Publisher's Synopsis
New Publication Coming Soon!
Being able to improvise and adapt to changing environments is an important skill. So important, in fact, that most people improvise something in their lives every single day, given the complexity of our lives and the ubiquitous nature of change in modern society. Despite the frequency of improvising in our lives, however, we seldom even realize that we are "in the moment" and creating something new- or have the opportunity to create something new. This is especially true in organizations where time pressures and other stressors force us to react to problems, or blind us to new opportunities, rather than explore our options and discover more effective, creative problem solutions and, perhaps, even new ways to disrupt an entire industry. The primary learning goals of this textbook are to increase the awareness of this skill in ourselves, and the organizations we belong to, and, secondly, to provide the practical tools that leaders and individuals can use to further develop those skills. Yes, we can learn how to improvise!
Improv(e) Business: Developing Skills for Personal and Professional Success is designed to first establish an introduction to the concept of improvisation in various organizational functions: communication, team building, strategy, innovation, service, and in other important ways it contributes to the establishment of a positive, innovative culture in organizations. Each of the book's chapters will also employ the "scaffolding" education process where improvisation processes will first be explained and then demonstrated to the students with examples, games, exercises, etc. Instructors will then step back and allow the students to explore the concepts on their own, providing assistance and support to the students when needed.
The Facilitator's Guide, which accompanies the text, expands the range of practical exercises and games that can help build these improvisation skills in individuals and organizations. A companion web-based instructional video library, demonstrating how to conduct these exercises, as well as suggestions for debriefing them for learning purposes, is also included.