AIN09 – 3 This is your brain on improv

November 14th, 2009 | Add a Comment

I partnered with Janet Crawford (www.brainfriendly.com) to present on the neuroscience that underlies improv!

Some details can be found on the AIN website http://appliedimprov.ning.com/forum/topics/this-is-your-brain-on-improv There is also discussion, chat, and other social network features on the website that allows you to connect with other coaches, facilitators, and improvisers.

Some of the highlights of the presentation are:

Improv addresses the natural tendencies of the brain that get in the way of innovation, collaboration and learning.
Improv and good health (sleep, diet, exercise, sunlight, social connection, altruistic gestures) can help you better cope with reactions to Fairness, Lack of choice, Uncertainty, Difference, and Status (FLUDS).
Improv helps our brain get used to dealing with FLUDS and we have fewer and less extreme reactions when confronted with them.
Neural rings are associate connections our brains make to any concept we are thinking. They can inhibit innovation and collaboration unless we warm our brains up to enable new connections of existing neural rings.
Making new neural ring connections is innovation!

Interested to find out more? Comment below or tell us by email.

janet@brainfriendlyleader.com

rich@improvimpact.com

Rich helps individuals and teams explore change and increase their performance in communication, collaboration and creativity. Rich continues learning, performing, and teaching improv with BATS Improv, improvImpact, Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Secret Improv Society, Big City Improv. Rich lives with his two dogs in San Francisco.

Improv Notebook