Being prompt, adaptable, present in the moment, contributing freely, and listening carefully are skills that should be included in management training as it creates more room for innovation.
Coming up with dazzling and novel ideas is not an innate ability, but can be a learned skill that you and your team develop. It is actually possible to train your mental radar to repeatedly sweep back and forth in search of those blips of inspiration that have a possibility of turning into something exciting and concrete. With this acquired mindset, it is possible to begin seeing possibilities for everywhere.
I have learned from 20 years of performing, directing, and producing live improvisational comedy to open my mind to what is around me. A broadened perspective leads to more opportunity for original ideas. Cultivating the same outlook also allows organisational teams to develop innovative ideas.
Part of the joy of doing improv comes from the fact that, as a performer, I am allowed to follow wherever the scene goes without any real expectation to end up anywhere in particular. The unknown, far from being scary, becomes a limitless opportunity. The ability to build off of the other actors’ ideas invariably leads to unexpected places. Sure, my comments and directives morph or become contorted along the way. But suspending my judgment and trusting in the creative process take a scene that starts from the rawest of materials and somehow leads to a neat resolution.
Whether on stage or in idea-generation sessions with staff, no idea is created perfectly and fully formed right out of the gate. It does not matter if it is a joke, a concept or a product, everything needs to be looked at, edited, and iterated. This is the process we use to go from a basic or starter concept, to bigger and more expansive ideas—and, with some risk and a measure of effort, to full-blown realisation and success.
Here are some ways to apply the techniques of improv to successfully come up with good ideas that can lead to innovation:
Learn to listen
Denne historien er fra June 2019-utgaven av Indian Management.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra June 2019-utgaven av Indian Management.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Trust is a must
Trust a belief in the abilities, integrity, values, and character of any organisation is one of the most important management principles.
Listen To Your Customers
A good customer experience management strategy will not just help retain existing customers but also attract new ones.
The hand that feeds
Providing free meals to employees is an effective way to increase engagement and boost productivity.
Survival secrets
Thrive at the workplace with these simple adaptations.
Plan backwards
Pioneer in the venture capital and private equity fields and co-founder of four transformational private equity firms, Bryan C Cressey opines that we have been taught backwards in many important ways, people can work an entire career without seeing these roadblocks to their achievements, and if you recognise and bust these five myths, you will become far more successful.
For a sweet deal
Negotiation is a discovery process for both sides; better interactions will lead all parties to what they want.
Humanise. Optimise. Digitise
Engaging employees in critical to the survival of an organisation, since the future of business is (still) people.
Beyond the call of duty
A servant leadership model can serve the purpose best when dealing with a distributed workforce.
Workplace courage
Leaders need to build courage in order to enhance their self-reliance and contribution to the team.
Focused on reality
Are you a sales manager or a true sales leader? The difference, David Mattson, CEO, Sandler® and author, Scaling Sales Success: 16 Key Principles For Sales Leaders, maintains, comes down to whether you can see beyond five classic myths that we often tell ourselves about selling.
