Does Improv Help with Pitching? Short answer: YES. This week, I’ve found myself in one of the most surreal situations. I’m currently working on a pitch for AndAlso at the Create South East Showcase while simultaneously running a high-level training program for a company whose staff needs…
Psychological Safety in Teams & Improvisation Training On the face of it, improvisation might seem like it’s all about recklessness and risk-taking. Yes, we practice getting comfortable with failure, celebrate mistakes, and embrace uncertainty, but lately, I’ve been reflecting on what safety and improvisation have in common. This idea first…
Bringing Your Whole Self to Work: Lessons from a Portfolio Career In recent years, I’ve noticed a recurring theme in the organizations I work with: the idea of bringing your whole self to work. It’s the notion that all the glorious, weird, and vulnerable aspects of who you are outside…
Improv Training for Executive Teams: The Secret to High-Performing Leadership Several years ago, my comedy troupe, The Maydays, were asked to perform in a ‘high-performing teams’ showcase for a large corporate event. The lineup of high-performing teams included us, a shadow gymnastics group, a jazz trio, and Britain’s Got…
How to be creative? The answer is obvious How to be creative? We all want to know the answer. And so, what a funny word obvious is. It can mean clarity, but is often used with criticism. I certainly have associations with being on the wrong…
Your team works hard, they support each other (and you) and hit their targets. So now you want to do something for them. Maybe you want to reward them for their efforts, work on a new strategy or create cultural change. Maybe you work remotely and just want…
Some people just don’t see themselves as creative. Indeed, whole departments and sometimes industries think they are creative. Ask any accountant. For them, creativity is a bad word. But creativity is not only for painters and writers. It is not magic. Creativity is just what you do when…
We all want to be creative. To see and do things in a new way. And we want our teams and companies to be more creative. Often, we need them to be. After all, doing what you have always done will just produce what you have always produced.
“When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?” John Maynard Keynes One meaning of the word ‘improvisation’ is ‘what you do when things go wrong’. When a plan falls apart, you improvise, right? The groceries didn’t come! Quick, what can we…
Your own room. No commute. Your full selection of teas in the cupboard and the freedom to take the dog for a walk at lunch. There are many advantages to working from home. But there are downsides too. You lose the casual coffee break, and the chats in…
‘I will learn more of a man in an hour of play than a week of conversation’ (Incorrectly attributed to) Plato Wherever you work, whatever the task and whatever the size of your team, communication will make or break it. No matter the individual…
Impostor syndrome. The feeling that you’re a fraud, that everyone is going to ‘find you out’ and that you don’t deserve to be here. Hands up who’s experienced this? I know I have. I’ve had a lot of it the last couple of years. Passing my driving test, buying a…
