Enjoy a course  that won accolades from the Columbus Bar Association for its ”effectiveness and interactivity” now being offered to anyone. Click here to read more.

“We are thrilled to present this fantastic learning opportunity for both our Chapter members and non-members interested in growing their careers,” comments Dr. Kathy Gosser, NAWMBA Louisville President. “We have a large pool of female professionals living in the greater Louisville metro area that will greatly benefit from this exciting program.”

Founder & CEO of ImprovEdge and the Amazon #1 Bestselling Author, Karen Hough, will present a high-energy, interactive keynote on four improv secrets that can radically improve leadership capabilities. Improvisers think on their feet and manage extremely well in risky situations. The surprise is that the little-known techniques of improvisers can create incredible performance and build trust for leaders, teams and organizations. Using humor, exercises, and case studies, such as her work with Coca-Cola Enterprises, Ms. Hough will teach immediately useable skills to improve how others perceive you, improve communication and build better relationships. And good relationships are everything in business.

Congratulations Karen!

I met you at the Professional Business Women’s Conference at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA in May.  I attended your seminar and bought your book “Improvisation Edge”.

As I was reading the first few pages, my first thoughts were I had a long way to go to catch up to where you are.  Then, you gave me such a gift by saying…”You do improvise.  Every single day.” (page 7) and you gave examples of improvising.

Well, that has stuck with me and gave me a boost of confidence as I started recalling how I do improvise all of the time.  Well, today, I got the
chance to consciously practice improvising.  We had our monthly meeting and my Director was supposed to give the update.  However, she wasn’t able to call in to the meeting.  The VP said okay someone start.  Well the first slide belonged to someone else which gave me 30 seconds to determine what I was going to say because the next slide was going to be mine as there wasn’t anyone else in the room who had knowledge but me.

My brain did a lot of work in the 30 seconds…how the VP likes info delivered, what’s important to him, what’s different this month vs. last month.  So, I delivered on the first slide…sweet success.

Then, the second slide, I just happened to prepare it in case my Director needed me as back up.  It proved very helpful…success again.
Now I was on a roll.  What a fantastic feeling that was.  The rest of the slides were a breeze and now I know I can deliver this every month if
necessary.

I have built a solid relationship with my Director and I believe she trusted that  I could cover for her.

Thanks again for taking the time to write this book.

Katharyn

Karen Hough recognizes that building and maintaining trust, developing collaboration, and creating flexibility in workplaces are some of the greatest challenges facing organizations. To establish these traits within the culture of the work environment, the author offers the unique and unorthodox techniques of improvisational theater. At first glance, the idea that the principles of improv would be transferable to a corporate culture would seem out of place. A deeper examination of the secrets of improvisation reveals a different picture. Karen Hough demonstrates that the biggest workplace problems are also the same challenges faced by the actors in performing on an improv stage.  Read the entire article here.

Link to the program here and you can add a reminder to your calendar.

WASHINGTON, May 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Soledad O’Brien, Anchor and Special Correspondent for CNN, will headline the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council’s (WBENC) 12th Annual National Conference and Business Fair – The Opportunity Connection – in Las Vegas, NV, on June 21-23, 2011.

The three-day event – the largest of its kind in the nation – is expected to convene over 3,000 corporations and women business owners seeking to acquire cutting-edge knowledge about business trends and marketplace demands that affect their industries and their companies. In 2011, WBENC will focus on topics such as WBE capacity development and the evolution of corporate supply chains in the new economy, and the US Small Business Administration’s Women Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program (8M Recovery Act).

Keynote speakers include:

• Soledad O’Brien Acclaimed Special Investigations Correspondent and Host of CNN’s In America Documentaries
• Tony Hsieh, author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller, Delivering Happiness and CEO of Zappos, the online shoe and apparel company
• Annie Duke, one of the leading personalities in professional poker today
• Karen Hough, Founder & CEO of ImprovEdge, using improvisation as an engaging learning tool for business

“Our theme The Opportunity Connection is fitting for each and all of our outstanding speakers,” said Pamela Prince-Eason, President and CEO of WBENC, the leading advocate for and authority on Women’s Business Enterprises (WBEs) as suppliers to the nation’s major corporations.  Read full article here.

Posted on Training magazine at trainingmag.com
By Karen Hough

Organizations are concerned. Executives are worried. And HR representatives are freaking out. All because of executive presence. I’ve been working with C-level executives for well over a decade, but in the last 24 months, the issue has exploded. No matter what the industry, the question arises, “How can we create executive presence?” Let’s talk about reasons behind this concern and tactical ways to address the issue.  Read the full article

The economic downturn.  Increased competition.  Twitter.  There has never been a more important time for you to be able to manage risk, deal iwth change, and think on your feet.  Read the full article.

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