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Releasing Stress Through Play!

Overview:! A interactive session where participants are given a series of exercises - in the form of games that are proven to relieve stress, increase a feeling of well-being and build trust between employees.!

! Duration: 1 hour! !

Format:! - The facilitator gives a short mini-lecture before each exercise! - The facilitator then gives instructions and demonstrates how the exercise is done! - The delegates then do the exercise! - A short group discussion is lead by a series of questions given by the facilitator, with the delegates sharing their experiences and insights!

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Requirements:! - A room large enough for movement and play by the group (recommended 2m" per person). Take into consideration that the participants are very likely to be noisy during the exercises.! - Each participant must wear comfortable clothing and shoes that allow for movement and play! Methodology:! The experience of stress in the workplace can be attributed to the following factors:! Anxiety / worry: e.g. a lack of control, feeling unable to respond to a situation! Nervousness: e.g. feeling a lack of condence, unable to perform under pressure! Physicality: e.g. long periods without movement, sedentary lifestyle! Emotional unhappiness: e.g. boredom, lack of enjoyable activities! Lack of trust: e.g. feeling that tasks cannot be delegated, emotions cannot be shared! Lack of communication : e.g. inability to express feelings to colleagues! Fear of failure: e.g. constant pressure to perform and inability to risk new ideas/processes! Lack of oxygen: e.g. poor breathing due to posture and exercise! Lack of clarity: e.g. not given clear objectives in work tasks!

! Applied Improvisation exercises release stress through the following methods:! ! brain-activity! failure!

- Intelligence-activating exercises: pattern-based and idea-generating games that encourage - Communication: expressions of emotions through character role-play and a focus on listening! - Encouragement of risk-taking : since a participant cannot do anything wrong, there is no fear of - Laughter: participants are guaranteed to do something unintentionally funny, laughter leads to - Group participation: participants are required to work as teams and trust one another! - Simple instructions: participants are given clear instructions so that they can focus on using their - Group discussion: participants express their experience and learn how others interpret the
exercises! As an added benet, the exercises that are taught can be used later in the workplace without the facilitator being present - e.g. before a brainstorming session to increase creative-thinking.! imagination and express their own ideas! improved deep-breathing and an increase in oxytocin!

Physical movement: change of body positions through low-to-medium intensity exercise!

! ! ! ! ! About the facilitator: Marcel Oudejans! !

Marcel Oudejans is a full-time performing artist and registered Professional Speaker with the Professional Speakers Association of South Africa. He focuses on the use of performance art, comedy and improvisation in the corporate-world to inspire employees to create Wow within the workplace. Marcel has spoken and performed for over 180 of South Africas leading blue-chip companies including ABSA, First National Bank, Sanlam, Foschini Retail Group, Momentum, AstraZeneca, Glast, MTN, Vodacom, IBM, Old Mutual, Telkom, Internet Solutions, Parmalat, and the UCT Graduate School of Business. He is the author of The Serious Business Owners Guide To Creating Customers For Life, a book focusing on the attitudes and behaviours required to make a business successful.!

! LinkedIn prole: http://www.linkedin.com/in/corporatemagician ! ! About the use of Applied Improvisation in business! ! ! Feedback from participants! ! -

Applied improvisation is the non-theatrical use of improvisation skills. The aim is not to teach people how to be improv performers; its to teach them how to borrow and apply the principles, skills and mindset of improv so that they get better at leadership, teamwork, communication, trust, creativity, dealing with change and complexity and unpredictability so that they and their companies, organisations, communities and societies are more successful.!

I honestly liked every exercise and especially given that it was fun and light hearted but also pushed me out of my inner boundaries in front of my team members. To me it feels there is greater team cohesion following this session this I liked most.! - Learning through great fun and I did not think I had that humour within me! Everyone was willing to try.! - I liked everything about the session. It was worthwhile and I have surely gained a lot.! - I like the balance of having fun, yet learning on how the concept can work for you personally and work-wise.!

! References - using Improvisation in the workplace:# ! -

25 improve tricks that will make you a better business person - Bschool.com # http://www.bschool.com/blog/2011/25-improv-tricks-that-will-make-you-a-better-business-person/! Tina Feys rules for improve...and the workplace - Balanced Worklife # http://www.balancedworklife.com/blog/tina-feys-rules-for-improv-and-the-workplace/! And now, something completely different. The Wall Street Journal# http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122244981379579337.html! Using improv in business - Smarter Ideas# http://iangotts.les.wordpress.com/2012/02/using-improv-in-business-e2-v1.pdf! Building trust through improv - Faith & Leadership# http://www.faithandleadership.com/multimedia/building-trust-through-improv! Using improv for business - Slice of MIT# http://alum.mit.edu/pages/sliceofmit/2011/03/28/using-improv-for-business/! Why using improvisation to teach business skills is no joke - CNN# http://www.cnn.com/2010/BUSINESS/02/18/improvisation.business.skills/$

! ! ! ! ! ! EXAMPLES OF EXERCISES:! ! ! ! !

Activity: Loosen Up! This activity is designed to boost peoples energy levels.! Objectives:! By the end of this activity, people will:! Create energy whatever the time of day.! Utilise internal power to revitalise the mind and body.! Experience the power of being able to motivate themselves.! Overview of activity:! Participants stand and shake their limbs while simultaneously counting. The facilitator conducts it with increasing speed and volume.! Benets to look for:! The ideas below echo the Loosen Up approach:! Go for it. This is a go-for-it activity. Having fun is a great way to boost morale and increase team collaboration. Bringing out the shy people on a team will create more solutions and options when problem solving.! Get oxygen to the brain. Unfortunately, we spend most of our days sitting at our desk. Our energy goes straight into our chair. Our brain needs oxygen to think, and exercise is a great way to pump blood up there. This exercise teaches people a quick, painless, and fun way to energise themselves and get pumped up and ready to rock n roll at any time: at the beginning of a meeting, during an after-lunch food coma, and at any other point in the day that they feel the need to recharge.!

Discussion Points! Q: How did that feel? (I felt silly to begin with, but once I got going with it, I had a lot of fun.)! Q: How will this help you at work? (I can do this any time I feel myself lagging or drained of energyit will help me remotivate myself.)! Q: What did you think about the others taking part in the activity? (I liked the fact that everyone was so willing to join inwe are a great team.)! Q: Can you see yourself using this activity when other people are around? (I am not going to leap up and start shaking my hands and feet in the middle of the ofce, but I will denitely do it in my own cube.)! Q: Did anything surprise you about this activity? (We usually have meetings that are serious. This was a great diversion and a reminder that we can have fun and be energised at work.)!

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Activity: Yes, and! Yes, and is one of the fundamental ground rules of improv. Its a general philosophy by which you agree with your partner and then add additional information. It is the best way to gain trust, acceptance, and mutual discovery and to collaborate.! Objectives:! By the end of this activity, people will:! Encourage the generation of new ideas.! Use the yes, and rule to alleviate difcult communication situations.! Use communication as a tool to move forward in a positive way.! Demonstrate the use of the yes, and rule.!

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Overview of activity:! Participants will form groups of two in which one participant is (A) and the other participant is (B). There will be a series of three improv rounds, one after the other. In the rst round, the (A) persons will throw out an idea, and their (B) partners will negate it. In the second round, the (B)s will throw out a different idea, and their (A) partners will yes, but it. In the third and nal round, the (A)s will throw out an idea, and their (B) partners will yes, and it.!

Benets to look for:! The ideas below echo the Yes, and approach:! Stop the IKTA (I Know That Already) disease. If you walk into every situation thinking you know it all, there will be nothing new to learn. And the only time you should stop learning is when you are six feet under. Be curious. Be willing to try something new even if it doesnt make sense at rst. Go in with an open mind and enjoy the learning journey of business improv.! Say yes, and. Again, you dont have to agree with what is being said. Just acknowledge and authenticate it. If you negate an idea or comment on how bad it is, you are creating conict and consequences to the relationship, both in the long term and the short term.!

Discussion Points! Q: What was the effect of the no response? (I kept trying different ideas, but I felt shut down. I felt powerful getting to say no, but nothing got accomplished. I was defeated.)! Q: Was there a difference when the response changed to yes, but? (It was nicer. I liked the fact that I could keep offering up something. It still felt like no.)! Q: What about yes, and? (Much more positive. We were able to build on the idea. I felt the conversation was unrealistic. The conversation owed easier.)! Q: Does yes, and mean that you have to agree with everything? (No. I can still have a different opinion, and I still want to nd a win-win.)! Q: What are some situations in which you could benet from yes, and? (It would be a more effective communication process, where everyone felt heard. It would force me to listen more.)! Q: How did your energy and body language change between the rounds? (I was closed off in no. My arms were crossed in no. I was so energised in yes, and.)! Q: What are other ways of verbally and nonverbally saying yes, and? (I can listen better, and I can compliment other peoples creativity and thank them for their input.)