News from ImprovEdgeKaren Hough Receives the Athena Powerlink Award! Join us for the celebration lunch on Oct. 7, 2010.The past year at ImprovEdge has been filled with the activities of the Athena Powerlink program. We’ve assigned and worked with our board, set goals and plans with our advisors, and accelerated our business. In winning the award, our small business has received a year of professional services, support and board activity. Karen’s response to winning the award was “The Athena PowerLink award helped my small business to shape up and grow up. I’ve doubled my staff and my revenue, attracted a book publisher and launched 5 new products and services thanks to the advice and connections of Athena. Thank you!” Karen Hough, Founder & CEO of ImprovEdge will be recognized as the Athena PowerLink Award Winner for 2009 at the upcoming NAWBO luncheon on October 7, 2010 at 11:30 am. Register for the event by clicking here.
Negotiation: The Advantage of Being A WomanThe following article was originally published by Collective for Women. There’s a common misconception that the best negotiators are unyielding tough nuts who yell and pound their fists. Actually, those who create a collaborative process with a win-win outcome are the most successful. For over 12 years, I’ve been working with the professional negotiators in Fortune 500 companies. I’ve seen impressive skills in both men and women, but there are some gender-specific trends I’ve noticed. If we as women can focus more on our strengths, we can become exponentially better negotiators. Chris Rabb, a member of the ImprovEdge ensemble, keynote speaker at the Organization Development Network Conference 2010Join Chris Rabb on October 20, 2010, where he is a keynote speaker at the Organization Development Network Annual Network Conference in New Orleans. He will be speaking on “invisible capital” the hodgepodge of social, human and cultural capital, among other components, that influences organizational success. Register by August 15 for early bird pricing and be the first 225 who register to get a free copy of Chris Rabb’s new book, Invisible Capital: How Unseen Forces Shape Entrepreneurial Opportunity. http://www.odnetwork.org/events/conferences/conf2010/index.php#keynotes Some Small Businesses Find Ways to Fund Ventures Despite the BanksThe following article was originally published by Columbus Business First. Karen Hough celebrated the best year for her improvisational performance business consulting company, Powell-based ImprovEdge LLC, backed by a combination of earnings reinvestment, access to emergency funds, a business credit card, and ultimately the Holy Grail: a bank line of credit. Hough knew she wasn’t satisfied with her previous bank. An advisory member of Women for Economic Leadership Development, Hough struck up a relationship with a KeyBank representative through networking within the female entrepreneur community that set the stage to obtain ImprovEdge’s line of credit, which is in the tens of thousands of dollars. “I had a very long, personal relationship with this woman,” who has since left the financial services industry, Hough says. “She was my advocate within the bank to make this happen.” Funny Business: Consultant Uses Improv to Think on Their FeetThe following article was originally published by The Columbus Dispatch. The skills that served Karen Hough best during her tech-company career were those learned in a completely different life — when she was an improv comedian. Instant problem-solving, creativity and collaboration were required when she was on stage at the Second City in Chicago — just as when she was in sales meetings and presentations years later. “I was able to do some things better than people assumed I could,” said Hough, who had no experience in network engineering when she entered the field. “Improv changes the way you live your life, the way you interact with people everywhere.” Partners & Pitfalls: The Right Partner can Halve Your LoadThe following article was originally published by Pink Magazine. The defining monent for business partners Sara Harris and Cynthia Morgan came when Morgan experienced a dificult personal situation a few years ago. Can Rabbits Teach Leadership? No? Think AgainThe following article was originally published by Knowledge@Wharton. What on earth is going on — a wild party game? Not quite. The exercise forms part of a seminar organized last month by ImprovEdge, a New York City training firm, which uses the techniques of improvisational theater for executive development. Weird as it might initially seem, the “bunny” exercise has a point. It forces all the people in the circle constantly to be on their toes — you never know when you might have to become the bunny’s teeth or ears — and to respond quickly, together with others, to a sudden development. As Frances Barney-Knutsen, a founder of ImprovEdge, says: “In business you often face situations where you have to think and act quickly. Improvisational theater is great at helping you learn how to do that.” Improvisational Acting, Comedy Skills, form Basis of LeadershipThe following article was originally published by Columbus Business First. ImprovEdge … training functions engage participants in improvisational performances designed to shake up status quo business processes. “I put myself on the line so nobody can sit back and judge. Even if they’re laughing at someone else, it won’t be long before they’re standing up in front.” How Law Firms Mess Up RetreatsThe following article was originally published by Law 360. As law firms grapple with how to stay profitable in a rocky economy and how to transition clients of senior partners looking to retire, a retreat can work wonders to rally lawyers behind common goals and set the firm on track to address challenges. |
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