Archive | March, 2012

How to appreciate “Appreciative Inquiry”

30 Mar

At the end of a project, milestone, or quarter many companies incorporate a “post-mortem” into their wrap process. All too often, the post-mortem shifts from a summary of events to a discussion of what went wrong.

An organizational development method called Appreciative Inquiry (AI, for short) – which has similar roots to Positive Psychology and Applied Improvisation,  seeks to turn this notion on its head.

At its core, Appreciative Inquiry focuses on what an organization does well, instead of what it does poorly.  

This process seeks out and inquires the positive (what the Heath Brothers call, bright spots), which in turn helps to engage and rally an organization. What is done well is identified, developed, and built upon for the future.

This model was formed based on the assumption that the types of questions we ask (negative or positive in nature) will focus our attention in that direction.

Examples of AI-type questions would include:

1. What is working well?

2. What should we do more of?

AI brings with it the belief that every organization and every person in the organization has positive aspects and contributions that can be built upon.

Appreciative Inquiry, Positive Psychology and Applied Improvisation are solution-focused and strength-based mindsets and methods that move organizations forward instead of keeping them stuck and frozen in the problems of the past.

What can you do to adopt an Appreciative-Inquiry methodology at your next meeting?


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Creating a culture of gratitude

28 Mar

From the smart and considerate folks at SoulPancake – here is a creative and fun tool for instant spirit building:

A compliment booth! Take a look for yourself:

SoulPancake / Activities / Listen Up!.

We know, unexpected kindness can turn a day around. Compliments, praise, validation – it’s not just for the millennials. Studies from the Department of Labor show one of the top reasons people leave organizations is because they don’t feel appreciated.

Consider how often you offer a compliment, a kind gesture, a thank you, or specific praise.

Increasing the recognition and praise in organizations can lead to lower turnover, higher customer loyalty, productivity and employee satisfaction. 

Most of all, consider how you feel when you give and receive compliments. What can you do to make this an active and considerate part of your company culture?

Improvisers make it a habit to practice gratitude, it’s built into our studies  - in fact, one of my favorite exercises I learned in my first improv class was a “gratitude circle”.

One link between innovation and improvisation

28 Mar

To innovate, or to be a proponent of innovation, it is crucial to have an open mind.

The practices and principles of Improvisation can prepare us as individuals and teams to be in an innovative mindset in many ways.

In addition to helping us adopt and retain a “yes, and” approach to our ideas and the ideas of others, Improvisation forces us to be in the moment and be completely present.

It is through this openness and commitment to the here and now, that we as innovators become more attune to our environment, routines, and world around us . Being in the moment helps us to notice things we haven’t noticed before, increases our awareness and curiosity,  and in turn encourages us to form connections that can spawn innovation and creativity.

 

 

 

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What’s the drill – March 27: My favorite debrief question is…

27 Mar

What’s the drill for March 27th is inspired by famed Instructional Design and Performance Training guru, Thiagi – who encourages us as trainers, facilitators, and leaders to ask questions, not hand-out answers. 

He is a master of the debrief, and facilitating positive change by asking the right questions.

Here is one to ponder, and ask frequently to increase engagement, self-reflection and accountability:

What will you do differently tomorrow as a result of what you learned today?

 

 

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The Hands-Off Manager: How Questions Can Lead to Success

27 Mar

The Hands-Off Manager: How Questions Can Lead to Success.

“We have been trained by the media, by our families, by our traditions, and by our culture to focus on the negative and try to fix it. We obsess over sins and shortcomings, trials and tribulations. We try to go outside ourselves to change the negative things. Then we try in vain to create an external situation that’s positive. But none of that works, because the positive solution is on the inside. What we were seeking was already in us. No wonder we couldn’t find it out there. And just how do you find these solutions inside you? Questions! Just start asking questions. And then listen“….

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What’s the drill – March 26: An acronym to remember

26 Mar

Acronyms are all the rage. Here’s my favorite one to help us all remember the basic tools of an Improviser:

Yes, And

Embrace Failure

Start Positive

 

Make your partner look good

Accept all offers

 

Find out more by opening the toolbox, and please feel free to submit your own word jumble with these principles!

 

 

 

Why our brains focus on the negative – via the New York Times

26 Mar

Joe Joseph (let’s call him) walked out of an important meeting at the company he worked for, “Golden Handcuffs” (let’s call it), and immediately felt horrible. He had received a ton of criticism (not much of it constructive), and other assortments of negative information.

Over the course of the day, he had also been on the receiving end of some general compliments from his peers, an easy commute, and a thank-you note from a good friend.

But all he could focus on was the negative.

“This is a general tendency for everyone,” said Clifford Nass, a professor of communication at Stanford University in a recent article in the NY Times…“Some people do have a more positive outlook, but almost everyone remembers negative things more strongly and in more detail.”

Research tells us, bad feedback has much more of an impact than good feedback. In fact, “The brain handles positive and negative information in different hemispheres,” said Professor Nass… Negative emotions generally involve more thinking, and the information is processed more thoroughly than positive ones, he said. Thus, we tend to ruminate more about unpleasant events — and use stronger words to describe them — than happy ones.”

Joe Joseph is not alone. We as a culture and a society tend to focus on the negative for a variety of reasons, and now, some neurological research tell us this is normal.

But, normal does not mean healthy.

Can you soak up and stack up enough “positives” to out-weigh the negatives, and is it simply a matter of working hard (very hard) to modify your outlook enough to concentrate on the positives?

Evolutionary tales tell us those who were more attuned to negative events were better equipped for survival and threat deterrence. But, we want more than to just survive – we want to thrive.

Here are some practical tips to help focus on the positive:

  1. Spend your time around people who lift you up. View your brain as a bank – our goal is  increase positive deposits and decrease the number of  negative withdrawals.
  2. Don’t shun criticism but remember its place. Constructive criticism is important and un-avoidable – focus on action steps, and stick to facts instead of feelings.
  3. Take a cue from Professor Amabile, who writes of the power of small wins. Take note and strive for making progress on meaningful work and the steps forward you can take every day.
  4. The article gives the example of a “Kudos File”, or positive piggy bank. Work to remind yourself of the positives, steer your focus towards them, and in return, offer specific praise to friends and colleagues when you can.

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Rules for Improv (and Life)

24 Mar

Rules for Improv (and Life).

“It dawned on me that although the intent of the skills and games taught in these classes was to make me and my classmates better improvisers, the same rules can be applied to the real world. To paraphrase Robert Fulghum’s bestseller, “All I really need to know I learned in improv class.”

How to foster creativity in the workplace – it may be easier than you think

23 Mar

Companies all over the world are wondering where they can order an unlimited supply of creativity. What is the secret sauce and how much does it cost?

To unleash the true creative power of your workforce, start by examining your work environment – says author Jonah Lehrer in his new book, Imagine: How Creativity Works. 

For one, “scientists have determined that people in a relaxed state and a good mood are far more likely to develop innovative or creative thoughts”.  Yes, this seems obvious to most, but it may cause us to stop and think about “office perks” that are actually creativity boosters, if used correctly.

The neurological implications of relaxation and happiness are what matters here.

We know two things:

Happiness and laughter release dopamine which contributes to stress reduction.

Stress reduction and an overall relaxed state triggers responses in our brain that coincide with inhibition – and the ability to have more insights.

In thinking about training and wellness programs, Jonah Lehrer spent some time researching Improvisers at Second City in Chicago.

When we improvise, we turn off a part of our brain that deals with inhibitions, which as we know can contribute to a substantial increase in creative insights.

Lehrer spent time learning how Improvisers prepare for spontaneous creativity on stage. The key is to “create without worry” – to relax the brain enough to free up room for creativity.

Improvisers do this by participating in warm ups that help them to:

1. Let themselves go

2. Get rid of their censor

3. Fry their brain

4. Relax

5. Get  ”out of their heads”

Consider if there are constraints in your company that keep creativity at bay. What can you do build a culture where people can “create without worry”?

 

 

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What’s the drill – March 21: A shocking statistic

21 Mar

Here is a shocking statistic not to be passed over: “the average American physician interrupts their patient in 14 seconds”. This, according to Doctor Abraham Verghese in his eye-opening TED Talk.

Perhaps it’s not surprising after all. In this technology-saturated world, some prefer to stare at a computer screen to learn the facts, than to engage in empathetic discussion.

Yes, the technology has provided important innovations in medicine and efficiency. But, as Doctor Verghese argues – the most important innovation is the power of human touch.

To take care of the patient, is to take care of their mind, their concerns, and emotions – and that can only be done with active listening, attentiveness, and dedicated time.

Soft-skills, and bedside manner training is becoming increasingly important and integrated into medical school and hospitals around the world. Of course it’s nothing new, but the argument for increased emphasis on patient-doctor relationship building is one that demands attention.

Consider adding in role-playing, or scenario based training. After all, even a doctor’s office is a stage.

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TOOL: Choosing how to play the “scene”

20 Mar

When we think about a basic framework for how and why to apply the tenants of Improvisation to life off of the Improv stage, we can start by discussing the word “performance”.

Whether or not we are used to thinking of it this way…the truth is, we are all performing every moment of our lives.

If this seems daunting or strangely unsettling, you’re not alone.

Luckily, we can use the tools of Improvisation to create more conscious performance choices, (tailored for each stage or scene) to achieve more authentic, successful and meaningful interactions.

Learning and acquiring these skills allow each of us to build a toolkit of performance choices – that we can use to become more adaptable, flexible and aware in the moment.

Here are some basic tips that can help you when thinking about the performance choices we make all the time:

  1. Be present – practicing mindfulness, and the ability to read a room and pick up on non-verbal cues allows us to tailor our performances for the appropriate stage
  2. Remember the power of “status” – be aware that the choices we make in our behavior, our tone, or words, and our non-verbal communication can elicit powerful shifts in status dynamics between people.
  3. Make your performance partner look good – remember that we are often not alone on the stage. Being able to effectively communicate and collaborate with others has an obviously large effect on the overall performance of the team. Use active listening, a “yes,and” mindset and a give-and-take approach to allow space for others to achieve their performance goals.
  4. Know your objective - in each scene, we want to know what our characters objective is. Knowing our objective, “our want”, allows us to adjust and adapt our choices on stage depending on how close we are to achieving that goal.

If this blog post was beneficial to you, who can you share it with to continue the conversation?

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The Hard Science of Teamwork – Harvard Business Review

20 Mar

The Hard Science of Teamwork  - Harvard Business Review.

Fascinating research from Alex Pentland at MIT provides data on how to predict the productivity, performance and perhaps creativity of a team.

Luckily, if you find your team lacking in any of the below attributes, the “how” of communication can be highly trainable:

His data shows great teams:

 

  • Communicate frequently. In a typical project team a dozen or so communication exchanges per working hour may turn out to be optimum; but more or less than that and team performance can decline.
  • Talk and listen in equal measure, equally among members. Lower performing teams have dominant members, teams within teams, and members who talk or listen but don’t do both.
  • Engage in frequent informal communication. The best teams spend about half their time communicating outside of formal meetings or as “asides” during team meetings, and increasing opportunities for informal communication tends to increase team performance.
  • Explore for ideas and information outside the group. The best teams periodically connect with many different outside sources and bring what they learn back to the team.

Often teams fast forward to focus on what is communicated rather than how we communicate. This data (and others) suggest we need to spend more time and energy focusing on how we communicate (and learn to adjust our non-verbal communication skills) to develop the connection, collaboration and trust necessary to produce the “what” (product) that helps your business succeed.

Understanding the science behind buzz-worthy teams is the first step.

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How to foster a culture of courage and creativity

19 Mar

“Innovation requires courage and creativity, which can be difficult to foster and maintain in a culture“, says Ask.com’s Chief Product and Technology Officer, Lisa Kavanaugh.

Ask.com’s innovation strategy is one many companies are adopting:  to teach Improv skills to every member of their company.

These Improv skills are used as tools to build a safe work environment where ideas are encouraged, shared and built upon.

Hear from the ask.com team about the success of this important initiative here.

 

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What’s the drill – March 19: Defining leadership with a 2 minute video

19 Mar

Last week I wrote of the inherent difficulty in finding the perfect definition of strong leadership.

That was before I was turned onto this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em9wR9e5emY

This short video is certainly making the rounds. Author and Management Speaker Bob Sutton wrote of it on his blog, and shared how famed design consultancy IDEO uses this video as a base model of what leadership should look like at their company.

How does your company define leadership, and what qualities do you see in this video that you can adopt more of?

 

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How to find strength in vulnerability

16 Mar

There are moments when I’d like to write more personal blog posts – and I hold back.

A writer by education and briefly by trade, there were years when expressing myself on paper came naturally and enjoyably.

However, since I discovered Improvisation, I’ve felt more comfortable and expressive through verbal communication – through collaboration, connection and deep conversation.

Improvisation forced me out of my head.

Now, as part of this experiment in pursuing my passion I’m back “in my head” a lot more than I’d like. And, sometimes I fear that I’m putting too much of myself out there on this site.  There are days I worry that if I write too much about my passion, my purpose, or my journey I will be too vulnerable.  My head says, “stick to the facts, the ROI, the business side, Lindsey”. If I don’t, how will this be perceived – and will it lead where I hope it will?

Mostly I wonder if my vulnerability will be viewed as a weakness, or a strength.

Truthfully, I feel as vulnerable as ever.

But, leave it to famed vulnerability researcher Brene Brown to put it in perspective:

In her latest TED talk, she argues:

1. Vulnerability is not weakness.

2. Vulnerability is our most active measurement of courage. It is facing emotional risk, and uncertainty head-on.

3. Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.

 4. Adaptability to change is all about vulnerability.

I truly believe all of this – but the choice we have to make is to face vulnerability head on, as opposed to hiding from it. The choice becomes more difficult when it comes from a place of fear – for one, fearful of not knowing what the future holds.

Dr. Brown is an example of a courageous woman who truly leaned into her vulnerability. She put herself out there and preached what she believed in. And, look at her reach and results. It’s astounding.

The past few months have collectively been the most important of my life.  It has been an experiment on many levels – partially to see how far I could push myself into vulnerability.

My friends and family know I have been pushed to my limits – to the point where (as Dr. Brown describes) vulnerability almost became my shame.

In the quiet – when I am back in my head, I can choose shame and fear, or I can choose to continue to find strength in my vulnerability.

The lesson here (I believe there is a lesson in everything we do) is to learn to truly apply the lessons of Improv to the times when life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Can I “yes, and” life and the “offers” around me when it’s much easier to do the opposite – at a point where I am most vulnerable, most open to criticism and rejection.

There is a reason for this test – and if I fully embrace it and own it, it will allow me to be a stronger trainer, facilitator, and person.  I believe it already has.

I can choose to lean into the vulnerability and rely on the tools I have been taught to navigate the unknown.  I choose to embrace authenticity, honestly, openness – and to see my vulnerability as one of my greatest strengths.  We all have this choice.

 

 

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The struggle to develop empathy and interpersonal communication skills in a digital world – Harvard Business Review

16 Mar

Digital Natives Are Slow to Pick Up Nonverbal Cues – John K. Mullen – Harvard Business Review.

“research suggests that excessive, long-term exposure to electronic environments is reconfiguring young people’s neural networks and possibly diminishing their ability to develop empathy, interpersonal relations, and nonverbal communication skills. One study indicates that because there’s only so much time in the day, face-to-face interaction time drops by nearly 30 minutes for every hour a person spends on a computer. With more time devoted to computers and less to in-person interactions, young people may be understimulating and underdeveloping the neural pathways necessary for honing social skills.”

 

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To master the softer side of leadership, acquire this tool:

14 Mar

You have just been promoted to a leadership role. Quick – where can you turn to brush up on leadership skills when there is a new leadership book, article, or blog post everywhere you look? What to do when there are myriads of choices when it comes to leadership training, coaching, or development?

How can one learn to become a “better” leader when the definition itself can feel so broad?

This article from Fast Company calls leadership, “the eight wonder of the world…better seen and felt than defined and said”.

So then, what one tool must a leader have in his or her toolbox to succeed at what Fast Company calls, “The Softer Side of True Leadership?”…

Self-awareness.

Yes some people naturally have more self-awareness than others, but luckily this is a muscle that can be strengthened with practice and patience through training that reinforces leadership as being about “we”, and no longer just “me”.

Here are some tips to consider:

  1.  Do more listening than speaking – make sure others feel heard
  2. Understand leaders are constantly being watched – your actions, speech and tone is being mirrored by those who support and report to you.
  3. Become an expert at body language. Pay attention to non-verbal communication and body language cues.  It’s more powerful than many of us realize.
  4. Ask questions – stay connected and curious to what’s happening on the office floor.
  5. Become more present and in the moment by increasing focus and mindfulness.

One way that Applied Improvisation training increases our self-awareness is by reminding us  “everything is an offer”. On stage, everything we do or say is an “offer” that is accepted and used in the scene by our partners.

Therefore, learning how our words, actions, and tone affects a scene and our partner makes us much more aware of not only our choices on stage but the choices of others.

I encourage you to connect and share this post with one colleague to continue the conversation….

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Sell with a story, not a lecture

14 Mar

“Stories have power. They delight, enchant, touch, teach, recall, inspire, motivate, challenge. They help us understand. They imprint a picture on our minds. Want to make a point or raise an issue? Tell a story”— Janet Litherland

It is hard to resist the power of a good story.

Imagine this scenario:  You are a member of a 500-person audience, at the very end of a long day of a conference. It’s time for your final session before dinner and socializing.

One more speaker is presenting, this time about a non-profit and a cause that’s near and dear to her heart.

Your mind is distracted though. You’re probably hungry, and a bit tired. You feel as though your brain has reached capacity.

The presenter needs you to get on board with her cause. Her objective is to get you to donate time, money, and/or energy — but first she needs you to listen.

Designing presentations is always a difficult task, but often can be made easier if we simply alter our perspective on how we view ourselves:

We are all storytellers.

As an audience, we want to be taken on a journey. Stories help give us meaning, allow us to remember facts and comprehend information.  Stories help frame material, and make connections between the content and also personal experience. Telling a story about your cause and choosing a hero for us to follow allows us to relate to what’s being said and follow a narrative with a beginning, middle and end – as opposed to a cavalcade of facts.

Without a visual aide, all the audience has to hold onto are your words. Go ahead, tell us a story. Encourage us to use our imagination. Reincorporate images and important facts within the story to help drive information.

Help make your audience an active part of your presentation.

After all, we all have a story to tell.

I am facing a similar challenge tomorrow when I am scheduled to present a talk on Improvisation and Business at a Business School function near Sacramento California. Without a visual aide (computer, projector, handouts), I will be relying on the power of story.
I can’t wait to see how this story ends.

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What’s the drill – March 13: A team building quick-win

13 Mar

Even the strongest teams need an occasional energy jolt.

Here’s a quick tip for instant team-building, inspired by an Improv workshop.

Count how many scenarios you can apply this to.

12 Improvisers from different backgrounds, with different styles and different perspectives on the art form recently came together to form a new troupe. We’ve had minimal rehearsal time, and are attempting a brand new format. Talk about a team-building challenge.

At the end of our final rehearsal, the week before our first show – it seemed we needed a quick and positive way to develop connection, empathy and a bit more trust.

I asked, can we all answer this one question….?

“What inspires and delights you on-stage? What makes you happiest?”

We each took turns answering this question, and in the process developed insights into our team members that allowed us to connect on a more personal level.

Understanding what makes us tick and feel inspired at work is imperative to bringing out the best in each other.

Try this, or something similar for a quick jolt. Even being asked this question by a colleague does wonders to open the lines of communication.

 

 

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Ask.com endorses Improvisation as a tool to solve their biggest challenge

9 Mar

What does a company do when it feels fresh out of ideas? Lacking some spirit and encouragement for innovation?

In the case of popular internet company Ask.com, they bring Improvisation to their entire workforce, including software engineers.

Watch here to see Ask.com CEO Doug Leeds’ overwhelming endorsement of Improvisation as a tool that builds skills needed for innovation and creativity.

Congratulations to my Applied Improv Network colleague Sue Walden! Let’s keep it going!

http://pressheretv.com/?p=2488

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