Ron Karr has worked with leaders on six continents to help them eliminate risk, gain buy-in, and achieve more with what he calls “the velocity mindset.” Over the past 30 years, Ron’s presentations and advisory services have generated over a billion dollars in incremental revenue for his clients. He’s the author of five books, including his latest, The Velocity Mindset, and the best-seller Lead, Sell, or Get Out of the Way. 

Recently, Ron had some serious back pain and had to get multiple surgeries. He had to deal with that immense pain and immobility for two years, which gave him plenty of time to think about all of the things he hadn’t yet been able to do. Ron realized that it wasn’t external factors that had been keeping him from doing those things – he’d just never taken action. He was 57 years old, so he knew that, if he wanted to achieve everything he strove for in life, he had to speed things up. That’s where the velocity mindset comes in.

Velocity is speed plus direction. For Ron, direction is defined by the outcome of where you want to go. Many CEOs are focused more on the daily tasks than the purpose of the business. But when you’re purpose-driven, you will identify the tasks you need to accomplish to get where you want to go.

The biggest things that hold us back are our fears. We constantly create stories out of the events in our lives, and try to give them meaning. If we know what those stories are and the current meaning isn’t serving us, then we have the power to change them.

In addition to taking purpose-driven action, leaders have to align others with that purpose. They can’t do everything themselves. If you want to influence others, you have to create a safe environment for talk and discussion. You have to engage with people and show interest. This generates oxytocin and builds trust.

Whatever you’re doing, make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. It all comes down to purpose. If you’re true to your mission while honoring and respecting the goals of those around you, you will go far.

Click to Download the Full Transcript PDF

Resources:

• ronkarr.com
• Read: The Velocity Mindset
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ronkarr
• www.offscriptimprov.com

On August 10th, I delivered the keynote address welcoming the Master of Science in Accounting students at Oklahoma State University to the Fall 2021 semester. The title of my keynote was “Improv Is No Joke.” Not something you would expect to be a keynote title to a group of accounting students.

Before my keynote began, there was a video message to the students from the dean of the Spears School of Business, Dr. Ken Eastman. In his welcome to the students, he referenced the Korn Ferry five skills that need to be developed right now: Agility, Creativity, The Service Mindset, Communication, and Leadership. In other words, the improviser’s mindset. 

Let’s dig deeper into the Korn Ferry blog post, ‘Five Skills That Need to be Developed Right Now’. Agility, Creativity, The Service Mindset, Communication, and Leadership.

Agility means “being able to adapt quickly to uncertainty and constant change.” That, in and of itself, is improvisation. The ability to adapt or be agile means focusing on the things that we have control over and letting go of things that we have no control over. This is accomplished through the philosophy of Yes! And. Accept the premise that is handed to you, and positively add to it. 

Creativity can be as simple as staying curious and not falling into the trap of “this is how it has always been done.” It also requires two separate and distinct types of thinking, divergent and convergent thinking. Divergent thinking is the process of coming up with lots of ideas without censoring yourself or others, or saying the dreaded creativity killer, “we can’t do that.” In improv we say, you can’t create and criticize in the same space. Criticism is essential in creativity only after all of the ideas have been vetted. Convergent thinking is the process of analyzing those divergent ideas to determine which ideas can solve the problem at hand.

The Service Mindset is “having the awareness to adjust the goods and services we provide to customers, in the way they need them, when they need them – this is a critical skill for talent.” To do this effectively, you need to park your ego and listen to what the customer wants, not what you think the customer needs. In improv, it is all about the team, and the customer, and less about ourselves.

Communication is essential in both “written and verbal skills and presenting well in-person and on videoconference, [these] are growing in strategic importance.” The ability to articulate your thoughts and deliver that message in a way that your audience can understand has always been important, even more so when delivering it virtually. This communication also extends to your body language, both in-person and on Zoom and other virtual platforms. Always present positive body language when speaking or attending any meeting or presentation. This means no slouched posture, no using your smartphone, and always have your camera on when in a virtual environment, just to name a few. Leadership is developing “talent with the ability to reach out and take the initiative, build relationships across the organization, and foster trust and inclusion through behavior and actions – [these are skills] in demand at every level.”

Leadership is also about being vulnerable around your team and letting them know when you are wrong. In improv, it is all about the team and less about you. Our job is to make the individuals on our team look good, support them, and treat them with the highest respect. It is not our job to disrespect them or tear them down. That is just your ego getting in the way. Let your ego sit on the bench for a while and focus on what is best for the team.

The two-hour keynote on improv contained the essence of this Korn Ferry blog, along with helping these accounting students understand that they speak a foreign language called accounting. Those in the corporate world who are not well versed in the foreign language of accounting have no idea what you are saying. The sixth critical skill that every accountant, engineer, or financial person needs to develop is a translation of technical language into plain English. When you master all six of these skills, you have become a well-versed and highly impactful leader within your organization.

Resources:

• offscriptimprov.com
• 5 Skills to Develop Right Now

Bob Dusin grew up on a wheat and cattle farm in western Kansas and earned a degree in civil engineering from Kansas State University, followed by an MBA from Rockhurst University. In the early part of his career, he worked as a construction project manager (as well as the co-owner of the construction company) where he guided the construction of the world’s tallest concrete building, the 70-story 311 South Wacker Drive in Chicago, Illinois. He has also been the human resource and training director for a national firm.

Leaving the corporate world 15 years ago, Bob started his own business focused on training, coaching, and facilitating leadership workshops for organizations nationwide. In addition to his work in organizational leadership development and coaching, Bob has spoken at numerous expos, seminars, and conventions. He’s also been a professional improviser for over 25 years and is a professional voiceover and video actor.

One mistake people make about improv is thinking that it has to be funny. It usually is – that’s true, but the point is not to be funny; the point is to reveal a truth about the world. Often, the funniest things come from things that are true.

A benefit of improv and humor when it comes to presenting is that people are far more likely to remember how they feel than what you tell them. If you can make someone laugh, they are going to remember that situation, and they are likely to absorb your message that much better.

Another massive benefit of improv that feeds into leadership is the ability to stop overthinking things. In improv, you can’t keep the stage empty. Even if you’re unsure of how funny what you have to say is, the best thing you can do is to just say it and get it out there. Then you (and those around you) can iterate and work off of that idea until you strike something good.

Anyone can give a presentation, but to give one that truly delivers, give your audience something to look forward to. Give them some fun along with your entertainment, and they’re unlikely to forget it.

Click to Download the Full Transcript PDF

Resources:

• bobdusin.com
• Read: Truth in Comedy

What does it take to become a project management professional?

Ann Campea, a project manager herself, joins us to discuss this growing profession and why she’s so passionate about what she does. With ten years of experience in the product development, consumer goods, tech, and healthcare industries, she has shown proven results in launching projects in physical retail spaces, onboarding new employees, trading existing ones, and more. She also hosts The Everyday PM podcast.

Whether you have the title of Project Manager or not, we all manage projects in our day-to-day lives. Until we recognize that, it’s hard to improve. Project management is not a one-size-fits-all profession. There’s so much diversity of thought and approach that you should learn from the best and apply whatever works for you.

Most project managers don’t set out towards that role. They work hard in their fields, then, suddenly, they look up one day and realize that they’ve picked up all of the project management skills and experience as they went. But that’s changing. Today, many young people are setting out with the specific intention of becoming a project manager. And that means that there’s now an opportunity for those who have walked the path to pass their learning to others.

If you’re interested in being a project manager, try it out. It’s not a profession that is for everyone, but it can be incredibly rewarding.

Click to Download the Full Transcript PDF

Resources:

• Learn more: The Everyday PM
• Instagram: @anncampea
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/anncampea

Since starting work on my new book, I’ve received a number of questions about the writing process. I don’t have a degree in English, literature, or journalism – yet here I am, about to publish my 3rd business book… with book number four already cooking in my head.

Here are 13 things I’ve learned about writing a book:

1. If you don’t think you can write a book, you can’t. If you think you can write a book, you can.
2. You want your book to be between 150-200 pages. That’s around 35-45k words.
3. Your book raises your expertise, credibility, and authority in whatever you are writing about.
4. Consider hiring a book coach.
5. Outline your book.
6. Create that “shitty first draft.”
7. Assemble your manuscript and put it in a binder.
8. If you can’t find a title, ask friends or colleagues who aren’t as close to the project.
9. Spend a couple of weeks making changes and edits.
10.  Find a publisher.
11.  Create an editorial board.
12.  Create the cover (or have it outsourced).
13.  Be willing to change the title as you go.

This is an overview of the writing process I’ve used for my last two books. I hope it’s of help to you, and I can’t wait to share Off Script with the world.