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 about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices