bea ignite: roger cooper
DESCRIPTION
BEA 2012 Ignite presentationTRANSCRIPT
Using Improv Comedy Exercisesto Develop Leadership Skills
Roger CooperSchool of Media Arts & Studies
Ohio University
Origins
Created Course…
Leadership and Humorfor the Creative Industries
Focus on the role of humor in organizational effectiveness, particularly collaborative, creative professions.
Why Improvisation?
Promotes• Cooperation and Respect (“yes, and”)• Relationship Building (Humor is rarely “jokes”)• Honesty and Trust (“Truth in Comedy”)
How Improvisation ExercisesConnect to Leadership Development• Thinking quickly on your feet• Being in the moment with people• Importance of listening• Value of teamwork/collaboration
How Improvisation ExercisesConnect to Leadership Development• Sense of Humor• Outstanding leaders use humor 2-3 times more
than average leadersHumor Stimulates (and Signifies)• Creativity• Openness• Trust• Spirit of Joy/Play
• Higher Productivity (quality & quantity)
Exercises…
Basic:One-Word Story/Pattern Game
Goofy:Samurai
Intermediate:“Yes” (We’re not Praying)
Bad News
Vegetable
Additional Benefitsof Using Improv
• Open, communicative class• ‘Bonded’ group• Deeper course impact
Leadership and Humorfor the Creative Industries
TextbooksPrimal Leadership: Learning to Lead with
Emotional IntelligenceTruth in Comedy: The Manual of ImprovisationAdd’l media/humor readings
Resourceimprovencyclopedia.org
