The Improvisation Edge: Secrets to Building Trust and Radical Collaboration at Work by Karen Hough

The Improvisation Edge: Secrets to Building Trust and Radical Collaboration at Work by Karen Hough

All kinds of books have been written about building trust and teamwork. But The Improvisation Edge is the only one that draws on the knowledge of experts in trust building- theatrical improvisers. Think about it- other than combat, no situation requires more extreme trust than improv. You have no script, costumes, or set-nothing but your fellow actors. Improvisers must manage risk, collaborate radically, create deep trust, and turn disasters into opportunities-which are also vital business skills.

Karen Hough describes four secrets that help leaders, trainers, managers, and frontline employees adopt the improviser's mind-set. You'll learn techniques to create a positive environment, encourage fearless participation, and turn "Oops!" into "Eureka!" The Improvisation Edge offers a hands-on way to build an organizational culture that makes breakthrough business results possible.

Karen Hough is the founder and CEO of ImprovEdge, a company that creates learning experiences, training, and consulting using improvisation to teach business skills. For many years a senior sales executive in the networking engineering industry, Hough was also a professional improviser and actor for 20 years, including training at Chicago's legendary Second City. ImprovEdge received the silver Stevie International Award for Most Innovative Company of the Year 2012 for Women in Business. Hough is the recipient of the Athena PowerLink Award for outstanding women-owned business, and ImprovEdge is a certified WBE (Women's Business Enterprise). Hough writes numerous articles for industry media and has been featured in TD magazine, Mashable.com, and BusinessInsider.com. She is a national conference keynote speaker on topics such as executive presence and presentation skills, negotiation, and leadership. Hough is on the advisory board of Key Bank's Key4Women National Initiative, and on the board of WELD (Women for Economic Leadership and Development), as well as a past board member of Yale's Whim 'n Rhythm Alumnae Association. She is a member of AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Actors), NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners), NSA (National Speakers Association), eWomenNetwork, and ATD. Hough trained with Chicago's legendary Second City and had a career in stage, film, and TV, and was in more than 100 live and filmed productions. She worked with the Metraform/Annoyance Theatre, the Organic Theatre, and the Purple Crayon of Yale. She worked for many years as a senior sales executive in the network engineering industry in New York and Chicago. She originated and expanded the sales and management efforts of three separate technology startups, launched partner programs, and assisted in East Coast and national expansions. Hough is a graduate of Yale University and La Sorbonne, Paris IV. She is deeply committed to volunteer activities and philanthropy. A portion of ImprovEdge profits go each year to support the Women's Fund of Central Ohio, Kiva, Computers for Youth, and DonorsChoose. Her volunteer activities include teaching improv classes for high school students in rural Kansas and confidence-building workshops for Chicago inner-city schoolchildren. She resides in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and three children.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781605095851
ISBN 10	1605095850
Title	The Improvisation Edge: Secrets to Building Trust and Radical Collaboration at Work
Author	Karen Hough
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Berrett-Koehler
Year published	2011-03-07
Number of pages	192
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.