April Monthly Meeting
A Day in the Life…An Improv-ed MPI Member
Improving Your Performance: Business Lessons From an Improvisational Mind
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
On April 14th, I arrived at the beautiful Marina del Rey Marriott ready to network and enjoy a nice lunch. Prior to attending the monthly MPI event, I sat in on a meeting of the Communications Committee where we discussed upcoming projects for the Southern California Chapter, namely the July golf tournament and September’s WES (Weekend Education Summit). Another main topic on the agenda was the use of technology via Facebook and Twitter, specifically how these can serve as additional home bases for our chapter.
Once this meeting adjourned, I headed up to the rooftop where met with an incredible view of the marina and a wonderful turnout of attendees. Amani Roberts, the director of sales and marketing for the property greeted us, shortly followed by the past and present MPISCC board members introduction.
The Shining and Rising Stars for this month were announced. Congratulations to Robin Marie Carriere and Paulette Fontanez, both of Los Angeles County Bar Association.
Four first-timers sat at my table, all from Loyola Marymount University. When asked what encouraged them to come to this particular event, Trish Carlson, director of conference services, commented that it was based on both the location and the programming.
The programming she referred to was a treat indeed. James Thomas Bailey of ComedySportz LA brought a great deal of energy and lessons to our mid-day meeting by sharing his improvisation expertise with “Improving Your Performance.” Personally, I know the incredible value of improv having a background in it for the last 13 years. There is no doubt that it is extremely applicable to many areas in life as the craft centers around listening, being present and most importantly, having fun. These, as James mentioned, are soft skills that, although part of the business world, are not necessarily taught in school.
Once everyone in the room overcame their fear of portraying a tiger, martian or (gasp!) salesperson, there was no stopping MPI members as we all engaged in somewhat nonsensical one-minute conversations and watched as three of our own led an unforgettable dance, having only sipped on iced tea and coffee prior to.
James went on to review how important it is to make each other look good and to always say yes. When you think about it, wouldn’t it help all of us in our businesses if we were to give those suggestions a try? Whether applying them to third-party referrals or simply supporting a fellow MPI member in their endeavors, these strategies could be very useful in building professional relationships and propelling our, in addition to each other’s, success forward.
By far the most interesting lesson, in my opinion, brought up in the presentation was the importance of not being afraid to fail. Think of how much more we would gain by stepping out of our comfort zones. Who knows- we could meet a fantastic new client or secure a huge bid. My suggestion is this: try daily to get over the fear of going into unknown, uncharted territory and simply see what happens as a result.
“It’s great talking to an industry where we share the same needs and concerns. It was fun to spend an afternoon with them, being creative and positive,” James mentioned following the event.
Creative and positive we certainly were. There was more laughter in that room than a kindergarten class at recess. So with that fun, eye-opening afternoon in mind, do you think you’ll consider applying this new skill set to your every day routine? There’s a correct answer here. Yes, and…
By Brooke Bonder, AGR Los Angeles
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