Improving Communication Through Improvisation

  • Course Length:
    1day
  • PDUs:
    Earn 7 IIBA CDUs and PMI PDUs
  • Public Pricing:
    No public classes currently scheduled.
  • Onsite Pricing:
    We offer discount pricing for onsite groups. Please contact us to discuss your specific course requirements, group size, and available training dates.

Talking and reacting in the moment is the core of what you do as a project manager and business analyst. Much of what happens on a project is unscripted. To propel to the senior level of your profession you need to continually improve your creative thinking skills and how you interact and communicate with your stakeholders. It just so happens that improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one’s immediate environment. 

This highly interactive and fun session focuses on key improvisation lessons that will help you be a more attentive and flexible business analyst and project manager.  You will walk away with lessons to help you stay in the present, temporarily suspend judgment, keep conversations moving forward and listen generously.

In this course students will:

  • Understand how improvisation can help them be better communicators
  • Learn to think on your feet and keep a conversation moving forward
  • Learn lessons that will help you be an advocate for your stakeholders
  • Gain confidence and trust in yourself and others 
  • Participate in teamwork activities to be a true team player
  • Practice presenting to the class to improve presentation skills

Intended Audience

This course is beneficial to any person, in any size organization, hoping to improve their communication and collaboration skills. In addition to individuals, this workshop is ideal for teams.

Prerequisites

None

Introduction/ Getting Ready

  • What is improvisation and how it applies to business analysis and project management.
  • The fundamental skills improvisation develops.
  • Tips for improvisation workshop.
  • Warm-up activities.

1 hour

Active Listening

  • Participate in improvisation exercises to improve your ability to be an active listener.
  • Discuss how the lessons learned in exercises apply to business professionals.
  • Learn the common barriers to listening.

1.5 hours

Teamwork/Collaboration

  • Participate in improvisation exercises to improve your ability to be a better collaborator and team player.
  • Discuss how the lessons learned in exercises apply to business professionals.
  • Learn the 5 traits of an effective team.

1 hour

Thinking on Your Feet

  • Participate in improvisation exercises to improve your ability to think on your feet and be present in the moment.
  • Discuss how the lessons learned in exercises apply to business professionals.
  • Learn tips for improving your ability to think on your feet.

1.5 hours

Presentation Skills

  • Participate in improvisation exercises to improve your presentations skills and feel comfortable presenting in front of a crowd.
  • Discuss how the lessons learned in exercises apply to business professionals.
  • Learn 3 key actions to improve your presentation skills.

1 hour

Developing Your Action Plan/Course Summary

  • Review the fundamental skills and how they apply to business analysis and project management.
  • Develop an Action Plan with communication improvements you can make.
  • Student questions/discussion topics.

1 hour