improvmeansbusiness tm ©2009 tosone associates llc improv for it executives creativity,...

©2009 Tosone Associates LLC

ImprovMeansBusinessTM

Improv for IT Executives Creativity, Collaboration, Communication

Jim TosoneDirector, Healthcare Informatics

Pfizer Inc

©2009 Tosone Associates LLC

ImprovMeansBusinessTM

What is Improv?

• Set of Games

• Originally for Child Actors

• Used to Create Sketch Comedy

©2009 Tosone Associates LLC

ImprovMeansBusinessTM

Value in the Workplace

• Increase Comfort with Change

• Deepen Relationships Though

Adaptive Communication

• Enhance Think-On-Your-Feet

Creativity

• Foster Seamless Collaboration

©2009 Tosone Associates LLC

ImprovMeansBusinessTM

Improv Games

• Dr.-Know-It-All

• Rewind

• ABC

• Mirror

©2009 Tosone Associates LLC

ImprovMeansBusinessTM

Ground Rules

• Be Sensitive

• Don’t Worry About Being Funny

• There is No “Do” – Only “Try”

©2009 Tosone Associates LLC

ImprovMeansBusinessTM

Dr. Know-It-All

• 3 People Line Up as Dr. Know-It-All

• Audience Asks Questions

• Dr. Know-It-All Answers with One

Word Per Person in Sequence

©2009 Tosone Associates LLC

ImprovMeansBusinessTM

Rewind

• Improvise a Two-Person Scene

• When I Ring Bell

– Replace Last Line Spoken

– With a Different Line

©2009 Tosone Associates LLC

ImprovMeansBusinessTM

ABC

• Improvise a Two-Person Scene

• Dialog Alternates Alphabetically

– First Line Starts with “A”

– Second Line Starts with “B”

– Last Line Starts with “Z”

©2009 Tosone Associates LLC

ImprovMeansBusinessTM

Mirror• Pair Up

• Stand Facing Each Other

• Lock Eyes

• Follow each others’ movement exactly

– Head, Arms, Body, Legs

• Transfer the lead back and forth

©2009 Tosone Associates LLC

ImprovMeansBusinessTM

Use Games Situationally

Creativity Collaboration

Communication

©2009 Tosone Associates LLC

ImprovMeansBusinessTM

Improv Principles• Initiate Ideas

• Acknowledge & Accept Ideas

• Build on Ideas

• Stay in the Moment

• Make Mistakes

©2009 Tosone Associates LLC

ImprovMeansBusinessTM

Improv Means BusinessTM

Jim Tosonewww.ImprovMeansBusiness.com

jim@tosoneassociates.com