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About the Author

Jen Oleniczak Brown is the founder of The Engaging Educator (EE), a women-owned and operated company dedicated to helping people find their unapologetic, authentic and best voice, communication style and self through improv-based education.

Since 2012, EE has served over 50,000 students, working with such companies as Viacom, Food Network, The New York Times, Saks Fifth Avenue and CBS.

Aside from her entrepreneurial endeavors, Jen has done three TEDx talks on the power of improv, including one TEDxWomen on uplifting and elevating women.

A firm believer in the idea that Yes, And can change the world \u2013 so firm it\u2019s tattooed on her arm, Jen\u2019s personal mission is to empower as many women as possible to stop playing small and know their incredible supernova powers. She currently lives in Winston Salem, NC with her husband Alex, dog Drumstick, and about two-dozen houseplants.

Source:\xa0https://theengagingeducator.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Press-kit-THINK-ON-YOUR-FEET.pdf

Click here to buy on The Book Depository

https://www.bookdepository.com/Think-on-Your-Feet-Jen-Oleniczak-Brown/9781713524946 /?a_aid=stephsbookshelf

About the Book

Our professional lives are full of situations outside of our control. A job interviewer asks a question out of left field. A coworker puts you on the spot in front of the boss. Your PowerPoint presentation crashes at a critical moment.

Most people react to the unexpected with anxiety and unease. We get rattled, stumble over our words, and overthink the situation. Others, though, handle it with self-assurance and aplomb. They gain a sense of empowerment and energy when the pressure is on.

Like great improv actors, they\u2019re able to think on their feet.

The great thing is, improv isn\u2019t about winging it or flying by the seat of your pants; improv at its core is about listening and responding. It\u2019s based on rules and techniques, and it taps directly into your soft communication skills.

By incorporating it into your prep work for professional situations, you\u2019ll learn how to retrain your brain for the unexpected and get out of your own way in those unexpected\u2015and expected\u2015professional situations. Practicing improv isn\u2019t about being

funny. Instead, it\u2019s about developing the mental agility to spin any surprise in your favor and to communicate with confidence.

Source:\xa0https://theengagingeducator.com/think-on-your-feet/

Links

Find out more about the improv classes that Jen\u2019s company runs here
https://theengagingeducator.com/about-ee/

Watch Jen\u2019s TEDx Talk here:\xa0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yNb5Dhfguw

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BIG IDEA 1 (5:44) \u2013 Improvisation equals preparation.

It\u2019s easy to think that improv is all about \u2018the moment\u2019, but thinking on your feet is only really possible with enough preparation.

Preparation might be a mix of knowing what\u2019s coming up, knowing your audience, and ideas on the potential things that can happen so that you can think on your feet in the moment. The techniques to start and maintain a conversation (important in any type of communication) are all based on listening and responding.

One example of an improvisation technique is called SIT-PROB-SOL \u2013 situation, problem, solution. It is talking about the situation, the problem and how you or your team became a part of the solution. It\u2019s great when used in interviews to concisely share your experience and stay on point, rather than disappear on a tangent.

BIG IDEA 2 (8:13) \u2013 Need to reflect.

In the book there is constant recurring advice to stop and reflect by asking yourself questions about your own performance. The \u2018performance\u2019 can be anything from a small conversation with one other person, a feedback discussion with your team or a presentation to a group. The need to reflect is critical to getting better.

By reflecting it allows us to ask much more objective feedback on what we could do better. It also means we know what elements to practice.\xa0 You can practice some of the improv techniques in the book to help with more formal communication with your friends or colleagues and use it into the situation that you expect going to be into.

BIG IDEA 3 (10:24) \u2013 Improvise to collaborate.\xa0

One part of the book is about collaboration and how you can use improv techniques to build creativity and teamwork. This is around the concept of feeding each other\u2019s \u2018gifts\u2019. A core principle of improv is that everytime you ask a question or respond to someone, you are actually giving the other person a gift (and they are giving you one in return).\xa0 So we need to avoid dropping the gifts (or stopping the conversation).

In the book, Jen also talks about using questions effectively by using open-ended questions. She goes as far to say that these are the only types of question we should be asking in a professional context. It is a great way to keep the conversations running to help teams think more creatively or collaborate in a better way.

The improv technique of \u2018yes, and\u2019 is also a powerful one for helping teams think beyond the barriers they face.\xa0 It can effectively be used in a meeting or workshop to build on ideas to find solutions or new angles, rather than endless roadblocks.

Music By:\xa0Take It to the Top \u2013 Instrumental Version Song by Ofrin

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