Charlie Allenson
Chief Improv Officer
Improving with Improv®
How to think on your feet. And look good doing it.
- How the workshop works
Improving with Improv, conducted by Charlie Allenson, is an experiential, personally interactive learning/training workshop that uses the techniques of improvisational comedy to sharpen minds, expand creative thinking, enhance the ability to respond quickly and appropriately to the unexpected and build better working relationships.
With Improving with Improv It doesn’t matter if you think you’re funny or not. It doesn’t matter because Improving with Improv is not about being a comedian. It's about adaptive thinking. But you will laugh while you learn.
Charlie Allenson shows you how to explore your own thought processes to think faster in unfamiliar or high pressure situations and how to respond more quickly to the unexpected and be more supportive of others. This is accomplished using the basic building blocks of improv comedy exercises.
Here is a short description of some of the goals of those exercises:
• How to really listen to find common ground and move toward a successful conclusion.
• How to disagree or add to a thought without discounting what the other person has said. All in a non-confrontational manner.
• How to get on the same page as someone who you may have never worked with before and truly work as a team.
• How to distill an entire concept down to its essence using only 3 sentences.
• Non-linear thinking exercises that help you view an issue from other points of view and stretch your thinking to discover less obvious, but equally effective solutions to that issue.
• Improvisational scene work: building on what’s been learned in each of previous exercises, participants use their new non-verbal, verbal, listening, mental and support skills to perform humorous, but life-lesson, work oriented scenes.
This all adds up to thinking sharp while looking sharp. So you and your company or organization benefit from having people capable of making more valuable contributions in their respective functions.
The workshop itself is very flexible. It can be structured as a half-day, morning or afternoon event; it can be done in shorter sessions over a number of days, and works on- or off-site.
What people have to say about Improving with Improv.
"Mental and verbal agility are key skills for managers, but I had never seen a training opportunity that gave these traits a workout and coached them to improvement -- until I participated in "Improving with Improv" from Charlie Allenson. Using improvisational comedy exercises, Mr. Allenson sets up what seem like mental dodge ball games, and shows managers how to focus on underlying group dynamics and respond accurately but creatively on the fly. Who hasn’t wanted to be able to do this consistently in meetings and conferences?"
-- Susan Kennedy, Director, HR, amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research
"Charlie's workshop was not only a fun, team-building experience, but offered many valuable metaphors for enhanced team performance and communication in the workplace. He did an excellent job creating a safe space for the group to try new things
and have a great time. We all hope to see him again soon!"
-- Amanda Kowal-Kenyon, SVP, Director, Stromberg Consulting (A WPP Company)
"As an attorney, I found Charlie's Improving with Improv particularly valuable in teaching me how to stay sharp when dealing with unanticipated events."
-- Karen Crupi, Partner, Heller Ehrman, LLP
"My colleagues and I can't stop talking about your program, "Improving With Improv". The exercises were very helpful in immediately establishing trust. Within 10 minutes we were all much more aware of ourselves and everyone around us. We also learned how to quickly sharpen our listening skills. The best part is that even a few friendships were born that night. You are really great at what you do!!!"
-- June H. Dwyer, Senior Vice President, Client Executive Practice, Marsh USA
"It was great fun and fun learning! This is an activity you would want to consider for teambuilding. Charlie Allenson uses very effective and engaging techniques."
-- Gloria Turner, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Center for Organizational and Leadership Effectiveness
"Charlie Allenson's improv workshop gave me a completely positive eye-
and mind-opening experience."
-- Jeffrey Howell, President, Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation
"Charlie is much better looking in person than the photo in his brochure."
-- Judy S, APIW (Association of Professional Insurance Women) |
Who is Charlie Allenson?
Charlie Allenson has studied and performed improv comedy at the renowned Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York City (alumni include Amy Poehler of Saturday Night Live, and Rob Corrdry and Rob Riggle of the Daily Show). In his advertising career he has written for and worked with Robin Williams, Paul "Pee Wee Herman" Reubens, Charlie the Tuna and the Fruit of the Loom guys.
Using his improv skills in conjunction with his corporate, advertising, marketing background, Charlie saw a place for using improv comedy techniques as a learning tool in the corporate & organizational world. So Charlie created Improving with Improv.
Charlie has conducted his workshops at a variety of businesses and organizations including Accenture, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, American Lawyer Media and Coach Leather.
Charlie Allenson has worked with executives in fields that include law, finance, culinary arts, information management, healthcare, and publishing. He lives in New York City where every day is unscripted, and improvising is the key to survival.
Booking Info: Gail Hand
(561) 807-7769 East Coast
(503) 284-2342 West Coast
gail@gailhand.com
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