Public speaking is one of the most sought-after employability skills in the modern working world (CBI, 2019). Yet, studies have shown that public speaking is one of the most commonly held fears. According to one survey in the United States, the fear of public speaking came ahead of the fear of death! As the comic Jerry[…]

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‘Whose Line is it Anyway?’ hit our screens in September 1988, making the likes of Paul Merton, Tony Slattery and Josie Lawrence household names in the process. This remains most people’s first association with the word ‘improvisation.’ Thousands of people take ‘improv’ classes every year because they want how to make people laugh-many come to[…]

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When you see professional improvisers on stage, in shows like Whose Line is it Anyway?, it looks like ‘winging it’ is all about what you say. Actually, improvisers first and foremost focus on listening. First, you can only respond accurately to what is in front of you if you’ve actually heard it. (How often do[…]

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Use the secrets of improv to get your creative swagger back… Improvisation is based on the premise that everyone is born creative. We all possess a vivid imagination but often we block our access to it with various unhelpful habits of thought. These habits of thought – sometimes known as our inner critic – mediate[…]

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Channel these improv techniques to listen better…  Most people’s first association with the word ‘improvisation’ is comedy. Their mind leaps straight to TV shows like ‘Whose Line is it Anyway?’. Whilst standing in front of a live audience and making it all up for laughs might be your worst nightmare, at Hoopla we believe learning[…]

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How we communicate with one another has changed enormously in the last five years. The rise of remote working, accelerated by the pandemic, has made people increasingly reliant on digital communication tools like email, Slack and Asana. Zoom is now a verb and video calls have overwhelmingly replaced direct, face-to-face interactions.  Effective face-to-face communication requires[…]

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Public speaking frequently appears at the top of lists of people’s worst fears, making it even scarier than death! Improv comedians have learned some techniques to own any room-and overcome even the most hostile of audiences. Here are some top tips from improv to help you nail your own presentations at work.  1)     […]

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