The Human Risk Podcast3 Maalis 2024

Heather Urquhart on Improvisation Part One

What can business learn from improvisation? On the face of it, a form of entertainment that involves making things up as you go along, seems to be filled with human risk and not at all helpful in the business world.

But actually, the skills that improvisers use to entertain us, are incredibky useful in businesses to drive better decision-making, The techniques that allow them to respond to unexpecte situations or come up with creative ideas, are incredibly helpful in a business context.

Having previously explored some of the dynamics of improv with Comedy Store director, author and perfomer Neil Mullarkey, I wanted to dive a little deeper into the subject.

Meet Heather Urqhuhart
My guest on this episode Heather Urquhart is a professional improviser who not only performs improv but also works to help busineses to manage uncertainty and drive creativity via her firm 'And Also Improv'.

In our discussion, we look how the dynamics inherent in improv can help to improce the quality of decision-making and ideas within businesses.

Amongst other things, we look at how active listening, a non-judgmental approach to creative ideas can transform all aspects of an organization, not just the traditionally 'creative' ones.

True to the theme, Heather and I set out on our conversation with an open agenda. Not only did that take us to some intesting and unexpected places, but it also meant that we just kept going. So much so, that there’s too much for just one episode.

So, this is Part one of a two part discussion. Part Two is coming soon.

Links
My previous discussion with Neil Mullarkey: https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/neil-mullarkey-on-being-in-the-moment/

Heather’s website: https://www.heatherurquhart.co.uk/

Her company ‘And Also’ Improv: https://andalsoimprov.com/

The MayDays, the Improv troop that heather is part of: https://www.themaydays.co.uk/speaker/heather-urquhart/

'Showstoppers The Musical': https://showstopperthemusical.com/

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(368)

Ella Jenkins & Pete Dyson on Why Do Cyclists Run Red Lights?

Why do cyclists in London run red lights? It's against the law, and yet, if you've cycled, driven or just observed London's cyclists, you'll know that many of them don't stop when there's a red light....

31 Elo 202554min

Dr Nuno Reis on Rare Dots

What if the ideas that linger in the back of your mind — the ones you can’t quite explain — are the ones you most need to pay attention to?Episode SummaryIn this episode, I explore that question with ...

24 Elo 20251h 7min

Professor Christian van Nieuwberg on Radical Listening

Is listening a hidden superpower we’ve overlooked? You've heard of Active Listening, but what is Radical Listening and why does it matter?Episode SummaryOn this episode, I’m joined by Professor Chris...

17 Elo 20251h 9min

Dr Sunita Sah on Defiance - how to speak up when it matters

Why do we follow orders or go along with things that feel wrong? Why might defiance be better than compliance? And how can we go about becoming more defiant?Episode SummaryI’ve always been fascinated ...

9 Elo 20251h 2min

Dr Libby Maman on Measuring and (Re-)building Trust

What happens when citizens lose faith in the institutions that serve them? And how can we rebuild that trust?Episode SummaryOn this episode, I'm speaking to someone who cares passionately about this s...

2 Elo 20251h

Iain Morrison on When The Show Mustn't Go On

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘the show must go on’. But when shouldn’t the show go on? To help me answer that, I’m speaking to someone who has spent 35 years managing some of Australia’s most iconic l...

26 Heinä 20251h 5min

Zsike Peter on Thinkbait

What if the real risk of AI isn’t job loss but brain atrophy?Episode SummaryIf you've spent any time on social media recently, you'll be familiar with the flood of low-quality AI-generated sludge. And...

19 Heinä 20251h 9min

Dr Kiran Bhatti & Professor Thomas Roulet on Wellbeing Intelligence

What if we treated mental health like a capability instead of a crisis? On this episode, I'm talking to a business school professor and a counselling psychologist about their new book that looks at pr...

12 Heinä 20251h 2min