Getting to "Yes And": The Art of Business Improv 1st Edition

The first thing to understand about Getting to Yes And is that it is written by someone who is both a master improviser and business man. Written both with the insights of running his own business and a decade and a half at least of work in businesses around the world, there is a complete understanding of the applications and tenants of improv to making leaders, teams, individuals and organizations successful. Not to mention that he seems to have worked closely with university researchers to back up much of his work in cognitive and behavioral sciences.One of the great directions Mr. Kulhan takes in writing about improv is being clear about what separates improv comedy troupes from the concerns of organizations. This is not a book about how to be funny, or to initiate your team with trust falls. It's about what it takes to create trust, create a culture that will thrive both during the good times and times of difficult change. Impressively, he acknowledges up front the differences of his life as a performer (trying to make audiences laugh), and how those skills translate, but are different in the business context.Improvisers work in the area of the unknown and adapting to sudden changes in their environment. This is accomplished with the title of the book. Taking on a Yes And attitude to everything. Accepting ideas before judging them, listening intently, creating a space for trust and dialogue, and being highly mindful of your own actions and those of others. You can almost imagine that improvisers are a kind of superhero able to do situation analysis, decision making, brainstorming, team building and risk analysis all in a matter of seconds. But this can't be accomplished without tight teams, and the yes and philosophy (along with some other core ideas about awareness of your self and surroundings). To take it a next step the book shows how cognitive psychology has shown that even switching the verbal expressions from Yes but, as happens in many a meeting or even "No". This kills ideas, and also leads your best resources, your employees to no longer want to volunteer information.The concept of Yes And is carried throughout this fantastic book, and Mr. Kulhan clearly shows how to put it into action at organizations of any size and hierarchical level. Spun with wit and incredible positive energy, this is a must read for any manager looking to make their teams go from good to great to elite.Most importantly its clear that it doesn't take the 25 some odd years of experience Mr. Kulhan has to implement these ideas and see a change. He clearly believes that despite the seeming superpower like ability of improvisers, the ability to learn them is achievable by the most average of mortals...of course I should say Mr. Kulhan suggests that results do only come with hard work and choice to practice these ideas.In our fast ever changing world that constantly shifts with technology and the complexity of globalization, improvisation and the concept of Yes And should be a core skill set for sales people, administrators, managers and leaders everywhere.

As a big advocate and consumer of personal development tools, I found “Getting to Yes And” to be an excellent and worthy addition to my bookshelf. What really sets great personal development books apart is the applicability, and author Bob Kulhan really delivers. Within the first chapters, there are immediate take-aways and actionable steps that can be taken to begin the process of implementing improvisational techniques into your day-to-day. I still am able to go back and reference various exercises and sections for quick refreshers, which delivers so much value!A great “ah-ha” in this book is an accurate break down of what improv is, exactly, and the numerous ways Kulhan recommends utilizing the skill sets. Kulhan is quick to point out that while improv and comedy will always be connected—Kulhan himself being a 20+ year improviser and alum of all the major improv theaters in Chicago—improv offers much more. He does a fantastic job of showing how improvisation can make any great team (in any setting) truly remarkable. Navy SEALS, world-class chefs, EMTs and First Responders, and yes, even businesspeople (just to name a few) are all professions that require improvisation. Kulhan argues that improvisation often gets misrepresented as the absence of preparation (i.e. making stuff up as you go); however, he makes it crystal clear that TRUE improvisation is the result of on-going training and preparation so that the individual can truly perform at what he calls “the top of your intelligence.”Improvisation, according to Kulhan, is discovered at the intersection of strategy and execution. Let that sink in, because it’s profound. There are so many eye-openers in this book; be prepared to fill up a notebook! This is without question a worthwhile read that will pay dividends over the years.

It does seem like every improv group tries its hand at teaching improv to corporations. Mostly, they think that's where the money is and they know that improv has helped them in their own real lives and in their day jobs. That's not what this book is, and that's not who Bob Kuhlan is.Bob is both one of the best improv teachers and one of the best improvisers performing today. I've been hoping he'd write a book. The book he wrote is about how improv applies to business. He is uniquely qualified for this task. he's been teaching business improv for maybe as long as it has existed. He's taught it to big and powerful businesses. He's taught through major learning institutions as well. It reflects his very business-like approach to the work of being an artist.The book is clearly written, well organized, and thorough. It will help you be a more dynamic, proactive, leader regardless of where you are in your business-- and no matter how you define your business. It can help transform a slow unresponsive organization and management team, giving it new life.If I can add one more recommendation, this book combined with transactional analysis for organizations can go along way towards solving problems that either creep into organizations or just are there from the start through no fault of the people other than the fact that few of us go into any organization with all the skills and knowledge needed to keep them running optimally. This book should be the standard for applying improv to the business world and to any organization.

Such a smart and helpful book! Bob Kulhan is the master of applied imporov and he creates such clear and concise methodology and application. We all know improv works for business - but the actual exercises are so incredibly helpful in applying the work itself. A must read.