On October 25 and Nov. 16, 2011, WFF hosted leadership training workshops for faculty with facilitator Shana Ross
Photo: Allison Tait
In the theater, actors are trained to be deliberate with all the choices they make, knowing that they are telling a story with the shape of their body, the direction of their gaze and the timbre of their voice. In our professional lives, we make similar choices constantly, but rarely think of them as such. These workshop provided frameworks for thinking about these daily choices in an academic professional setting, then afforded participants the chance to experiment through a series of improvisational exercises to see how changes in their physical and vocal habits affect the way they are seen by others. Exercises and feedback allowed participants to gain insight into interpersonal dynamics and take control of the image they project professionally.
Participants in a WFF leadership workshop with Shana Ross (front, center).Photo: Liena Vayzman
Shana Ross is the founder/principal of Vili and Ve Solutions, Inc., a consulting and coaching practice. Trained as an actor and playwright in Yale College, she earned her MBA from the Yale School of Management after several years working in the nonprofit sector. Her leadership workshops use techniques and theories from the worlds of theater and business to offer fresh perspectives to professionals.