Improvisational Thinking: Building Solutions in the Moment

Presented by:

Jennie Ayers,

Senior Partner/Certified Coach, BoldWork

Our ability to solve complex problems and innovate solutions from available resources – in the moment – is no longer a skill we can ignore. Although the rules of business have changed dramatically, our traditional “business brains” have not. We still rely heavily on our left brain capabilities and, according to Daniel Pink in his book, A Whole New Mind, “The future belongs to a very different kind of mind. The era of left-brain dominance is giving way to a new world in which ‘right brain’ qualities dominate.” And while logical, linear, analytical thinking remains important, it needs to be supplemented with an ability to create things we didn’t know we needed, see patterns and opportunities, tell a story and uncover ways to repurpose ideas and strategies. The question is, “How do we do that?” By reprogramming our brains through deliberate practice. And the tool that can provide that practice is improvisation.

As John Kao, of Harvard Business School says, “Improvisation is one of the two or three cardinal skills for businesses to learn in the future.” This introduction to improvisation blends conceptual and experiential learning that we can link directly to business outcomes.

Key takeaways:

• The skill to defeat your “inner critic.”
• The ability to understand and use the power of “yes" and how it impacts the effectiveness of teams.
  
• Competence in “listening to understand” vs. “listening to reply.”
  

Improvisation can help our brain reclaim its innate agility and mental nimbleness. I invite participants to come prepared to “improvise” and begin to reinvent themselves through the use of improvisational exercises.

About the Presenter:

Jennie is a senior partner and certified coach with BoldWork, specializing in building more effective influence, communication and leadership skills, while focusing on creating and sustaining healthy work climates. She began coaching during her earlier career as a theater director and producer. Jennie also spent nearly 20 years in the trenches as a TV comedy writer, including 2 years writing for comic Jeff Foxworthy. She uses her expertise in the art of improvisation to hone the skill of improvisational thinking and strengthen spontaneous communication. She holds a BA from the University of Missouri and completed her MA work at San Francisco State University.

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