Training to Imagine: Practical Improvisational Theatre Techniques to Enhance Creativity, Teamwork, Leadership and Learning

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.

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.