Applying Improv has sharpened my awareness of what’s going on around me. As a facilitator, practicing presence is critical to help serve the group. As a dad, being fully present with my children brings them joy and confidence. As a project leader, improv reminds me to ‘notice’ what’s happening in real time … let go of control of outcomes & learn from (and celebrate) mistakes.  Thanks to Dave Pollard’s weekly update, I found this New York Times article ‘Can Executives Learn to Ignore the Script?’ Applying Improv principles to our work challenge ‘business as usual’ and, in my experience, makes managers & …

Inspired by Johnnie Moore’s podcasts with Hugh & The Rabbi and The Phoric, Viv and I have started up a dedicated podcasting blog called “Winkipod”. Winkipod emerged from conversations between me and Viv. Like Euan, Hugh and Johnnie … Viv and I have switched off from mainstream, slick & scripted media. Instead, we prefer listening to (and learning from) conversations between people that start somewhere and simply allow topics to emerge in the moment. They say “Yes!And” build on each other’s offers … just like in Improv. At the moment, I have posted a few “practice” .mp3 recordings and provided some …

On his blog, marketing 2.0 guru Seth Godin penned a gem called The New Standard for Conferences. I am going to build on 2 reviews on other blogs (thanks Viv McWaters & Garr Reynolds) AND relate Seth’s message to my own experience as a facilitator. My Conference-Rant – I have been involved in hundreds of conferences, meetings and forums as a facilitator … and even a few as a participant. Invariably, conferences fall into the fatal “death by powerpoint” trap. Generally, they try to rely on “experts” to enter the stage and blow everyone away with their wisdom and experience. Often, conference …

I have had 3 phone calls since returning from Byron Bay … all have been about blogs and websites. What’s the difference? When do I need a blog … when is a website the best option?  Allow me to introduce Lee & Sachi LeFever from Commoncraft. They are in the business of “explaination” … they use video and paper to make complex ideas easy to understand. Grab a coffee and a few minutes and watch these videos. Enjoy! Blogs in Plain English by Commoncraft Ok … now you know what a Blog is. If you are going to use a blog for …

This little piece of artwork caught my eye today from the beer garden at Hotel Brunswick (in Brunswick Heads, northern New South Wales).   At a glance, the bust of the singer appears to be suspended against a blue sky backdrop. Below him is an outdoor stage where weekly gigs are held.  Stripped Back and Simple …  Hotel Brunswick has recently been refurbished. The final result is a space that makes me want to return again tomorrow. I have already “remarked” to many about our experience … I suppose this makes the space “remarkable”. During our second visit I noticed …