BSP 167: Off Scr!pt by Peter Margaritis, CSP

Peter Margaritis, CSP, author of Off Scr!pt: Mastering the Art
of Business Improv, tried his hand at improv in graduate school
and, by his own accounts, he wasn’t “very funny.” However, he
realized that improv can become a very powerful, and useful,
leadership tool. Margaritis says that improv changed his life, his
business, and his way of being. He hopes it helps others realize
that improv isn’t about being funny, but it’s a great leadership
tool to develop in today’s business landscape. In the book,
Margaritis writes about the ‘seven foundations of improv’ which
starts with a foundation of “respect, trust, and support.” He adds
that as long as people trust those who they work with – and they
trust you, you must continue to cultivate that trust. Also, leaders
should be doing everything in their power to support their teams
with the right skills and tools to succeed, but if any of the three
elements is missing, everything crumbles. There is one key feature,
or the glue “that holds it all together.” Those two words are
“yes…and.” Margaritis says that “yes/and is about agreement but not
always agreeing. It’s about empathy, collaboration, leaving your
ego behind, and making it about your team.” Margaritis says people
should learn to “listen to understand, not listen to respond”
because “the business that we’re all in is the people business,
first and foremost.” Without people we have no business. Learn more
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