Training to Imagine: Practical Improvisational Theatre Techniques for Trainers and Managers to Enhance Creativity, Teamwork, Leadership, and Learning [Paperback]

Kat Koppett (Author), Joel Goodman (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2012

Creating innovative products and game-changing processes, and adapting to new cultures and communication styles, have all become imperative for business survival. Today’s business leaders, from Fortune 500 companies on down, have discovered the value of improvisational theatre techniques to develop creativity and collaboration skills they need.

Since publication of its seminal first edition, the principles and techniques pioneered in Training to Imagine have been widely adopted by organizations around the world, and have given rise to the field of Applied Improvisation. This new edition builds on the characteristics that made it the most comprehensive and most easy-to-apply resource for using improv in organizations. As before, this book translates the theories and exercises of improv into language that is familiar to business culture, and provides guidelines, case studies and exercises intended for use by individuals for self-development, for small groups, and for facilitation by corporate trainers.

This revised edition places more emphasis on the development of leadership, in particular adding activities designed for individuals to develop skills on their own, or outside formal training environments. It builds upon what has been learned since 2001, presenting examples of practice, and research on the methods, that have proven to be most effective in the workplace. Kat Koppett has added a whole new section on instructional design to help users make informed choices in selecting activities to best support their objectives and corporate context, as well as numerous new exercises.

This is a vital resource for trainers, executives, and leaders at all levels who want to increase their personal communication and creativity skills, and in inspire and motivate their teams.

The enhanced e-book edition will incorporate video of sample activities and exercises, as well as interviews with leading Applied Improv practitioners. This material will also be available free on the Stylus Web site.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Training to Imagine: Practical Improvisational Theatre Techniques to Enhance Creativity, Teamwork, Leadership, and Learning appears in its second updated edition to revise information and goes beyond the first edition's focus on trainers to show how everyone can be a performer using improvisation techniques to promote productivity within and outside the theatre. From evolving new improvisation approaches to business survival to extending the theories and exercises inherent in improve to organizational structures, chapters draw close connections between management goals and theatre training, making this a strong dual pick for stage and business collections alike."

“Training to Imagine is useful and wise, entertaining and generous. Based on rich experience and a great deal of thought, it's a splendid second edition.”

“In this revised edition of Training to Imagine, Kat no longer has to call from the fringes. Clearly we are all performing, all the time, and business requires ‘surfing’ the waves of change. Why not get good at it? By outlining how the six core principles of improv apply to 21st century leadership challenges, Koppett shows how we can trust ourselves to create together, not just in the safety of a team activity but out on the frontiers of business performance. I have used over half the activities in this book with excellent results! The ‘yes/and’ principle alone has the potential to reverse negative patterns and spark upward spirals of trust, collaboration and excellence on any team."

“In the Foreword to the first edition, Thiagi said, ‘Bravo, Kat! What are you going to do for an encore?’
Here is the encore! We need this second edition… now more than ever. In a world beset by accelerating change, we must be able to think on our feet (and on our seat) in our organizations, in our families, and in our own personal lives. The art of improvisation is a vital set of attitudes and life skills for the 21st Century. Individuals who are not creative and organizations that are not innovative will be left behind.
This book gives you a chance to work and play with key improv principles of mental flexibility, trust, spontaneity, listening, accepting and building on others’ ideas, and performing with presence— all of which will help to inspire your own personal spontaneous combustion creativity and jump-start your organization’s ability to innovate.
The first edition mostly focused on training and trainers. This new text goes beyond trainers and recognizes that everyone can be (and needs to be) a performer who calls on improvisational skills and mindsets to promote productivity and pleasure at work (and in life outside of work).
In an age of instant messaging, Facebooking, and tweeting, we need more than ever to recapture the human touch and the magic of storytelling to communicate with charisma. How do you get your message across to your boss, colleagues, customers, students, clients, patients, family and friends? Chapter 6 will help you to: command focus, create compelling stories, hone your storytelling skills, match your message and style to your audience, and see how stories can magically capture attention and increase retention."

About the Author

Kat Koppett is the eponymous founder of Koppett + Company, a consulting and training company specializing in the use of improv, theatre and storytelling techniques to enhance workplace performance. She is a pioneer in bringing the lessons, philosophies, and techniques of the theater to corporations, with a special focus on creativity and communication skills. Kat holds a B.F.A. in Drama from New York University and an M.A. in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University. She was instrumental in creating the corporate training wing of Freestyle Repertory Theatre, in New York, and was the founding Corporate Division Director of BATS Improv, in San Francisco. In her nearly two decades of work in Applied Improv, Kat has designed and delivered training for companies including GE, Kaiser-Permanente, JPMorgan Chase, Eli Lilly, AAA, and dozens more companies internationally. A founding member of the Applied Improv Network, Kat is a sought-out speaker, coach, trainer, and author. Kat’s articles on the use of storytelling in training have appeared in McGraw-Hill’s Training Sourcebooks, and she has had articles published for National ASTD, ISPI, and TechRepublic. She has been profiled in the Thiagi Gameletter, published by Jossey-Bass. In 1995, TheaterWeek Magazine named Kat one of the year’s "Unsung Heroes" for her creation of the improvisational theater format, Spontaneous Broadway, which is now performed regularly internationally. She currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at the Rensellaer Polytechnic Institute's Lally School of Management, and as Co-Director of the improvisational theater company, The Mop & Bucket Company. A member of the National Speakers Association, Kat has presented for the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), the North American Simulation and Gaming Association (NASAGA), the Rotary Club and the Young Presidents’ Organization and countless other organizations nationally.

Joel Goodman is founder and director of The HUMOR Project, Inc. in Saratoga Springs, NY. He is the author of 8 books, creator of The Humor Project, and recipient of the International Lifetime of Laughter Award. Joel has done presentations in all 50 states and on all 7 continents.

Product Details

• Paperback: 310 pages
• Publisher: Stylus Publishing; 2 edition (October 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579225926
• ISBN-13: 978-1579225926
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #458,473 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Imaginative, and Effective, Training Activities August 16, 2002

By Les Lauber

Format:Paperback

Over the last couple of years, I have become interested in adapting techniques from improv theatre to organizational training settings. Koppett's book helped me solidly solidify my thinking on the matter. She divides her book into two sections, Principles and Activities. The Principles section is broken into seven chapters that address trust, listening and awareness, non-verbal communications...all the kinds of things for which organizations seek training. The Activities sections has instructions for 50 activities, including an overview, the relevant principles, instructions and variations, and even questions that facilitate discussions after the activity is complete. For added value, the appendices break each activity down into improv principles (trust, spontaneity, etc.) or training application (team-building, creativity, problem-solving, etc.) I've used this resource dozens of times already. In fact, I've had trouble getting it back from several colleagues, and don't lend it out anymore!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, Readable Work January 7, 2002

By Mitchell Friedman

Format:Paperback

I enjoyed this book for two main reasons. First, it offers an engaging treatment of improvisation techniques that's certain to inform (and inspire) even those without background in the area. Second, it's an excellent compendium of training activities written in detailed prose perfect for people like me who do a lot of training, but who don't have the formal schooling in training methodology and techniques. In short, this is a worthwhile read and an excellent addition to one's library of training resources.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Go for Improv November 16, 2001

By Sonia Ribaux

Format:Paperback

I highly recommend this book for people interested in incorporating improv in their training, whatever the topic. The book is clear, to the point, very creative and also very practical. Ms Koppett has collected some tried-and-true improv exercises that are easy to use and really work. Even if you have never done any theatre or improv, you can use this book. Just imagine, a training session in which your participants are inspired, creative, collaborative, funny, cohesive.....