Improv Notebook » AIN 09

AIN09 – 4 Bringing improv into one to one coaching

Richard Cox — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:18:53 +0000

One minute you are sitting in your cube, checking your email. The next you hear a knock and all of sudden you are on a theater stage with a spot light glaring in your eyes and expected to perform. Now you wish you had taken at least one art or theater class in high school!

This is what some clients might feel when you bring up improv games in a one on one coaching session. What I learned from the AIN conference session by Drew Tarvin was that there are the four main things to watch for:

Trust

It’s easier to be part of or hide in a group. The experience of a one-on-one session is much more intimate and you need a higher level of trust for the client to be comfortable performing when all eyes (yours) are on them. Take the time to build trust and always be prepared to keep the trust equal by playing along and contributing in the games as much as the client.

Time

The way you approach building trust and what games you play will depend on if you have a single session or multiple sessions. Keeping games simple, light, and introducing the concept of celebrating risk or failure will help right off the bat. Taking the time to let trust build and not pushing too hard will pay off every time.

Multi-level

As the coach you have to operate on two levels – the improviser and the facilitator. You need to develop your split brain and maintain observation without interrupting your game. When it does happen, it’s a great time to own that and model the celebration of taking risks.

Goal-based

Regardless of the exercise or coaching, be sure to clearly define the goals and understand how the activity is moving toward the goal. Many games are fun to play, and sometimes that is a goal for unblocking or building trust. Games can be used in different ways, make sure you know what you are trying to achieve.

What do you think?

Leave your thoughts in a comment below:

. info@improvnotebook.com

AIN09 – 3 This is your brain on improv

Richard Cox — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:57:12 +0000

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

. info@improvnotebook.com

AIN09 – 2 Improv Jam

Richard Cox — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:00:31 +0000

Each year at the AIN conference there is an imrov jam where anyone from performers to people who have never done improv can get up and give it a try. The opening reception on the first night (day of the pre-conference) was the evening for the jam.

As a member of the programming committee, I volunteered to coordinate the improv Jam!

I wanted to find a way to include as many people as possible and at the same time give the performers a venue to play as well.

We started with some all-group activities led by Matt Weinstein (Playfair). Everyone was engaged and had fun, so much so that we were asked to quiet a bit to not disturb the diners in the restaurant. (Woo Hoo!)

We then moved on to some large group improv scenes.

String of Pearls
Speaking in one voice
Category Die

After the group scenes, we moved into scenework and games for anyone that wanted to try something.

The audience at this conference is amazingly supportive and wonderful and helped make the evening a great success as much as the 30-40 performers who got up and improvised.

. info@improvnotebook.com

AIN09 – 1 Welcome to Portland

Richard Cox — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:54:05 +0000

The Applied Improv Network conference is like no other conference I have been to. The energy is as warm an inviting as visiting Mom for the holidays.

My conference started on the airplane in Portland. I hadn’t noticed it, but behind me and across the aisle was my friend Lou, who had just flow in from Japan. Once we made the connection, we chatted away and caught up thought he airport, into a cab, and right into the Hotel to check in.

The next 20 minutes was a cascade of greetings, turning around and seeing another smiling face and getting a welcome hug. This is my second conference and it’s almost like a reunion for me already. Some veterans have been coming together for years now.

The warm welcome doesn’t stop. It’s enough to make introverts feel welcome and included. It’s really like no other conference. That theme carried through the whole opening reception and by the end I had met two dozen people for the first time, and re-connected with at least as many colleague/friends.

I’m so glad to be back!

. info@improvnotebook.com

Applied Improv Network Conference – Portland 2009

Richard Cox — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:01:07 +0000

The 2009 Applied Improv Network North American Conference started today, Nov 12 in Portland OR.

If you are interested in finding out more about what’s going on, there are plenty of ways:

Blogging on Improv Notebook

I will be posting articles here on Improv Notebook during and after the conference. I will add AIN 09 to the title of each and there will be tags and categories for all these posts.

Microblogging on twitter

I will be microblogging on twitter @richardlcox (follow me) during the conference as it happens. Other AIN members will be using the hashtags: #ain09 #appliedimprov09 for their posts (as will I). You can search on http://search.twittter.com/ or watch this feed following it:

The Applied Improv Network website

It’s easy and free to become a member, and you can chat engage and follow the conference. The AIN website will have:

Photos
Video live and wrapup
Live chat
Blogs
Discussions
Microblogging

Join today for free: http://appliedimprov.ning.com/

. info@improvnotebook.com