Cal State San Marcos -- Letter of Reference

(text of letter is also provided below the graphic for those whose browsers download too slowly)

To:  Milo Shapiro

 

I wanted to thank you for your very interesting “Teamprovising workshop” that you conducted in my Industrial/Organizational Psychology course.  Your improv activities demonstrated important organizational concepts such as teamwork, creativity, coordination, and communication.  Each activity provided an excellent basis for further discussion in these areas.  One of the most important aspects of this workshop was the fact that students were able to explore their “fear of failure” and participate in activities that allowed them to start to overcome this fear.

 

Students reported that they learned a lot about themselves, about the importance of creative thinking in problem solving, and communication in group projects.  For example, in one activity, students were amazed at how much their performance improved by simply making eye contact with their team members.  This provided an excellent metaphor for organizational effectiveness and suggested the importance for employees to understand and pay attention to their fellow co-workers for team effectiveness – something that is often forgotten when projects pile up and deadlines approach.  Students suggested that the 1-1/2 hour class time was not long enough and felt they would benefit from further workshops.

 

As an instructor, I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to observe such a talented teacher.  Thanks for being so generous with your time and talents.  You have helped to make my organizational psychology course more “hands-on” and meaningful for the students.

 

I wish you much continued success!

 

Elisa Grant-Vallone

Assistant Professor of Psychology