen to your own offers?
What offers do you give yourself?
- AND- 
What offers do you give yourself that make you crazy? Are they really offers, or blocks?

During any family get-together, I see people trying to 'make everyone happy.' Now, this is an impossible offer. All it does is make you miserable.  And then who's fault is that? It is an offer you gave yourself - that blocked you instead of allowing you to move forward.

So listen to the offers you give yourself and see which are blocks and which are offers.
Accept and build - and know which offers are the ones to take and which can drive you over the cliff.

I have always admired the Serenity prayer for this idea.
                   God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
                   The courage to change the things I can,
                   And wisdom to know the difference.

Give yourself a gift. You deserve it. And make it a good one.