by Paul Z Jackson | Oct 6, 2026 | Blog, Improvisation
‘Trade the illusion of control for the reality of influence,’ I wrote in my book Easy in 2015. Since then, the most popular job of choice for young people is ‘Influencer’, so I reckon I can claim a big impact. The line also remains practical and relevant for leaders...
by Paul Z Jackson | Sep 26, 2026 | Blog, Facilitation, Improvisation
It’s always fun and often exciting to discover a new improv game. And, as time goes by, the thrill is enhanced by finding what makes these activities worthwhile. That means delving into questions like: What distinguishes an adequate activity from a powerful...
by Paul Z Jackson | Sep 17, 2026 | Blog, Facilitation, Training
There’s a scene in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in which the economics teacher, played by Ben Stein, stands in front of a room of apparently comatose students. “Anyone? Anyone?” John Hughes’ classic film caricatures a familiar model of education: the teacher has the...
by Paul Z Jackson | Jul 29, 2026 | Blog, Coaching, Facilitation, Improvisation, Uncategorised
Improvisers often say “Celebrate failure.” They’re pointing at a worthy problem, but proposing the wrong solution. Many people hold back when the perceived cost of getting something wrong is high. If we’re worried about looking foolish, wasting time or making...
by Paul Z Jackson | Jul 21, 2026 | Blog, Creativity, Facilitation
What if we’ve misunderstood what AI actually learned from play? Mia Sundstrom recently wrote an engaging Substack article arguing that the story of modern AI is importantly a story about play. She recounts how DeepMind achieved many of its breakthroughs by setting up...
