Business Improvisation

Things have been so busy that I haven’t gotten around to sending out an update to friends and clients that I usually keep in touch with. So I thought to myself why not use this blog. I usually have these internal conversations around 2:00am when I can’t sleep because all the things I need to do keep picking at my consciousness like seagulls around spilled fries. So here’s what’s up…

Research: We did some research on Business Improvisation late last year that was presented at the Banff Learning Centre in November for AIN (Applied Improvisation Network). We used a psychometric tool that measures style and performance under pressure (TAIS) and compared a group of Professional Improvisers with a group of Business Executives. The results are very interesting. The paper is at link.

Speaking of research, there are a several other great bits of research on the premise of improvisation in business applications out there.

• Keith Hmieleski and Andrew Corbett have done some great research on Improvisation and Entrepreneurs in their paper ‘Proclivity for Improvisation as a Predictor of Entrepreneurial Intentions’.
• Angela Keros wrote a paper entitled ‘Improvisation and the logic of exchange in socially embedded transactions’ which is about the negotiation process and how utilizing improvisation leads to success.
• The other piece of research on Business Improvisation that I find very provocative is ‘Wild cards, weak signals and organizational improvisation’ by Franks Ruff. It goes into great detail about the value and examples of the use of improvisation as a corporate strategy for planning and contingency.
• Some of these articles can be found on our resources page or let me know what you’re interested in and I can send you a copy.

Pervasive Gaming & Team Building: The GO Game is going like wildfire; we’re playing games across the country and having a blast doing to it. We’ve been doing a lot of work on applying the technology as a learning vehicle for our PVC Sales Training and Situational Leadership programs. The idea is to create learning environments that ensure the participants are retaining the content by testing them in real time pressure situations. The first tests with a few adventurous clients have gone quite well. Some of the other highlights from the past year of GO Games:

• Our largest game of 1200 players in Vancouver was crazy (in a good way of course).
• The GO Game on MTV as a contest for ‘The Hills”
• We played several games in Niagara Falls last year as well as Toronto Island and Old Montreal. We got fashionable when we ran a game for Diesel at Mount Tremblant.
• Calgary was the biggest growth in GO Games last year; we even played in the middle of December. Thank God for the +15 indoor walkways.

Workshops and Consulting: The workshops have really been refined over the past year. The basis is still focused on understanding the individual using TAIS, increasing self awareness of participant’s behavioural attributes (who you are). Combine that with the competencies (skills) of the workshops and it’s a powerful and rewarding couple of days. As well as workshops we’ve been doing a lot of executive coaching and working on corporate culture initiatives.

• Business Improvisation Workshop. We’ve adapted this workshop for executives, managers, sales people and facilitators. You’ll also find the theory of Business Improvisation in most of our other workshops.
• Situational Leadership & Manager Development Workshop (SLMD). This workshop is powerful because it focuses on your team, communication styles and the issues that are affecting you in your environment right now.
• PVC Sales Training. This workshop focuses on combining the individual behavioural attributes with sales competencies and processes. Style can’t be faked and customers know when you’re not real. Sales training should not be ‘one size fits all’.

Creative Advisors and Writing: This area of our business has really grown over the past year. We continue to help clients create the right message and corporate story but the delivery of that message in video and avatar webisodes, e-learning and live events has really become a valuable part of our and our clients’ success. Recently our writers have won another Canadian Comedy Award for “This Hour Has 22 Minutes”. They can take any content and make it interesting.