"I didn't know quite what to expect when I walked into Charlie Allenson's Improving with Improv workshop. I mean improv comedy to teach business skills and build confidence? Really. What blew me away was how much I learned, in such a short period of time, about improving my own mental agility, looking at issues from new perspectives, and becoming much more self-confident. And I can't deny I had some pretty big laughs along the way. Don't let the idea of Charlie Allenson's approach put you off. It works. I recommend it to any company or organization."
-- Cynthia Rock
Senior Vice President, Jones Lang LaSalle
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“Charlie Allenson came down to do his Improving with Improv workshop at the XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX of the Department of Defense. It was fun and very valuable.”
-- XXXXXXXX, Director, XXXXXXX, Department of Defense, Washington, DC
From some of the participants:
"Conversation without confrontation. Acknowledgment of another point of view with the ability to add your own, even if you disagree with the other point of view."
-- XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX, DOD
"Importance of listening to others and “pre-listening” to yourself before you speak. Creating verbal prompts to help move a discussion forward."
-- XXXXX XX XXXXXXXXXXX, DOD
"Gaining new perspectives, avoiding 'group think' and gaining greater self awareness of your own thought process."
-- XXXXXXX XXXXX XX , DOD
(Seriously, this is all I can say without the black helicopters showing up)
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"I recently had the privilege of experiencing a 1/2 day Improving with Improv workshop with Charlie Allenson. WOW! Charlie brought a high energy program that had everyone participating in no time. Participants took what they learned in Improving with Improv back to their groups in the form of teach backs. We received very positive feedback from the attendees in terms of retaining his tools for mental agility and instilling greater confidence. Many have asked when he is coming back. You can't go wrong with Charlie Allenson and his Improving with Improv program."
-- Kim Tisdale, Lighting/Electrical Division Manager, WalMart
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"I
want to let you know how much we appreciated and valued your tremendous
workshop today. It was magical seeing the confidence- and team building across 22
employees, Junior Officer Leadership Program (JOLP) from 4 different
military disciplines, and Commercial Leadership Program (CLP) - energy
sales trainees from at least 6 different countries come together as one
group. It was definitely entertaining, insightful and made the
translation between improv comedy to today's business processes and
practices. Thank you, Charlie, for your leadership with this very
special group of employees. I look forward to future business with you
with the rest of my leadership program employees.Tremendous, exciting
day!!"
-- Susan Schieren, Leadership Program Manager at GE
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"As I saw from the evaluation sheets, everybody loved your Improv conference session!! Of course, I’m not surprised. It was fun, different and we learned so much! Here's what some of the participants wrote:"
'Bring him back next year, and have him do the kick off.'
'It was fun and informative built confidence. I really liked the group interaction.'
'It really changes the way you think. Seems like you're ready for whatever life throws at you.'
-- Lynn Ebro, Executive Director
California Staffing Professionals
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"As an attorney, Charlie Allenson's workshop was truly helpful in terms of gaining tools to think more quickly and gain additional confidence in what I do. Summer interns and new associates could well benefit from this.
-- Karen Krupi, Attorney-at Law, Heller Eherman
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Many thanks to Charlie Allenson who conducted his Improving with Improv workshop at AWBA. The whole group experienced improv techniques designed to help us think on our feet, actively listen to others and work as a team. It was great fun with lots of learning and laughing.
-- Pauline Kehm, VP, American Women's Business Assocation
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“Charlie has a unique workshop whereby he
teaches communication skills by use of Improv techniques that helps you
comfortably veer off your script when necessary and feel less threatened
getting out of your comfort zone. He makes it fun and relevant to
workplace. Highly recommend it as a team building, skill and confidence building
exercise!”
-- Nilufer Durak
Managing Director, Mergers &
Acquisitions Group at Aon
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"Charlie
Allenson's workshop, Improving with Improv: How to think on your feet and look good doing it delivers exactly what the
name implies. Charlie's easy-going manner and unique use of improv
comedy techniques helped me learn a great deal about my own mental and
observational processes. Everyone in the session had their eyes, ears and minds opened to be more creative quicker and much more confident in their thinking, especially in potentially intimidating situations. Summer interns would find this a particularly valuable and fun experience."
--Lydia Moore-Riley, PHR,
Lowenstein Sandler PC
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I had a great time at Charlie Allenson's Improving with Improv workshop,
and more importantly got some very useful and applicable tools out of it.
-- Gina Hey,
Director of Service Programs
at
Lutheran Family Health Centers
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"Charlie Allenson presented "Improving with Improv" at our firm. His delivery of the material was relaxed, informative, lively, fast-paced, and fun. The session allowed the participants to interact in an unscripted format, working through exercises and challenges that built on one another. By the end of the three hour session, which flew by all too fast, the participants were able to interact with each another more freely and with much greater confidence. I experienced the sense of being fully present in each situation, which allowed me to think clearly, and to be comfortable. The mental tools we learned were easily retained. It's the best program for building confidence and mental quickness for new attorneys and support staff that I have experienced. Charlie was always in control of each situation, and he instilled a sense of trust and self-confidence in the group. In the end, we were not performing or acting, we were listening and creatively responding to each other with freedom, ease and confidence."
-- Annette Friend, Director of Lateral Recruiting
Lowenstein Sandler, Attorneys-at-Law PC
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"Every pickle-assed corporation and executive in America
should
take Charlie Allenson's Improving with Improv."
-- Deborah
Schneider
Executive Chef, Premier Foods
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"Charlie did a training event for our Connecticut Association of Personnel Services. He and the training were great! He has an easy way about him that allows him to connect to individuals at different career levels and get people to go beyond their comfort zone. The result I found to be an increased creative thinking capability and much greater team cohesiveness! I’d suggest it to any group that would benefit from either!”
-- Kevin Murphy, Vice President
Connecticut Association of Personnel Services
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"Mental
and
verbal agility are key skills for managers, but I had never seen a
training opportunity that gave these traits a workout and coached them
to improvement -- until I participated in "Improving with Improv" from
Charlie Allenson. Using improvisational comedy exercises, Mr. Allenson
sets up what seem like mental dodge ball games, and shows managers how
to focus on underlying group dynamics and respond accurately but
creatively on the fly. Who hasn’t wanted to be able to do this
consistently in meetings and conferences?"
-- Susan Kennedy
Director, Human Resources
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research
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"Charlie
Allenson's Improving with Improv workshop was not only a fun,
team-building experience, but offered many valuable metaphors for
enhanced work performance and communication. He did an
excellent job creating a safe space for the group to try new things to build confidence, mental agility and have a great time. We all hope to see him again soon!"
-- Amanda Kowal-Kenyon, SVP, Director,
Stromberg Consulting
(an Omnicom Company)
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"I had the fortunate opportunity to be part of an excellent workshop Charlie did for the Leadership Forum -- about 65 attendees. It was hilarious and extremely effective. I recommend it highly."
-- Tess Mateo, Managing Director, CX Catalysts
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"My
colleagues and I can't stop talking about your program, "Improving With
Improv". The exercises were very helpful in immediately establishing trust. Within 10 minutes we
were all much more aware of ourselves and everyone around us.
We also learned how to quickly sharpen our listening skills. The best
part is that even a few friendships were born that night. You are
really great at what you do!!!"
-- June H. Dwyer, Senior Vice President
Client
Executive Practice
Marsh USA
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"This was the second time my group brought in Charlie Allenson to conduct his Improving with Improv workshop. I continue to find great fun and value in your presentation. Thank you, Charlie."
-- Ilonka Salisbury, Senior Manager, SD&A Teleservices
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“Charlie
Allenson is a terrific coach and person. He gave one of his Improving
with Improv workshops at the American Business Women's Association and
was
a huge success. Hiring Charlie Allenson is one of the smartest things
you could do.”
-- Donna Desideri, Vice President,
American
Business Women's Association
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"Leaders in the fields of
business, law, medicine, media and the arts all come to Rancho La
Puerta to immerse themselves in a total mind/body experience. One of our
most popular workshops is Charlie Allenson's Improving with Improv: How
to think on your feet and look good doing it. Charlie uses improv
comedy techniques to the stretch the mind and share real-life tools for
greater mental agility. Participants learn how to process what they see
and hear in new ways and find innovative approaches to their own thought
and problem solving processes. All while building self-confidence and delivering gigantic laughs. I
highly recommend Improving with Improv by Charlie Allenson."
-- Victoria Larea, Director of
Special Programs,
Rancho La Puerta, Tecate, Mexico
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"Charlie Allenson's
Improving with Improv class provided a non-threatening opportunity for
me to discover how I think. While having a lot of fun, I learned to
think in a different way about my immediate situation and how I could
make changes. The class also helps improve the ability to think on your
feet."
-- Robert A. Dalrymple, Professor of Civil Engineering
Department
of Civil Engineering
Johns Hopkins University
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"Charlie did an
outstanding job! He united kids and parents in a very exciting way
using mental pictures to think and express ideas."
Dr. Cheri
Florance,
Founder and CEO of Brain Engineering Labs
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"I
had the privilege of participating in Improving with Improv. We
practiced thinking on our feet and getting out of our comfort zones. I
have never laughed so hard and had so much fun learning! Charlie is a
great facilitator and is very skilled in helping people to come out of
their shell. I give it two thumbs up!"
-- Stephanie Smith, President,
The Image Doctor
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"Charlie Allenson's Improving with Improv workshop brought together 30
strangers, from CEOs to attorneys to physicians for a 3-day workshop of
spontaneity, joy and learning. What a unique burst of creativity and
fellowship. Charlie has the rare ability to make everyone feel
comfortable and homey even as they stretch their mental and social
abilities in amazing new directions. I highly recommend Charlie's
Improv experience for any group."
-- Lorraine Dopson,
PhD, Board
Member, North Dakota Sustainable Energy for Economic Development
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"Charlie Allenson's Improving with Improv workshop
was great fun and filled with learning! This is an activity you would want to
consider for team-building and just as important, building self-confidence that will highly valuable in virtually any situation. Particularly where the participants are unfamiliar with each other. Charlie Allenson uses very effective and
engaging techniques."
-- Gloria Turner, New York-Presbyterian Hospital,
Center
for Organizational and Leadership Effectiveness
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“Charlie
taught a course to 15 staff members using tips from improv comedy.
Everyone enjoyed it, they learned a lot and the group bonded with each
other as a result of the session. It was fun and informative. Thanks
Charlie!”
-- Diana Davenport
Vice President, Administration
The
Commonwealth Fund
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"Charlie
Allenson's
Improving with Improv workshop
gave me a completely positive eye-
and
mind-opening experience."
-- Jeffrey Howell, President,
Los
Alamos National Laboratory Foundation
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"When
you're being run out of town by a bunch of crazy people, march like
you're leading a parade."-- Charlie Allenson, Adaptive Thinking
Coach, Improving with Improv, New York, NYFor more information email
Charlie Allensonat info@improvingwithimproving.comor
call 212.249.5625
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