Improvation™
Russ Schoen
Using proven communication, collaboration and improvisation techniques to enhance teamwork, build problem-solving skills and fully explore opportunities
In order for groups to work together effectively & creatively, barriers must come down, intelligent risk taking must be fostered and lines of honest communication must be opened.
Improvation leverages specific improvisation activities and exercises that are designed for groups that want to play, learn, create and ultimately innovate (and who doesn’t want that!). The activities and exercises are structured to introduce laughter, adventure and play, unleashing a supportive climate that nurtures and supports creative thinking. Problems are solved faster, opportunities are fully explored, and deeper relationships are created.
Come learn how to integrate specific improvisation exercises and activities into your next creativity and innovation training or facilitation session. Be prepared, to move and laugh, laugh, laugh!
Improvation activities are structured with 3 levels
Level 1: Activities that help people be present in the moment
Level 2: Activities that help people really listen (to themselves, to a partner, to their team)
Level 3: Activities that help people create authentic encounters and moments
After this workshop, participants are better able to:
--Utilize the principle of “yes and” to promote innovative thinking and build trust within their teams and with their clients
--Utilize improvisation principles to respond in the moment and deal more effectively with rapid change
- Integrate specific improvisation activities into their next creativity training and/or facilitation
- Understand how and when to utilize improvisation activities and how to adapt them to the needs of your sessions.
A tipsheet with key concepts and activities practiced during the workshop is provided to participants as a reference and reminder of the simple and powerful rules of Improvation.
Using proven communication, collaboration and improvisation techniques to enhance teamwork, build problem-solving skills and fully explore opportunities
In order for groups to work together effectively & creatively, barriers must come down, intelligent risk taking must be fostered and lines of honest communication must be opened.
Improvation leverages specific improvisation activities and exercises that are designed for groups that want to play, learn, create and ultimately innovate (and who doesn’t want that!). The activities and exercises are structured to introduce laughter, adventure and play, unleashing a supportive climate that nurtures and supports creative thinking. Problems are solved faster, opportunities are fully explored, and deeper relationships are created.
Come learn how to integrate specific improvisation exercises and activities into your next creativity and innovation training or facilitation session. Be prepared, to move and laugh, laugh, laugh!
Improvation activities are structured with 3 levels
Level 1: Activities that help people be present in the moment
Level 2: Activities that help people really listen (to themselves, to a partner, to their team)
Level 3: Activities that help people create authentic encounters and moments
After this workshop, participants are better able to:
--Utilize the principle of “yes and” to promote innovative thinking and build trust within their teams and with their clients
--Utilize improvisation principles to respond in the moment and deal more effectively with rapid change
- Integrate specific improvisation activities into their next creativity training and/or facilitation
- Understand how and when to utilize improvisation activities and how to adapt them to the needs of your sessions.
A tipsheet with key concepts and activities practiced during the workshop is provided to participants as a reference and reminder of the simple and powerful rules of Improvation.
About Russ
Russ Schoen works as a facilitator, speaker and trainer in the areas of deliberate creativity, innovation, high performance and change leadership. He has facilitated programs worldwide including programs in Singapore, Italy, Australia, England, India, New Zealand, South Africa and the US.
A sampling of organizations to benefit from his training, on-going facilitation and speaking in the last few years include: T. Rowe Price, International Flavor & Fragrances, Kraft, Coca-Cola, TAP Pharmaceuticals, SC Johnson, Philips Electronics, Praxair, Discover, Kimberly-Clark, Zimmer and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Russ is a contributing author to a number of creative leadership related materials including the FourSight and Ingenious Thinking suite of materials. In addition, Russ is a lecturer at Northwestern University where he teaches graduate courses in leadership and adjunct faculty at the Center for Studies in Creativity where he teaches graduate courses in facilitating creative process.
Russ holds a Master of Science in Creativity from the State University of New York at Buffalo and is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory specializing in improvisation. He is a specialist in the field of individual, team and organizational innovation and leadership and holds certifications in a number of additional training programs including Polarity Management and Emotional Intelligence. Russ also serves as a leader at the annual Creative Problem Solving Institute, the annual Creativity European Association conference in Italy and the Mindcamp Creativity Conference in Toronto.
In addition to his work with organizations, Russ is a co-founder of the Creative Youth Leadership Academy (www.creativeyouthleadership.org) which helps train young people to adopt a mindset and apply a toolset to help them see more options in their lives and to make healthier choices.
When not working, Russ spends his free time in Chicago improvising, learning Italian and practicing aikido.
To learn more about Russ, http://www.linkedin.com/in/russschoen
A sampling of organizations to benefit from his training, on-going facilitation and speaking in the last few years include: T. Rowe Price, International Flavor & Fragrances, Kraft, Coca-Cola, TAP Pharmaceuticals, SC Johnson, Philips Electronics, Praxair, Discover, Kimberly-Clark, Zimmer and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Russ is a contributing author to a number of creative leadership related materials including the FourSight and Ingenious Thinking suite of materials. In addition, Russ is a lecturer at Northwestern University where he teaches graduate courses in leadership and adjunct faculty at the Center for Studies in Creativity where he teaches graduate courses in facilitating creative process.
Russ holds a Master of Science in Creativity from the State University of New York at Buffalo and is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory specializing in improvisation. He is a specialist in the field of individual, team and organizational innovation and leadership and holds certifications in a number of additional training programs including Polarity Management and Emotional Intelligence. Russ also serves as a leader at the annual Creative Problem Solving Institute, the annual Creativity European Association conference in Italy and the Mindcamp Creativity Conference in Toronto.
In addition to his work with organizations, Russ is a co-founder of the Creative Youth Leadership Academy (www.creativeyouthleadership.org) which helps train young people to adopt a mindset and apply a toolset to help them see more options in their lives and to make healthier choices.
When not working, Russ spends his free time in Chicago improvising, learning Italian and practicing aikido.
To learn more about Russ, http://www.linkedin.com/in/russschoen
