Deborah Kimmett & Lee-Anne McAlear | Improvisation to Innovation
Deb Kimmett & Lee-Anne McAlear are pointing a new lens at one of the business world’s most most frequently-faces challenges: Innovation. As an improviser, Deborah’s always felt that innovation and improvisation are so important to develop new ideas in business. Lee-Anne is the Program Director, Centre of Excellence in Applied Innovation Management at York University’s Schulich Executive Education Centre. They have recently developed a new dual-speaker presentation: ‘Improvisation is the Heartbeat of Innovation.’ This keynote or workshop will help your organization with the tools and mindset needed to go from idea, to implementation to innovation. The pair recently sat down to discuss the topic: 
How does improvisation help lead to innovation?
Lee-Anne McAlear (LM): People think improvisation and innovation are the same. They are not. Deborah Kimmett (DK): Yes, improv is usually thought of as a feel good way to get a team to work better together. And it does do that. But it’s a mindset the new breed of organization needs to be operating at. LM: Yes, it’s key to survival in an economy that keeps getting disrupted. In order to innovate, a portion of your business has to be about generating ideas and experimenting. DK: To be developing untried ideas-or the unscripted portion of your business. Engaging in right brain thinking. LM: I call it detaching from what you already know. DK: I love that concept. Let’s face it: Detaching can be terrifying. Especially when your financial security is involved. LM: In the innovation process, people are being asked to step out of their comfort and their competence zone, more often. DK: Yes, leaders are being asked to risk the 4 C’s. Risking comfort, change, competency and the mother of all the C’s, control. LM: That is what you would call the “yes, and” part. DK: “Yes and”is happening more often. LM: And that flexibility piece has to be built in to the DNA of the company if innovation is to follow. DK: “Yes and” you are right. LM: And you are too, sistah! Check out their full podcast discussion for some inspiration. You can book Deborah or Lee-Anne together to double your value or book them separately. For more on them check out their speaker profiles:
Deborah Kimmett | Second City Veteran and Expert on Communication & Change
Lee-Anne McAlear