Improv Musings

It's so refreshing to talk to people who are passionate about Innovation and I love it that now more than ever, companies are making room for it, not only in titles, but also in budgets. Who doesn't want to be innovative? Problem is everyone wants it, rarely are people willing to do what it takes to get there. People throw the word innovation around loosely these days like it's just another attribute they need to use in their company description or profile with little understanding of what it really means. Innovation doesn't come easy, and it requires razor focus on creating an environment with all the right elements for innovation to breed.

Tis the season for grand planning for sales kick off’s. Companies are trying to figure out what they can do to emphasize the company’s goals, themes and get their sales team fired up to move mountains and hit even bigger numbers in 2018.

I love the art of improv applied to the stage and comedic performance, and through the years I have realized that it's not as much the comedy I enjoy as much as the thrill of not knowing what is going to happen and navigating the unknown. Comedy is just the by product (we hope) of improvisation for stage, improvisation at its core is the art of showing up, using what you have and creating something in the moment.

During my years working in the staffing industry, questions about a company’s culture came up a lot. Staffing companies play an important role as the liaison between prospective candidates and the company doing the hiring. A company’s culture is a critical piece in enticing talent to want to work at a particular company. I was always amazed at how many companies undervalued their culture. Even when I explained to my clients that candidates rate culture in the top 3 of what’s most important to them in finding their next position.” In other words Mr. Client, I am going to go back to my office and try to sell your opportunity and when asked about your company culture, I will repeat exactly what you tell me." The typical answers I got from hiring managers ranged from, “We have casual Fridays” to “We’re fun and laid back”, or one of my favorites, “You can bring your dog to work!”

As an L&D professional, we are constantly challenged to create learning that is engaging and sticks. For the first time ever, we have 5 generations in the workplace, so the challenge has never been greater. In L&D, our customer is the learner, and it is our job to find out how to create the type of experience that will yield engagement and retention.