Jordana Cole on Psychological Safety, Positive Psychology, and Ukuleles

This week's episode features, Jordana Cole. In this gem of an episode…

• Jordana shares her improv origin story (i.e. how and when she started improvising)
• Find out what Jordana does for her ukuleles at Thanksgiving
• Learn about athletes as improvisers
• Learn about positive psychology - what it is, why it matters, and how improv relates
• Discover why improv is so much more than team building
• Hear how and why improv can improve psychological safety (⁠and why psychological safety matters for teams; link to⁠ information about the Google study referenced in the episode)
• Learn the benefits of practicing improv over time
• Listen to how improv is similar, and distinct, from meditation as a form of mindfulness
• Learn the improv exercise that will elevate your active listening skills
• Find out one simple thing you and every leader can do to be better every day
• Hear what Jordana would improve in the world if she could wave the magic improv wand

Yeah, we cover a lot in 45 minutes!

Jordana Cole is an igniter of leadership and team potential. As a global learning & development leader, leadership development facilitator, certified coach, and applied improviser, Jordana has designed and led programs, workshops, courses, team building sessions, and coaching engagements for thousands of individuals around the globe. Her organizational background includes non-profits, higher education, SAAS technology, financial services, and e-commerce.
Jordana is an alumna of the University of Pennslyvania’s Master of Applied Positive Psychology program and has served as an assistant instructor for undergraduate and graduate courses related to positive organizations and human strengths & resilience. Jordana is also certified as a Gallup Strengths Coach and as a facilitator of Inside Out Coaching, the Kevin Eikenberry Group’s From Bud to Boss curriculum, and Fierce Conversations.
She lives in the Washington DC area with our husband and two rescue dogs, and she spends her free time playing one of her dozen ukuleles, loudly cheering on the Washington Capitals, and exploring the woods of Northern Virginia.

She also has a very impressive ukulele collection!

From Jordana,

"I credit my success as a leader and my ability to develop other leaders to the skills that I have learned and honed in improv over the past 20+ years. When I went back to get my graduate degree in my 30s, I was inspired to understand why improv had been such a catalyst for my own leadership career and why it's so effective as a team building. At the end of the day, I realized that improv is all about helping us create better relationships - and isn't that would leadership is all about at it's core. So I did a TON of research and wrote a 100 page thesis on that :)"

Yes, and you can read her research, I've Got Your Back: Utilizing Improv as a Tool to Enhance Workplace Relationships and find her on LinkedIn.

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