The Art of Improvisation in Business with Heather Urquhart
Welcome to this thought-provoking episode of The Career Equation Podcast! This week, Erica Sosna is joined by the brilliant Heather Urquhart, an award-winning professional improviser, director of And Also Improv, and founder of an improv-focused training consultancy. Heather’s work brings the principles of improvisation to the corporate world, enabling teams to build crucial skills such as adaptability, creativity, and collaboration.
What We Cover in This Episode:
Improvisation in Business: Learn how methods like “listening, saying yes, and committing” can revolutionise corporate culture, foster innovation, and improve communication.
Balancing Parenthood and Entrepreneurship: Heather opens up about her unique challenges of running a creative business while navigating the demands of parenthood.
Transitioning Careers with Confidence: Hear how Heather moved from the stage to business, blending her expertise as an improviser with newfound entrepreneurial skills to make a mark in the corporate world.
The Career Equation: Erica explains her Career Equation framework, a practical and inspiring tool that empowers individuals to tackle career conundrums by aligning their values, strengths, and aspirations. This model provided Heather with clarity on how to position herself authentically, balancing creativity and business strategy to achieve professional success.
Key Coaching Takeaway: One of the standout moments includes Erica coaching Heather to craft a narrative that not only strengthens her authority in corporate training but also keeps her unique creative identity at its core. This demonstrates how the Career Equation helps turn challenges into stepping stones for growth.
Enhancing Team Performance: Discover how introducing improvisation into workplaces can create high-performing, cohesive teams by enhancing collaboration and adaptability.
Creativity as a Competitive Edge: Erica and Heather explore how businesses can leverage creativity to boost productivity, resilience, and problem-solving in today’s rapidly changing environments.
Improvisation as a Corporate Superpower:
Improv isn’t just a tool for the stage – it’s a dynamic approach that helps individuals and teams flourish in uncertain and evolving workplaces. Heather sheds light on how her training programmes empower organisations to strengthen client relationships, tackle challenges effectively, and unlock creative potential. Through storytelling, quick-thinking, and adaptability, her work demonstrates the untapped potential of improv in organisational growth.
Key Takeaways:
Businesses thrive when they cultivate adaptability and creativity in their workforces.
Improv-based exercises create trust, enhance collaboration, and build resilience within teams.
Erica’s Career Equation helps professionals reframe career challenges and align purpose, passion, and opportunity to design the careers they truly want.
Connect with Heather Urquhart:
For more about Heather’s consultancy, And Also Improv, visit andalsoimprov.com to explore her innovative approaches to corporate training and team building.
Stay Connected with The Career Equation Podcast:
Join the discussion on social media and share your reflections on today’s episode. For more resources and insights into building a meaningful career, visit The Career Equation, where you can explore opportunities for consulting, training, and upcoming digital and in-person courses.
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Your career is like an equation – keep solving it with clarity, creativity, and confidence!