Praise for

improv is no joke
Keep it up...You are making a difference in
peoples lives...
Laimon Godel, CPA

CGMA at LW Godel, Jr. CPA, PC

From the opening passage, I could tell Improv is

No Joke was a different kind of book. The level of
personal sharing from The Accidental Accountant is unlike any other book written by a bean
counter! Peter Margaritis shares insights gained
from a wide variety of careers and other pursuits
many of us will never have the opportunity to
experience ourselves. The lessons are accessible
and immediately useful to anyone looking to
improve their relationships, both personal and
professional. Its the kind of information that can
help anyone at any stage of career or season in life
grow and prosper.
John F Kelley
Vice President and Chief People Officer, White Castle Management, Co.

Does Improv is No Joke deliver? Yes, and it will change

the way you listen to your own inner voice on the path
to a truly authentic expression of your strengths.
Jamie Richardson

Vice President, White Castle Management, Co.

Im convincedImprov is No Joke, Peters insightful new book is written with humility, humor, and
homespun wisdom. His premise is that one can find
greater success in career and personal life by embracing
and adapting the principles of improvisation. Through
personal stories and anecdotes, he connects key improv
skills such as parking your agenda and responding with
yes, and with personal and professional applications.
The topics are broad and varied, but well integrated and
include an improv look at everything from stress and
risk taking to leadership and creativity. This book is a
fun ride and reads like a letter from your favorite uncle.
Before its over you will have a smile on your face and a
new ways to respond and adapt to lifes challenges.
Dr. Jay B. Young
Associate Professor, Ohio Dominican University

Pete is a terrifically funny and relevant speaker and

coach. You find yourself having so much fun you dont
even realize youre learning so much along the way! I
highly recommend using him to educate your employee
base on a broad range of managerial skills while accomplishing some true team building.
Tammy Dosch

CFO, Capital Square, Ltd.

Peter was an outstanding speaker with a creative and

very personal approach to leadership. Peters unique
message demonstrated that the principles of improvisational comedy are the same principles of an effective
leader. Our staff team and our member leaders are
implementing yes, and into our conversations, and
its making a positive difference.
Stephanie Peters

CEO and president

Virginia Society of CPAs

The passion and commitment you have for your business

definitely shows through. Its obvious you take pride in the
development and refinement of the content.
Steven Dezenzo,

Manager, Finance & Accounting,

FedEx Custom Critical

Peter is a CPA who sees the world creatively. Peter is

a top-rated instructor and a thought leader with the
Business Learning Institute who can help accounting
professionals with essential business success skills to
excel in todays rapidly changing business environment.
Laura Dorsey-Shaner

Manager, BLI Key Accounts & Operations

His ability to have fun and add humor to the subject

is what made him night and day different than many
other speakers. I highly recommend Peter if you are
looking for someone to come and present a presentation
for CPE opportunities or motivational team building.
Keith O. Wilson, CPA, CFE, CGMA

Fraud Examiner, Bridgestone Americas, Inc.

Peter Margaritis presentation Embrace Your Inner

Superhero was dynamic and passionate! Peters experience and knowledge in the accounting industry drew
me in and kept the audience interested and involved.
For me, the presentation was interactive and thought
provoking. Thanks, Peter.
Sarah Galley, SPHR
Firm Administrator, Pohlman & Talmage CPAs, Inc.

Peter spoke at our Association for Accounting Administration Ohio Chapter meeting. Peters use of humor
and interactive exercises helped us better understand
the thought processes of CPAs. Peter provided communication tools to us to use to improve our communication with others and to also alleviate stress in our daily
lives. The session wasnt over when Peters presentation
was finished. Attendees of the meeting gathered around
him for some more gems of information! If you are in
need of a speaker who can unleash your Superhero, be
sure to contact Peter.
Marla Martin

Firm Administrator, Weber OBrien Ltd.

Pete is an engaging speaker with energy and keeps

things interesting and makes you laugh. Pete has a good
presentation style and helps learning by telling real-life
stories. It is the real-life stories which drive the points
home and greatly assist in helping attendees retain the
information.
Seminar evaluation summary from an attendee
at the Washington Society of CPAs on 12/11/14

improv
is
no joke

improv
is
no joke
Using Improvisation to
Create Positive Results
in Leadership and Life

Peter A. Margaritis, CPA

Foreword by J. Clarke Price, fasae, cae

Copyright 2015 by Peter Margaritis

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any
manner whatsoever without prior written consent of the author, except as
provided by the United States of America copyright law.
Published by Advantage, Charleston, South Carolina.
Member of Advantage Media Group.
ADVANTAGE is a registered trademark and the Advantage colophon is a
trademark of Advantage Media Group, Inc.
Printed in the United States of America.
ISBN: 978-159932-541-5
LCCN: 2015936606
Book design by George Stevens
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information
in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that
the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional
services. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a
competent professional person should be sought.
Advantage Media Group is proud to be a part of the Tree Neutral program.
Tree Neutral offsets the number of trees consumed in the production and
printing of this book by taking proactive steps such as planting trees in
direct proportion to the number of trees used to print books. To learn more
about Tree Neutral, please visit www.treeneutral.com. To learn more about
Advantages commitment to being a responsible steward of the environment,
please visit www.advantagefamily.com/green

Advantage Media Group is a publisher of business, self-improvement, and

professional development books and online learning. We help entrepreneurs,
business leaders, and professionals share their Stories, Passion, and Knowledge
to help others Learn & Grow. Do you have a manuscript or book idea that you
would like us to consider for publishing? Please visit advantagefamily.com or call
1.866.775.1696.

To Stephen Michael Margaritis: Embrace and build

on the power of improvisation, because someday
your ideas will change the world. I love you!

acknowledgments

would like to start by thanking my father and mother

for everything that they sacrificed so I could grow up to
achieve my dreams and goals. I especially have to thank
my father for instilling humor into my life. He was a
funny man. When I would bring a girlfriend home, my father
would greet her by saying Son, she is a lot better looking than you
described. Heres $5, go to the store and buy yourself something
while I talk to your girlfriend. Thanks Dad! I love you and miss
you.
I would also like to thank the most influential person in
my life, the chairman of my board, my wife Mary. Without her
support, guidance, leadership, compassion, and love, I could
not pursue my passion. We have been married for about 20
years, and we are always by each others side, never in front or
behindside-by-side.
A very special thanks go to my brother and sister Steve and
Stacie, for being the best brother and sister a guy could ever
haveI love you both!
A special thanks go to George Caleodis, who introduced me
to the art of improvisation; Joan McGloshen, who helped me get
xiii

improv is no joke

started in the speaking business; Dr. Gary Previts, without his

support, I would have never become a CPA; J. Clarke Price, who
has been a great mentor and friend; Bob Sheasley who helped
make writing this book a lot of fun, along with Advantage Media
Group!
There are so many family and friends that I want to thank but
I cant begin to list you all because there would be no room for the
content of the book. So a warm and loving THANK YOU to you
all (yall for my Kentucky family and friends.)
Go CATS!

xiv

foreword

vercoming shyness or meeting the challenge

of having meaningful engagements with
strangersor even meaningful conversations
with coworkersplagues too many of us in the
workforce. Why is that? What is it about really listening and
reacting that is so dicult for so many of us?
This book uses the simple act of improvisation to help you
develop new skills and new approaches that will improve your
ability to react to and interact with others.
When you hear the word improvisation, you may immediately think, Im not funny; this wont work for me. However,
the tips that follow will help you overcome natural reluctance and
self-consciousness and will show you how to have richer conversations and build more robust relationships.
Improvisation isnt about being funny. Its not about being
quick to react and getting a laugh. Through this book, youll learn
basic tips and skills that will help you listen to those around you,
learn how to react to what theyre saying, and have better, more
meaningful conversations.

xv

improv is no joke

Improv is No Joke is a quick read packed with practical tips

and examples of how to apply the simple principles of improvisation. The authors passion for the world of stand-up comedy
and improvisationand his personal experience in applying that
passion to the business worldprovides tips that everyone can
apply in their everyday life.
The simple art of paying attention to the people with whom
youre talking and really listening to what theyre saying happens all
too infrequently. Its up to every one of us to improve the day-today interactions we have with coworkers, clients, and customers.
This book will help you become a more effective listener and more
effective at having the sort of meaningful conversations that can
lead to long-term relationships.

J. Clarke Price, FASAE, CAE

xvi

contents
3 ....... Introduction | Beyond the Spreadsheet
9 ............ Chapter 1 | Entre into Improv
31 ........... Chapter 2 | Yes, and
45 ........... Chapter 3 | Its Who You Know
59 .......... Chapter 4 | Power at the Podium
71 ........... Chapter 5 | Managing Stress
85 ..........Chapter 6 | Straight Talk
97 .......... Chapter 7 | Business Development
107 .........Chapter 8 | Cultivating Creativity
115 ..........Chapter 9 | Leveraging Your Leadership
123 ...... Conclusion | Getting the Pieces in Place

introduction

Beyond the
Spreadsheet

just want to thank you, said a woman who

approached me after I had concluded my third
presentation at a two-day seminar for CPAs in
Tennessee. This has meant a lot to me.

And then tears began to well up in her eyes. Are you okay?
I asked her.
Pete, Im on the verge of getting a divorce, she said, and we
are at the 11th hourbut now Im thinking we need to hold off.
In fact, she said through her sobs, Im going home tonight
to see if I can save my marriage.
She told me that she realized that she had been controlling and hadnt truly been listening to her husband. She had
3

improv is no joke

come to understand that her personality typeheadstrong and

dominantworks in some ways but wasnt exactly resulting in
wedded bliss. She told me that she realized the problem wasnt
him. It was her.
She snied and wiped at her eyes. I hope I had the presence
of mind to hand her a tissueI wasnt all that accustomed to
dealing with crying accountants.
My final talk that day had been Embrace your inner
superhero. As in many of my presentations, I emphasized the
principles of improvisation, which include supporting, respecting,
trusting, listening, focusing, and adapting.
I had pointed out that true leadership involves the ability
to drop your own agenda and truly focus on others and listen
to understand them, not just wait until you get your opening to
respond. Its one of the soft skills that accountants and other
left-brained, logical, and linear thinkers must master if they wish
to advance beyond the numbers to attain greater success.
I had told the audience about my own revelation on the
importance of listening. We all have expectations for our children.
Some might be happy if the kids just stay out of jail, but most
people want them to grow up to make important contributions
to our world.
When my son, Stephen, was in second and third grade, I
tried to help him as often as possible with his homework assignments. I was a college accounting professor at Ohio Dominican
University at the time, so I had more flexibility with after-school
availability than did my wife, whose position as general manager
of a Macys department store was highly demanding.
4

improv is no joke

Every day, I battled with Stephen to get him to do his

homework. I felt frustrated, because I was intent on helping him
avoid the same mistakes that I had made. Our conversations
would go like this:
Stephen, I need you to read this chapter.
Dad, I dont like to read.
Well, Stephen, if you dont read, theres going to be no TV
tonight.
Dad, I really hate to read.
I would switch gears. Okay, Stephen, lets try your math.
Dad, I just dont like math. I dont like those story problems.
Sure you do, Stephen, you do those in class. Come on, lets
do your homework.
I really dont want to do math right now, Dad. I really dont
understand it. Can I just go play basketball?
Stephen, finish your homework or theres no TV and no
Xbox for the rest of the week.
This got to be so bad that every day I felt I had to put my
armor on, because I knew that he and I were going to go to battle
after school. Homework time became fight time.
This went on for months, until we mentioned the problem
to the pediatrician. You might want to talk to somebody about
this, she said. There might be something else there.
We made an appointment to have him see a psychologist for
tests. Ill never forget the moment when we got the results: Mr.

improv is no joke

and Mrs. Margaritis, your son has a moderately severe case of

ADHD along with a reading disorder.
I was speechless. I was thinking, Oh my God, what? ADHD
this whole time? Ive been so overbearing and short with him. I
havent been listening to him. Stephen had been giving me clues
along the way, and I didnt recognize them. I felt that Id messed
up, that I hadnt been caring, that Id been controlling.
It was like a punch in the gut. I felt like a dreadful parent.
Stephen hadnt known how to communicate to me that there was
something wrong. He wanted to tell me this: Dad, I cant seem to
focus, I cant pay attention for long, and when I read stuff, I dont
understand it. I had just thought he was being lazy and willful
and that he was trying to control me.
We gave a lot of consideration to the best way to help him and
decided medication would be appropriate in his case. Overnight it
seemed, Stephen went from being this kid who fought me tooth
and nail over his homework to a kid who was excited about it. His
grades got better, and his self-esteem improved dramatically. He
became an eager and curious student.
Seeing Stephens transformation, my wife and I wished we
had taken action a few years earlier to help him get a better head
start. But we hadnt truly listened. We had an agenda, and that
agenda had clouded our ability to hear what our son was trying to
tell us. We all changed. We began to listen in a more meaningful
way.
That was the lesson on listening that apparently had touched
the heart of that tearful woman who approached me at the
conference.
6

improv is no joke

Often, after I have delivered that talk, people have come up

to me with comments such as I applaud you for doing what you
did and realizing that you werent listeningbecause my brother
[or sister or cousin] went through something very much like that.
They share stories about how parents so often have their own
agenda and become controlling to the point where they no longer
can truly hear their kids. Its frustrating for children when they
need to communicate something and dont know how to begin
and just seem to get in trouble if they try.
When the psychologist gave us the diagnosis, I asked: Are
you talking about Stephen or me? I explained that Id had my
own journey with ADHD and that maybe Stephen had inherited
some of my traits. I just hope he develops a sense of humor about
himself.
What I learned was that this was a case of the parent needing
to listen, not of the child needing to listen. Parents tend to have a
vision for their children and become determined that they fit that
mold. They simply tell the kids what they must doand that can
lead to a variety of problems.
A fundamental of improvisation that I advocate whenever
I speak to audiences is the principle of yes, and As I will
explain in this book, those two words have changed my life. Its an
approach that opens possibilities, as opposed to the stifling effect
of yes, but, the words that we so often use instead.
Several minutes after I spoke to that woman after my presentation, another audience member approached me. He was a
retired CPA and a former marine.

improv is no joke

Pete, that was the best thing Ive heard in a long time. I
really hope that you will be coming back here again. He sent me
an email the next day: Keep it up. Youre making a difference in
peoples lives.
People often approach me with words of appreciation.
Whenever I can, I try to meet people and learn about them and
learn from them. You have to keep moving forward. I look at
every opportunity as a yes, and moment for growth and
development.
As an accountant, I know that there is a time to get up and
get away from the numbers. You have to lift your nose from the
books and see the expressions on peoples faces. You will see things
there that you will never see on paper.
Or, as one of my clients once told a detail-oriented associate:
You know, sometimes you just have to step away from the eng
spreadsheet, and now is the time.

chapter 1

Entre into
Improv

can still see my son as a newborn, lying in the car seat as we

brought him home from the hospital. I was driving ever so
slowly and carefully.

I looked over at my wife. They didnt give us a manual, I

said.
Fourteen years later, as I speak to audiences, I often ask: How
many of you have kids? A lot of hands go up. Well, then, I say,
you certainly know from experience what it means to improvise.
A lot of people think that everything in improvisation is
made up and that the points dont matter, because of the TV Show
Whose Line is it Anyway? I dont subscribe to that thought, because
everything is not made up, and the points do matter.

improv is no joke

If you had a script for how your day would go, Im willing to
bet you would be revising it by the time you left the house. By the
end of the day, your script might bear little resemblance to what
you had originally intended. So much changes so fast, and life is
all about reacting, adapting, and improving.
The principles of improvisation, as Ive been exposed to it,
are respect, trust, support, listening, focus, and adaptability. And
the glue that holds those together, as we will see, is the principle
of yes, and The message that I emphasize in my speaking
engagements is that you can find greater success in your career
and in your personal life if you embrace and adapt the principles
of improvisation.
I call myself The Accidental Accountant. I am a person
who has a whole brain, meaning my right brain and my left brain
are equally dominant, with a message that could help people in
many walks of lifeand in that sense, maybe Im not such an
accident after all.
When we think about left-brain people, we think about stereotypical accountants: They are seen as brainy with critical and
analytical skills and an ability to work independently, but they are
also seen as introverted and kind of nerdy and socially awkward.
I love watching the TV show The Big Bang Theory. I have known
people in the accounting profession who are somewhat like
Sheldon Cooper, lacking in social filters. I have spent 20-odd
years in their world.

10

improv is no joke

Growing up Greek
I was adopted at birth, and I have no idea who my birth parents
are. Both my adoptive father and mother were first-generation
Greek. My father owned a liquor store, and my mother was a
nurse, although she was a full-time mom when we were kids.
My father had a wonderful sense of humor, and Im sure
that rubbed off on me. If you have ever seen the movie My Big
Fat Greek Wedding, that was my life. I have cousins Nick, Nick,
Nicholas, and Nikki. I have cousins Paul, Paul, Paul, and Pauline.
I have cousins George, George, George, and Georgeanne. We had
a lot of family around.
A lot of us were in the restaurant business. Growing up, I
spent much time in these restaurants, from washing dishes to
working with the cook, to waiting and busing tables, to bartending. I did it all, and I got used to being around people. I enjoyed
talking. I grew up that way, and I wasnt shy about it. In school I
was always looking for a laugh, always being the class clown.

Off to Cleveland
I originally had no intent of becoming an accountant. In fact, I
got my bachelors degree in business administration from the University of Kentucky (Go Cats!), and I was in banking for several
years in Florida before I decided to pursue my masters degree in
accounting.
When the Florida real estate market fell apart in the late
1980s, however, our bank was bought by a rival. My boss at the
bank lost his job and had to sell cars for a while. Pete, you know
11

improv is no joke

what? he told me once. Bankers are salesmen. You got some

great training.
As I think back on it, its true that a lot of my communication and networking skills developed through my banking experiencealong with growing up in a Greek restaurant family, of
course.
My bank colleague had another observation: You have an
analytical flair about yourself, he told me. You may want to
consider putting a few extra tools in your belt.
I was married at the time, and my wife wanted to move from
Fort Myers, Florida, where my parents also lived, to Cleveland,
Ohio, so that we could be closer to her parents. I was in love and
wanted to please her.
Ill make you a deal, I told her. If I can get into Case
Western Reserve University in the master of accountancy program,
then well go. If I dont get in, well stay here. She agreed.
I consider myself bright, but Im a horrible test taker. To even
be considered for a masters program at most business schools,
you have to have over a 500 score on the GMATthe Graduate
Management Admission Test. When I take the GMAT, even if the
person who is recording my score has dyslexia, I never get above
500.
I did have those years of banking experience, however, and I
was hoping that would count for a lot. I waited to hear from Case
Western. Maybe the phone would ringand, on a day when I
was battling the flu, it did. It was Professor Gary John Previts,
ready to interview me. Somehow I managed to get through the
call, and somehow I managed to get accepted. The acceptance
12

improv is no joke

letter told me the enrollment was provisional: I had to maintain a

B average in my first semester.
Im pleased to say that by the time I graduated, I was third
in my class.
When it came time to get a job, I wanted to interview with
banks, but because I had a masters degree now in bean counting
(or some might say in nerdism), I couldnt get a bank to look
at me. It didnt seem to matter that Id had nearly a decade of
banking experience.
I interviewed with each of the top six public accounting firms, and I got offers from five of them. The only one that
didnt give me an offer was Arthur Andersen, and you know what
happened to those guys. I guess paper shredding wasnt in my
college curriculum.
So thats how I got into accounting. From the moment I
stepped into the profession, into my first job at a public accounting firm, I was like a bull in a china shop. They didnt know how
to take me, and I didnt know how to take them. Im surprised that
I survived four years at Price Waterhouse.
I left when I got a good evaluation but a lower percentage
salary increase than everyone else. We werent supposed to talk
about salary or the percentages, but everybody did. Im a pretty
aggressive person, so I met with the tax partner and asked him
why, point blank.
Pete, we hired you at a premium from Case Western
Reserve. We need to amortize that premium over a period of time
until youre ready to make manager so that youre in line with
everybody else.
13

improv is no joke

Okay, thats really motivating, I was thinking. Im not sure

what you really said other than some accounting gibberish, but
God I feel so loved now. I wanted to say: Did you happen to see
what you gave me on the performance evaluation? On a scale of
one to five, it was mostly fours, four and a half.
No matter. He must have seen my stunned look, because he
said: If you think you can find a job that pays more, go after it.
About three months later, I threw a Victorias Secret catalog
on his desk.
Whats this? he asked.
This is my new employer, I said, whos paying me 20
percent more. Oh, by the wayI am giving you my two weeks
notice starting now.

Coping through Comedy

It has always seemed to me that Ive never truly fit in. Being
adopted, I tended to feel that way. I joke with audiences that my
dad would often declare, Look, I bought you, I can sell you. He
didnt say that, but its good for a laugh.
I was a Greek American living in Lexington, Kentucky, in
the 1960s and 1970s. We celebrate Easter at a different time than
other people each year. Thats kind of hard for a kid to explain to
his friends, other than maybe to say: Yeah, were just cheap. We
want the discount on the chocolate bunnies with broken ears.
When I was in a fraternity in college, I told the others that I
wouldnt be moving back into the house the next year because I
was going to work on my grades. They told me they would kick
14

improv is no joke

me out if I did that, and they did. Who comes up with such
rules? In some states, its okay to ride a motorcycle without a
helmet, but youll get a ticket if you dont wear your seat belt. I
cant make connections like thatI guess I just dont fit in.
When I found comedy, I think it was a coping mechanism
although Im pretty well grounded, unlike a lot of comics. Like
Robin Williams, I found great joy in making people laugh. If I
get on a roll and people start laughing, I wont stop. Ill just keep
going until someone makes me stop. For some reason, though,
I didnt find it overly appealing to spend my time in a bar late at
night trying to make drunks laugh.
Today my hope is to get people to laugh and to think at
the same time. Mel Helitzer, who was a journalism professor at
Ohio University, once said: Its not whats taught at a university
but whats caught. And if we can get students mouths open for
laughter, we can slip in a little food for thought.
My teaching philosophy is similar: in order to educate,
you have to entertain if you want retention and if you want
outcomes. I think of myself as CEO of my own companythe
Chief Edutainment Ocer.
Nobody remembers the talking heads who just spew stuff
out in a monotone. We remember what makes us laugh and
when people tell us stories. We remember the pictures in our
head. But we dont remember somebody just spouting a bunch
of words.
I realized I could take my business knowledge and marry
it to a love of comedy and a love of learning. I wanted to draw
upon the skills and techniques for stand-up comedy, along with
15

improv is no joke

the completely different principles of improvisational comedy,

and blend them to see what happened. Id much rather talk to
people about things that affect their lives than give some highly
technical presentation. Ive done my share of those, too.
In the coming chapters, you will see the ways that I have
embraced improvisation in my business, personal, and professional
life. I have learned to trust myself in a lot of different positions,
in business and in life, and I feel as if I have a pretty good batting
average. Ive struck out sometimes, and a few times Ive been hit
by the pitcher. But Ive recovered just fine.
My father meant the world to me, but the man did not like
mistakes. If I spilled my milk, I might as well just call it a night. I
remember the time he went berserk when he caught my brother
making Jiffy Pop instead of regular popcorn. Such an indulgence
was a mistake.
You find out only later in life that if you dont make mistakes,
youre never going to grow. If you dont take risks, youre never
going to grow. Accepting failure is part of learning. The idea is to
try not to repeat those mistakesa very simple concept lost in the
corporate world, where blame is the Yes, but
A major lesson that I got from improv is that its okay to
make mistakes, learn from them, and just keep moving forward.
I have used improvisation in various aspects of my life to tackle
business challenges, to deal with health issues, and to learn to be a
better father and husband.

16

improv is no joke

Cocktails out Their Noses

When I worked at Victorias Secret, my colleagues knew I did
stand-up comedy and improv, so they asked me once to be the
opening act for an evening of entertainment at a leadership
retreat. The company had booked a sketch comedy troupe from
Columbus called Shadowbox.
I was eager to complyit would be fun to bring some humor
to the daily doings of the business. The company president, the
CFO, and a lot of vice presidents and senior managersbasically,
people who could fire mewould be there.
Two days before the show, I felt nervous. What was I doing?
In comedy, its a thin line between being a hero and being a bomb.
If I bombed, how would the bosses view me? I wondered if I might
lose my job.
And then I realized this was a classic case of my listening to
the inner criticthat infernal internal voice within each of us,
the one that natters and annoys and tries to convince us of our
failings. I needed a heathy dose of improv for my attitude. I was
telling myself a whole slew of what ifsall of them negative.
One of the themes that I have emphasized is courage, which,
in my mind, is another way of saying the capacity to accept risk.
We need to face our fears. So I thought: How about this for a
change? I will picture myself knocking it out of the park and the
next day at work theyre carrying me up and down the halls and
calling me the funniest thing since Seinfeld.
As it turned out, I performed for ten minutes to an appreciative crowd. Were talking belly laughs. Were talking cocktails
spewing out of noses. I was taking shots at the president of the
17

improv is no joke

company and at the CFO, and it was working. That night, one of
the senior managers called me to say, Pete, I think I just witnessed
a major piece of courage. You put yourself out there in front of
people who could fire you in a second, and you just slayed them
all.
That night, I believe, was my buy-in. Thats when I realized,
This stuff actually does work. I had gone into the lions den
and come out unscratched. I had employed the principles of both
stand-up and improvisation. I had written funny lines but not
offensive ones, and Id been prepared enough to make it all work.
The principles of improv had all come together. The risk had
yielded the reward.
Theres risk in everything we do, and improvisation involves
the ability to take risks while understanding that some things
wont work out. You have to accept the fact that you will failbut
through failure, you grow. If we just take the easy path, we miss
out on life. We dont put ourselves out there to explore what we
can do.
Im cautious about life-threatening risks, of course, but one
must consider the ramifications of all risks. Ive become much
stronger in my ability to assess them. Being an accountant is challenging, especially when you have ADHD and a bit of dyslexia. Its
like hiring Robin Williams to do your taxesgood mooorning,
IRS!
And yet I can say that I have never had so much fun since I
took the risk of starting my own business. At first, I just wanted to
talk about the soft skill topics. Then the economy fell apart, and
I moved toward the technical side, since accountants still needed
to get their continuing education. I adapted to the situation and
18

improv is no joke

shifted my business modelbut as soon as we came out of that

recession I moved back toward my true passion.

So Who Is This Guy?

So just who is this Peter Margaritis, anyway? When I pronounce
my last name, it sounds like a drink special in a Key West bar
owned by Jimmy Buffett. I much prefer that to the pronunciation
I often hear that rhymes with hepatitis, gingivitis, and laryngitis
I dont want people thinking they need to take a Z-Pak to hang
out with me.
At the airport recently in Columbus, the TSA agent
commented about my name: Well! I bet its always five oclock at
your house! As I moved onward in the line, I heard her explaining
to the next person: Yeah, can you believe it, his names Margaritislike the drink, you know? Margaritas!
In fact, when I check into a hotel, about 90 percent of the
time Ill hear a quick quip like Hey, hey, I bet youre quite the
partier! The clerk will smile while waiting for me to join in his
insight, and then speak more slowly: Margaritis. Wow. Wish I
were you.
Thats the first time Ive ever heard that, I respond, and we
both laugh. Sarcasm at its best.
I know a lot of the technical side of accounting, not taxes,
in all its excruciating detail, and all the left-brain stuff. But my
passion is the right-brain stuff, those soft skillsand thats what I
bring to audiences in my speaking engagements.

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improv is no joke

You can get tips on the balance sheet and tax advice in a
million places, but dont expect that in this book. Instead, I will
talk about what people truly need to know first. In my speaking
gigs, I discuss things such as leadership and creativity, communication and networking, public speaking, and professional
etiquette. Those might not be qualities that come first to mind
when describing the stereotypical CPA. But remember, I am The
Accidental Accountantand I know those qualities are essential
for anyone who hopes to build a clientele.
I have never been a CEO or a CFO, and I dont run a firm, but
I have chaired the executive board of the Ohio Society of CPAs
and Im hardly the typical person in that role. People wonder how
I got to such positions and where my skill set came from. Well,
I do have my masters in accountancy, and I do have my experience at Price Waterhouse and Victorias Secret. I have also been
an accounting professor. But to a large extent, my skills grew out
of my life experiences, as I have adapted to many challenges that
have played major roles in preparing me for what I do today.

The Improvisation Way of Life

When people hear about improvisation, they often think
of Drew Carey and company on the TV show Whose Line Is It
Anyway? or of the Second City troupes. But most can easily see
how they do improv themselves, every single day. To improvise
simply means, as the dictionary tells us, to compose and perform
on the spur of the moment and without any preparation. My
definition of improvisation is that everything is not made up and
the points do matter. Good improvisers must draw upon their
20

improv is no joke

wealth of knowledge to adapt to a variety of situations. Without

that knowledge, they have nothing. Its the same in the business
world. You have to have knowledge and experiences in order to
improv your way to success.
At a recent presentation, my audience included people from
Germany and from Brazil. A Brazilian came up to me during a
break and said, Youve presented improvisation in a positive way,
but in my country it is deemed to be negative. I was having a
hard time with his accent, but he seemed to be telling me that
in his culture, work was a humorless duty. You showed me that
its okay, he said. Improvisation is not about jokes, not about
slapstick and hilarity.
Thats right. Its a way of life. Sure, its good for comedy.
Improvisation can generate a million jokesand thats a cool byproduct of the process. But it goes far beyond comedy, and my
hope is that the readers of this book will recognize ways to apply
improv in their lives.
Improvisation is going with the flow. The day never goes
quite as expected. The phone rings, or theres a knock at the door,
and you rearrange your plans. You make decisions on the spur
of the moment. Yes, it requires a change in scheduleand thats
hard for a lot of people. It causes them friction and stress, and
communications break down.
If you accept the fact that change is going to happen, you
can adapt and adjust. You can take the yes, and attitude of
opportunity or the yes, but attitude of defeat. You could say:
Yes, but why is this happening to poor me? or Yes, but I dont
have time for this. Or you could say: Yes, and now I get to do
this! In other words, yes, and is positive in nature. Its not
21

improv is no joke

a downer. Its a way of celebrating the possibilities in life without

letting the doubts crush you.
Some peopleand accountants in particularare very
linear in their thinking and dont like surprises. They dont want
anything to disrupt their day. But they have to accept it. They can
choose their attitude, positive or negativebut let me assure you,
you will go further with a positive attitude.
A speaker named Nobby Lewandowski once told me that
attitude is an acronym for all the time, integrity, tenacity, understanding, determination, and enthusiasm. Its a far more pleasant
way of life.

Listening with a Group Mind

Improvisation is about teaching your mind to explore different
directions rather than getting stuck on one track. Thats a concept
from the book Improv Yourself: Business Spontaneity at the Speed of
Thought, by Joseph A. Keefe.
We need to listen to truly understand instead of listening
to respond. To have a truly engaging conversation, you have to
park your agenda. When you can do that, you can truly listen
and respond to what the other person is saying. The conversation
grows much richer. You are focusing on the other person instead
of thinking about what you want to say next.
Lets say a CPA has a client across the table who is pouring
out his angst about whats keeping him up at night. The client is
making it clear what he needs and wants, but the CPA is thinking
of which services he might provide and is waiting for his opening.
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improv is no joke

Well, he tells the long-faced client, we have this new product

here that weve developed
The client wonders whether the CPA was listening to him
and he wasnt. He was waiting to deliver a sales pitch. Far better
if he could have put those products and services to the side and
truly heard his clients wants and needs and asked questions to
learn more about them. A real conversation results in a meeting of
minds. Thats the way to a genuine saleone thats a real fit.
Improvisation actors understand the concept of group
mind. Thats when they develop a relationship with the other
actors on stage, with whom they have performed before, perhaps
for years. They know what the others are going to do. They know
how theyre going to react. It still involves close listening skills, but
the actors can adapt more quickly.
Sports teams can develop that kind of ability to think in
concert. So can couples. Ive been married for 19 years, and we
have been together for 21 years. There are times when we can have
conversations with our eyes. That is a high level of improvisation.
Whether on a team or in a marriage, thats the kind of group mind
that works wonders.

Back into the Fireand Out

In 2005, I was a professor at Ohio Dominican University and was
helping to place students in various jobs. They were getting paid a
lot more than I was, but at least I had summers off. One day I said
to myself, I want to get back into the game. I want to go back
into public accounting. I resigned from the university at the end
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improv is no joke

of the fall term and started full time as a tax manager for a largesized CPA firm in Columbus.
I had been teaching tax but not really at the corporate or
partnership level. My role at this firm was supposed to be much
more than just a tax accountant. I believed I was going to help
with the education and mentoring of the younger staff. But that
was not the case. This was going to be primarily a technical tax
position.
I started January 2 and was thrown right into the fire. It soon
became obvious that technically I was in way over my head. By
early March, I was starting to see work go around me, not through
me. I went into the partners oce and had one of those critical
but uncomfortable conversations that accountants, in particular,
really dont like to have.
I know Im in over my head, I said, and I know that youre
pushing work around me. We can do one of two things. We can
say this was a bad experiment and I can leave now, or you can keep
me on, and I can help you in some way, shape, or form get through
April 15, and then well go our separate ways. The partners agreed
to the latter path, and by June of 2006 I left the firm.
I had taken a huge risk by going back into that environment
after more than ten years out of public accounting. But I dont
look at it as a failure. I learned a lot about the mentality and angst
today in accounting firms, which has helped me to tailor some of
my programs.
It was a rich experience. I learned a lot about myself. Im not
the type of person who wants to keep track of every six minutes
of the day and charge a client for it. I also understand more about
24

improv is no joke

how people think and operate in a CPA oce and what the
partners, managers, and staff are facing. Ive been able to take all
that away and build it into my programming.
Those insights were a victory for me. Communication skills
have become increasingly critical in the accounting profession,
even more than analytical skills. CPA firms have been doing
things the same way for a long time. They say theyve changed,
but actually they havent. If I were building a firm today, I would
make sure I had technical people, of course, but I would want
more people with the ability to communicate, interact, network,
sell, and present.
When first-year staff members come on board at a CPA
firm, theyre inundated. Stuff is coming at them at 100 miles an
hour. Nobody is teaching them. I have developed a curriculum
that I call Backpack to briefcase: A transition from college senior
to first-year staff, based on an idea from a good friend, Paul
Weisinger. The course addresses things that nobody talks about
but that everyone needs to know, such as professional etiquette.
That doesnt mean where to put the knife and the fork. Its about
communicating within an organization. Its about dealing with
policies. Its about dressing properly, the risks of oce romance,
and using cell phones and sending emails.
Getting an education requires more than passing an exam.
You need to meet people. Networking these days is not just about
LinkedIn. You still have to go face to face and toe to toe with
others. Thats the only way you can get a gut feelingthe only
way you will know whether to back away or draw nearer. You
dont get that feeling online. You need to be eyeball to eyeball to
develop a sense of professional skepticism.
25

improv is no joke

Id seen many new hires come in. Theyd be shown the

accounting software and the files and how to conduct an audit
or compile a tax return. It became clear to me that they werent
getting some of those critical communication skillsand I knew
that my curriculum was moving in the right direction.
That direction has been harder to maintain in recessionary
times. Its hard enough to get CPAs and accountants to recognize
a return on investment for soft skills courses. But I counter with
this: Whats the return on investment if your people cant communicate? If they need an acronym to understand, then I ask what is
the RONIrisk of not investing. Sometimes I hear the argument
that people are going to leave anyway, so why pay for anything but
technical training? That was the thinking of decades pastand
it means that your next round of hires will be leaving you, too,
because you arent willing to invest in their overall career.
In the book The Second Machine Age, authors Brynjolfsson
and McAfee discuss how computing power doubles every 18 to 24
months (Moores law) and the implications thereof. In 2015, there
are cars that drive themselves and 3-D printers that can crown
a tooth in two hours instead of two weeks. The authors state
that repetitive jobs will be replaced by machines. Just look what
Amazon did in automating the shipping process through robotics,
which helped increase eciency in their warehouses in 2014. The
accounting profession has a lot of repetitive processes. The authors
state that the way to beat the machine is through communication,
collaboration, and creativity.
My goal, in the accounting profession, is to change the conversation to recognize that communication skills are in a lot of
ways much more important to society than solid analytics. If you
26

improv is no joke

cant communicate without using accountant-speak, your client

may never know what you are talking about. You will sound to
them like Charlie Browns teacherwaa waa wo waa waa
Thats what I really learned from that foray back into public
accounting. I worked hard every day, but it didnt work out.
Afterward, I wished I could have stayed and done something else
there. Had I succeeded, however, I probably would be beating my
head against a walland I would not be doing what I do today.
Through that setback, I discovered a new path, on which I can
emphasize the lessons and skills that matter most if accountants
want to do well with their clients.
Lifes a journey. Some of the steps we take might not make
sense until later, when we see the reason. I truly believe that many
of my life experiencesmy restaurant and banking and professorial days, for examplewere meant to set me up for what Im
doing today. There was a reason I was doing that stuff.
I wouldnt trade any of it. I am living my passion. We all have
different dreams. If someones dream is to make managing partner
in an accounting firm, I say go for it. Do whatever it takes to get
there. Start your own firm if you must. Figure out the risks, and
do what is necessary to get the reward.
I dont think Ive ever seen you this happy before, my wife
has been telling me for several years now. That wasnt what she saw
when I was playing the corporate game. That just wasnt me.

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improv is no joke

Rolling with the Changes

My life changed the day I recognized the principles of improv
and yes, and and began applying them day in and day out. It
hasnt happened overnight, but it has really allowed me to do what
I want to do.
I have found that there are a lot of prima donnas in the
speaking business. Some people can be tough to work with. I try
to stay low-key, and its a quality that others appreciate. I can lose
my cool, but I try very hard to maintain control. I try to adapt to
any situation.
I flew into Los Angeles recently for three days of webcasts
in Glendaleand on my way there I got an email saying I was
actually supposed to have been sent to Irvine, an hour away in the
other direction. I just went to the hotel in Glendale and waited
until those involved figured it out, and it worked out fine.
You were so low-key about it, my client told me later. You
just adapt to almost any situation.
Thats what I try to do. I could have thrown a hissy fit about
that scheduling snafu, but Id rather roll with the changes, as
REO Speedwagon put it. We need to learn to adapt.
Ive been rolling with unexpected turns my whole career. Ive
been a restaurant manager. I was a headhunter for a time. I repossessed cars. I was a banker. I was an accountant for a big four
accounting firm. I worked for Victorias Secret CatalogueI used
to tell people I worked in womens underwear every day. I was a
university professor. Ive adjusted to changes inside and outside
the profession of accounting, and today Ive found my niche. Im
an entrepreneur.
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improv is no joke

In the chapters ahead, well take a closer look at some of those

soft skills that are my passion. Well examine the nature of improvisationand what it is not.
Heres what it is not: Improvisation is not making stuff up
out of thin air, and its far more than just a way to come up with
a million jokesalthough good improvisers are funny. Its not
about disorder and stalling. Those are the negative connotations
that the gentleman from Brazil must have had in mind.
Rather, improvisation is about assessing the needs of a
situation by listening, understanding, adapting, and taking action
to address issues as they arise. To be good at improv, you need to
understand your strengths and weaknesses and be able to operate
in confusing situations. By listening and focusing, you can cut
through that chaos and find clarity. And you have to be willing to
take risks. You need to avail yourself of opportunities and avoid
excuses as to why you think things wont work out.
Improvisation is the ability to think on your feet, adapt to
any situation, and make your teammates look good. You might
not think of yourself as part of a team, but if you work for an organization, thats a team. If youre in a department, thats a team. In
other words, its not just about you, and that is particularly true
for leaders.
I think back again to the day we brought Stephen home from
the hospital. My wife had read a lot of books about raising a child,
but we still had to think on our feet in the throes of projectile
vomiting and toxic diapers. We adapted to a colicky child. We had
to trust, support, respect, focus, listen, adapt, and use the power
of yes, and every single day.

29

Chapter 1 Takeaways
The principles of improvisation are
supporting, trusting, respecting,
focusing, listening, and adapting.
The glue to improvisation are these two
powerful words of yes, and, which
inspire, motivate, and help keep things
moving in the right direction.
Yes, and is about agreement,
not about always agreeing.
How can you begin to incorporate the principles of improvisation
into your daily life?

chapter 2

Yes, and

i, my name is Becky, and Im a stand-up

comedian. Ive performed at Jokers
Comedy Club, said one of my classmates
as we introduced ourselves at the improvi-

sation workshop.

Hi, my name is Craig, said another, and Im an actor. Ive

been in some off-Broadway plays.
And then it was my turn. Hi, my name is Pete. Im a CPA.
Oh yeah? someone said. So what show did you play that
on?
No, I didnt play it on a show, I explained. I really am a
CPA.
Everyone tilted their heads in a Scooby-Doo type moment:
Erruh? I know they were all thinking, Heh, hehnerd! I was
just hoping they might like me for something other than free tax
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improv is no joke

advice. This was my first experience with improv, and I wanted to

fit in.
Each of us was asked to participate in a scene. My first partner
was Craig, who pretended he was casting a fishing line. What a
great day to go fishing! he told me.
Craig, were not fishing. Were riding a horse at the Kentucky
Derby. I thought that was clever.
Hold on, stop, stop, the instructor said and addressed me:
What you just did, CPA man, was you negated his reality.
Negated his what, dude?
Yeah, Craig told us that he was doing something and you
said no, he wasnt. You negated his reality. Now, you and Craig do
that scene again.
I didnt recall saying no, but I was game for another shot at it.
What a great day to be fishing! Craig exclaimed.
Craig, were sitting by the pool, bathing in some rays.
Stop! the teacher shouted. Pete, take a break, okay? Sit
down and watch everybody, and next week well let you try again.
On the sidelines, I sat watching and thinking. I can do this,
I told myself. I know I can. I told myself I would do something
that those loosey-goosey left-wing normal actors would never
think about doing. Should I boycott Bill Maher? Not a bad idea,
but no, not that.
Instead, I was going to master this by researching improvisational comedy and learning everything I could about it. I was
going to read up on Steve Carrell, Tina Fey, and John Belushi and
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improv is no joke

put all the data into an Excel spreadsheet. I would create tables,
sprinkle in a couple of VLOOKUPs, and then find the standard
deviation of their individual functions. This accountant was going
to see exactly what added up to success at improvisational comedy.
So I showed up the next time thinking, I got my data, Ive
memorized the routines. I had figured out that they had ten laughs
per minute. So I divided that by 60 to come up with a 0.1667
laughs per second. Then I consolidated it, put it on a spreadsheet,
and committed it to memory. This was just like studying for the
CPA exam. I was going to blow them away.
My turn came to do a scene with Becky. She was bending
over slightly, both hands going in a circular motion.
Its going to take me all day to wax this car, she said.
I thought of all those Belushi sketches Id watched and all
that Id crammed into my head in the past week.
Waxing a car, really? I said. Were short-order cooks at the
Olympian Restaurant in Chicago. Cheeseburger, cheeseburger,
cheeseburger! No fries or chips. No Coke or Pepsi. Or wait! Were
the Killer Bees of Saturday Night!
Stop! the teacher ordered. You are negating again, and you
are not listening.
I am not negating, I protested.
Try it again, Peter. But this time come into the scene without
an agenda, without pushing your ideas onto someone else. Just use
what the other person gives you, nothing else. Trust, Peter, trust.
Okay, I thought, Ill do it his way, and hell see how
unfunny that is. I have the data, Ive done the research.
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improv is no joke

Becky bent and again made circles with her hands. Its going
to take me all day to wax this car, she said.
Yes, and let me grab a towel and help you finish before it
rains, I said.
She said, Lets have some fun and get into a rhythm like in
The Karate Kid.
Wax on! I said. Wax off, said she. Wax on, wax off, wax
on, wax off. We joined in the rhythmand I saw that it wasnt
me who was getting laughs. We were getting laughs, working as a
team.
The teacher was standing offstage, clapping, as was the rest
of the class. And then I got it. I absolutely got it. The key to connecting with another person was to drop my agenda and listen.
Success was not about me. Success was about us.

Listening to Understand
I often ask audiences this question: Do you listen to respond, or
do you listen to understand? Then I pause, and the looks I see on
peoples faces seem to say, Oh, theres a difference?
When someone is talking, how often are people not really
listening but rather just waiting for their chance to say what they
know? Hurry up and finish, they are thinking, because Im the
one with something profound to say.
Thats listening to respond versus listening to understand.
The latter requires you to put your agenda to the side, listen to
what the other person is saying, and pause to gather your thoughts
34

improv is no joke

or let the other person reflect. Then you can ask a question or
perhaps say something more pertinent to the conversation.
Good salespeople do this all the time. They listen to the wants
and needs expressed by their potential customer or client, they ask
some questions to better understand those desires, and then they
adapt a response to meet them. But many salespeople just know
their pitch. They have a new product or service and cant wait to
talk about all the advantages and featuresand their prospects
end up looking elsewhere for someone who will listen to them.
Weve all been there. One salesperson begins blathering away,
and we glaze over. Another actually engages us, gets us to think
twice, and scoresbecause that one actually seems to care about
the other human being in the conversation. The customer feels a
sense of trust, which tends to lead to a purchase. Nobody is eager
to buy from someone spewing forth some well-practiced patter.
We tune out people like that.
I once was pitching a proposal for a creativity course to a man
Id known a long time, a managing partner in his firm. We had
been talking about this for many months, and he liked the course
plan that I had written. I like what youre doing, Pete, he said,
and how its laid out, but Im just a little nervous stepping over
that cliff and going down this path with my partners.
Well, tell you what, Im doing this course with a firm in New
Jersey next week, I told him. Ill give you my contact persons
information, and after I do this course Ill send you the evaluations, too. See what you think, and then well talk.
Pete, I told you I liked the course, he said, surprised. I was
expecting you to say, Ill send you a proposal tomorrow.
35

improv is no joke

But thats not what I heard you say, I explained. You said
you were nervous about bringing this to your partners. I heard
everything you were telling me, not just the part I wanted to hear.
I heard exactly that he was saying, even when he wasnt hearing
himself. Thats what it means to listen to understand. When you
are hearing more than your own words, you pick up on peoples
signals.
Listening well and communicating effectively are critical
skills in every aspect of our lives, both personal and business. Such
moments opened my eyes to deeper relationships. I have learned
to listen better and to appreciate others. Id been applying some of
those skills instinctively, but there was so much more to grasp. It
took a while for it to sink in, and it takes a while to change.

Mr. Know-It-All
A common game used to develop improvisational listening skills
is called Mr. Know-It-All. It helps people to drop their agenda,
listen, and focusto be in the moment.
In the game, I ask for three volunteers and put them in three
chairs facing the audience. Together, these people are Mr. KnowIt-All, I say, and can answer any questionbut just one word at
time. To demonstrate, I ask: Why is the sky blue? I tap the first
persons shoulder, then the next and the next, and each provides
a word as they attempt to construct a sentence to answer my
question.
Theskyisbluebecause, they begin, and by then
each volunteer is invariably forming an agenda for how they
think the statement should proceed. When a player says a word
36

improv is no joke

that doesnt fit that agenda, the others get flustered and have to
scramble for a response.
As a result, the sentence tends to ramble in ridiculous directions. So what happened here? I ask, and someone usually
explains it this way: Well, I had an idea in mind, but this guy
next to me said a different word, and it threw me down a different
path, and I didnt know what to do.
Lets try it again, I say, and this time dont have anything
in your head. Just listen to what the other person says, and then
build off of it to make the sentence as accurateand maybe as
funnyas it can be. It takes a couple times, but it works. They
begin to listen to understand, not just to respond. They drop their
agendas. They stop trying to control how they want this thing to
go.
Its interesting to see them have that aha! moment. When I
do this exercise at speaking engagements, I usually ask the first two
questions and then solicit one from the audience. Anyone have
a question for Mr. Know-It-All? I ask. Once, a woman stood up
in the back of the room and called out, Why do men cheat?
The three volunteers began like this: Becausewe can..., at
which point I quickly announced, Game over! Mr. Know-It-All
doesnt need to become Dr. Phil.

The Eyes Can Listen

We need to learn to listen with our eyes as well as our ears. Perhaps
you have had this happen to you at a networking event: Someone
introduces himself and asks a question, and as soon as you start to
answer you can see that his eyes are scoping out the next victim.
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improv is no joke

He might be nodding, but you dont feel any real eye contact; its
as if hes looking through you. The eyes are the windows to the
soul, and they reveal so muchincluding a lack of interest.
In improv, you learn about listening with the eyes. You have
to carefully observe your surroundings. Unless you understand
your scene, how can you adapt and respond appropriately?
You need to listen with your ears, to understand, and also
listen to your physical environment. By listening with your eyes,
you can gain the greater context. What is the body language that
other people use? Are they engaged, or are their eyes glazing over?
You need to know so that you can adapt and not lose them for
good.
Listening with your eyes can include looking for details that
can become points of connection. For example, when I meet with
someone in their oce, I do a quick inventory of the decor to find
points on which to bond. I see youre a Reds fan, for example,
or The Browns have luck on their sidebad luck. Or, I see you
have three daughters. I just look for some little thing to help me
make a quick connection and learn a little bit more.

Two Words That Changed My Life

The two words that truly changed my life are yes, and As you
read the stories in this book, you no doubt are seeing that those
two words in some way play a role in all of them. They are words
that keep conversations going. They inspire people and spur creativity. They help to overcome resistance and fears and lead to
a meeting of minds, and as such they are valuable words to use
during negotiations.
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improv is no joke

We live in a yes, but society. In a restaurant, you might

hear the wait staff saying, Yes, but this is not my section, or Yes,
but Im getting ready to go on break. Those two words are far
from inspiring. In fact, they deflate, and they kill creativity.
I often play the yes, and game with audiences. It goes
something like this: The first participant announces, Yes, Im
a walrus. The next person might say, Yes, youre a walrus, and
youve got some really big whiskers. And another person says,
Yes, you do have really big whiskers, and youve got a big tusk.
And we go down that path. Or another scenario: Yes, I love
to play golf on Saturdays. The next person says, Oh, I love to
play golf on Saturdays. And then I love to come home and sit on
the patio. Oh, yes, I love sitting on the patio and petting my
chocolate lab. Oh, yes, I love picking the fleas out of her fur and
squishing them.
And so while playing this game, each participant starts off
finding a level of agreement with what the preceding person said,
then steers the story down a completely different path through
improvisation. It always elicits a lot of laughs.
The concept of yes, and is about being agreeable. Its not
about agreeing, but its about continuing the conversation. That
concept is central to Whose Line Is It Anyway? The actors find a
point of agreement and then move onward from there.
Yes, you can try that at home, kids. Or at work. If a colleague
suggests an idea, you might say, Yes, and we could explore that
idea and see if we could get it in the budget next year, rather than
Yes, but theres just no money to do that. Even if you dont ultimately agree on a way to make the idea fly, you at least have been
agreeable, and thereby you have shown respect and support for
39

improv is no joke

your associate. You are promoting an atmosphere of acceptance

and possibilities, not one of rejection and defeat. The workplace
culture thrives. It becomes one of inspiration, not deflation.
People arent thinking, Why bother suggesting anything, because
nobody wants to hear it. They are thinking, This is a place where
ideas are welcome.

Silencing the Inner Critic

Your inner critic will gnaw away at your confidence and slow
you down. You might want to apply for a leadership position, for
example, and the inner critic says you just dont have what it takes.
I was attending the Ohio Society of CPAs annual members
summit and listening to the chair of the executive board talk about
the society and the state of the profession.
I began thinking, I want to be chair of the OSCPAbut the
inner critic spoke up to try to talk me out of it. Yes, you want to
be the chair, but you dont have the credentials for the position.
Yes, but youre not a managing partner, and youre not even in a
firm. Yes, but you have only been in the profession for 20 years.
With my newfound confidence, I replaced yes, but with
yes, and, and some amazing things began to happen. Yes,
I want to be the chair, and I need to volunteer more and make
myself more visible. Yes, and I need to chair some committees.
Yes, and I need to get to know the staff and the CEO better. Yes,
and
To make a long story very short, as a result of my attitude
shift and developing a plan and a strategy, I was installed as chair
40

improv is no joke

of the executive board of the OSCPA in June 2010. I just found a

different way to achieve that goaland that way was through the
power of yes, and
Im not a managing partner of an accounting firm. Im not even
a senior manager. Im not a CFO. Im not a controller of a company.
Im not an SVP in some bank. Im just me. Im this guy who came
into the accounting profession late in life and who has a different
view on management and leadership. Im a guy who adopted and
embraced the concept of yes, and and who believes he can do
anything as long as he remembers those two words.
And so if the voice of the inner critic is yes, but, then the
means to silence that voice is yes, and... Some people try to drown
out the sound of their inner critic by developing an ego that is twice
as loud. Far better to insist on listening to the possibilities. Why
shoot down someones ideas? Let those flowers grow. Yes, and
is the fertilizer for creativity. Yes, but stunts and kills it.

Yes, You Can Fly

A couple weeks after my initial experience at the improvisation
class, my four-year-old son came up to me and said, Hey, Dad,
can I fly around the house in my Superman cape?
No! You kidding me? Who knows what youre going to
break, I said. Youre going to make the dogs crazy. Just sit down
and watch TV.
I watched him walk over to the television, his head bowed, his
shoulders slumpedand I realized that I hadnt listened to him.
I had shot down his playfulness. I started to realize, for the first
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improv is no joke

time, how much I negate other peoples ideas. I had been doing it
with my family, my son, my in-laws, my clients, associates, bosses,
peers, the dry cleaner, and the Starbucks barista.
I was trying to control everything. I realized I was trying so
hard to get things to go my way that Id been stepping over people,
negating, and not valuing their contributions. And Id been doing
that for quite a while with my son. It was time for a healthy dose
of yes, and
Hey, Stephen! I called after him. Yes, you can fly around
the house in your Superman capeyes, and I will be Lex Luthor,
hiding from you! His eyes widened, he smiled broadly, and we
played Superman versus Lex Luthor for the next half hour.

42

Chapter 2 Takeaways
Yes, and will silence your inner critic.
Yes, and will help you achieve your dreams.
Listening requires the use of your ears and
your eyes and parking your agenda.
ChallengeI challenge you to use yes, and and eliminate
yes, but You can do this with your department, your team,
and your family. Keep a yes, but jar visible, and anytime
someone uses yes, but they have to put a dollar in the jar.
After 21 days the contributions to the yes, but jar will have
slowed dramatically, and you can donate the money to charity or
take your group out for a celebration.

chapter 3

Its Who
You Know

n the fall of 2008, I was teaching full time at Ohio

Dominican University in Columbus and was beginning to
move my speaking business from the soft skills to the more
technical aspects of accounting. The soft skills were less in
demand because of the recession.
I had mentioned this to Clarke Price, who was chief executive
ocer of the Ohio Society of CPAs, and he suggested that I attend
a conference in February 2009 of the state CPE (continuing professional education) directors from the East Coast. He said that
this would be a great networking venue, so I got the information
and signed up for the conference.
I knew only two people in attendanceClarke and Boyd
Search, who was the vice president of education and training at

45

improv is no joke

the OSCPA. Clarke and Boyd introduced me around, and for two
and a half days I talked with people, looking for opportunities.
One of those introductions would have a profound impact
on my business. I was introduced to Pam Devine of the Business
Learning Institute, the learning aliate of the Maryland Association of CPAs. I told her that I taught technical accounting courses
and specialized in international financial reporting standards
(IFRS) and that I was building a course at ODU. I was focusing
on the international financial reporting standards that, to date,
have yet to be incorporated in the United States. (In 2012, I
published an article titled Is IFRS the New Metric System in
the United States?) Pam was curious and took my card and my
Twitter handle.
Around April, I got a tweet from Pam asking whether I was
available in June and to give her a call. She needed an instructor
to teach two eight-hour courses on IFRS. The instructor who had
been scheduled for the courses had been fired, and she needed a
replacement.
This was not an area that a lot of people understood, but she
knew that I was involved in the course at Ohio Dominican. You
would have to develop your own materials, she said. You would
have to put your own slide show together, your own PowerPoints.
Youll have to put all of that together because all of our thought
leaders create their own content.
I accepted the opportunity. She asked how the course at
ODU was coming along, and I assured her that all was well with
it. After I hung up the phone, I turned to my wife and told her I
needed to go into full lockdown mode until June. I hadnt started
anything with the course at ODU.
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improv is no joke

I had to build this all from scratch within two months, and
I did. That June, I delivered two days of presentations, and I
was able to use my humor and technical knowledge. I got good
reviews from the attendees. In fact, those reviews have resulted
in the Business Learning Institute/Maryland Association of CPAs
becoming my largest client. The experience has opened a lot
of doors for me and really helped to launch my business. They
vouched for me with the American Institute of CPAs, and I now
am an AICPA instructor.
If I hadnt gone to that conference, Im not sure where I would
be now. But I took the risk, I was adaptable, and I got the gig.
All that networking started through my relationship with
Clarke and Boyd and their willingness to introduce me to others.
It was through networking that I had met Clarke originally. Back
in 2002, when I was program chair for accounting at Franklin
University, I had been talking to Steve Martinnot the wild and
crazy guy but a smart and accomplished guy who had a top-notch
CPA exam review course that he wanted me to introduce to my
students. Steve was also the attorney for the OSCPA and knew
Clarke, so I told him Id like to meet Clarke. Steve scheduled a
lunch for the three of us. Later, I learned that Clarke, wondering
who I was, had called Gary Previts, who had granted me my provisional enrollment at Case Western. Gary must have said some
good thingsthanks, Gary.
At the conference, Clarke and Boyd vouched for me, and I
know people went up to them and asked about me. I had been
doing some programming for the Ohio Society, speaking at conferences and volunteering, and this was just before I became the

47

improv is no joke

incoming chair. It kept mushrooming from that. I try every year

to attend that conference. The trip pays for itself and then some.

Power of Knowing Somebody

Networking is essential in todays business world, yet it can have
a negative connotation. You just got here because you knew
somebody, people think, or they say it outright. Ive heard people
tell others that they got a job because they brownnosed. True,
someone might have helped them open the doorbut why would
that in any way be wrong?
Sometimes, at a business conference, I sense that people are
reluctant to introduce themselves and chat with others. Why?
They perceive the other attendees as strangersand mother always
said, Dont talk to strangers. But these dont tend to be the type
of strangers she was talking about. These are people you need to
meetso how do you meet them? You stick out your hand, tell
them your name, and smile. Simple as that.
This is a matter of respect. At conferences, I actually have
walked away from people when they were looking over my head
for their next victim and really not listening to what I was saying.
Theyre appalled, and so I ask them: Can you tell me the last
three things that I said? They dont know, because they werent
listening to me. If I cannot look people in the eye throughout
a conversationfor example, when they approach me as Im
packing up after a presentationI reassure them that I am still
listening. Again: Its a matter of respect.
I believe that networking is one of the most important of skill
sets. I try to look at every opportunity as a networking opportu48

improv is no joke

nity to meet somebody. Nobody gets to where they want to be on

their own. Has there ever been a president, for example, who got
to that height by avoiding people? I know I needed the help of
others to become chair of the executive board. We all have to have
pools of people we can draw on to help us. Can you help me?
Can you put me in contact with someone who can do this? For
instance, a colleague of mine named Jerry Esselstein introduced
me to two of his clients who I ultimately got some work from.
It takes effort, of course. I tell people, Take the net and
the ing out of the word networking and what do you get? Work.
Thats what it is. Its not 9 to 5, but it is work nonetheless.

One Never Knows

You never know what might happen when you meet somebody.
At times we turn away from such opportunities. I dont want to
do that, we tell ourselves. I dont want to go out there.
When I was chair of the executive board, I got a call from the
Ohio Society staff asking me if I would take three speakers out
to dinner who were in town to deliver a seminar the next day on
international accounting and global standards.
My gut reaction was that I didnt really want to do it. I dont
know these guys, I told myself, but I might as well, because you
never know. I told my wife that the dinner was at 6:30 and Id be
home by 8:30 at the latest.
One of the speakers was a professorial type from Georgia, and
another was from Connecticut. I was interested in the topics of
their talksbut I didnt expect an evening of laughter and banter.
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improv is no joke

The three of us hit it off. We didnt know one another from Adam,
and yet the comfort was immediate, as if we were old friends. The
conversation gelled immediately. We laughed and shared stories
until closing time, sometime close to midnight, when the manager
told us, Guys, its time for you to leave. Its getting lateand
besides, you dont have a high enough bar tab to be having this
much fun.
I was right: You never know. One of those gentlemen became
a client of mine. A nice revenue stream opened. If I had blown off
that evening, I would never have met him. Cecil Nazereth had a
business called IFRS Partners, and he was putting on webinars.
He asked whether I would be interested in doing some webinars
for his company and maybe cofacilitate in a few with him. I
agreedand that was a revenue stream for about two and a half
years. Cecil introduced me to some others as well, and we cofacilitated for some large organizations, such as CCH, a Wolters
Kluwer business, and on webinars.
We all reach that point in time when we ask, Do I have to
go? Do I want to go? We hem and haw (just like the two characters in Who Moved My Cheese) and risk missing out. I just know
that Im glad that I went to that dinner and met those gentlemen.
Not only was it a good time, but it was time well spent.

Where a Handshake Might Lead

You need to focus on relationships. You need to step out there,
into new territory, and get to know people. Thats what leads to
friendships, which are important in themselves. And, of course,

50

improv is no joke

friendships often open the door to opportunities. When you

shake a hand, you never know where it might lead.
Opportunities present themselves when you take the yes,
and approach and step out to take risks.
Some people are naturally shy, but if you use the principles
of improvisation, you can get over that, and the opportunities will
come flooding in. I am by nature a very shy person. When I tell
this to people, they start laughing, as if to say, Sure you are, funny
man. But its true.
I was very shy in school. My son is shy, too, and so I understand how he is feeling. I realized that I needed to get past the
shyness. To this day, when I enter a room of people I dont know,
I feel the shyness within me. My inner critic starts whispering,
and so I tell it, Yes, and go away! I tell myself that I can do
this. People arent going to look at me and go screaming into the
nightat least not until they get to know me.
The yes, and approach gets you past the wall so that
you can say hello to someone new. Again, I try to look for every
opportunity to meet people. Sometimes that can be a challenge on
an airplane. People tend to feel harried and tired on long tripsso
if an attempt at conversation is met with a grunt, I wont push it.
Otherwise, why not try? Theyre certainly not going to run very
far on an airplane. Ive experienced it both ways. I was on a flight
recently from Norfolk, Virginia, to Baltimore, and my throat was
tired after three days of speaking. I sat down next to a lady in her
80s. We exchanged hellos. So I listened to her stories. She just
wanted to talk, and what harm was there in that? I wanted to show
her respect.

51

improv is no joke

Weve all known it to happen: You meet somebody, and you

strike a chord, and one of you says: You know. I know somebody
you might be interested in meeting. Thats what breaks down
shynessif you can learn to respect and trust yourself.

Smiles Open Doors

Several years ago, I took a training course with a New York
company called Mind Gym. One morning we were working on
voice and movement. An actor named Craig Wroehe has been
in some episodes of Law & Order and was in an off-Broadway play
at the timecame in to see us.
Okay, one at a time each of us is going to leave this conference room and then walk back in and tell us a story about the first
person you ever kissed romantically. The first student complied,
and she began to tell her story.
Stop, stop, stop! Craig said. I need you to smile.
I am smiling, she said, but you couldnt tell from her face.
Go back out and come in again. She did. Same thing.
Craig took her aside, and we watched as he said something to
her, a short conversation. She then left the room and tried it yet
again. This time her face was bright. She was smiling all over as
she began her presentation. What just happened? the rest of us
were wondering.
When you need to smile, Craig explained to us, Ive got
a surefire way that you can use to make it happen. Tell yourself, I
love you. Just those three wordsbut say it in a Southern accent.
And see if you can stop yourself from smiling!
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improv is no joke

I pass on this tip to others all the time, and I give Craig credit
for it every single time. I tell people to make sure they dont say
it out loud at the oce, though, or somebody will get human
resources involved or something.
The simple combination of networking and smiling is much
more powerful than people realize. A smile attracts people to you.
That opens up opportunities. Its not as if you are faking it and just
glad-handing people and forcing yourself on them. People truly
appreciate a smile. You will make it big in life when you naturally
want to be around people with great ideas and great prospects.
Its yet one more beautiful lesson from the world of improvisation, which really is just the art of reaching out to other people
and thinking in terms of our common humanity. Thats what will
draw people to you. They will know when you are authentic.
Do you know how you can tell whether someone is genuinely
smiling? Look for the crows feet at the outer corners of their eyes.
If the smile is fake, you dont see those. Ive always thought that
womens wrinkles can be very attractive, particularly the ones that
radiate from the eyes. Thats a sign that they have smiled a lot.
If the wrinkles are in the right place, why use Botox? You might
want to hide the ones that indicate a lot of frowning and scowling,
but be proud of those crows feet.

Opportunities for Others

In 2003, while I was teaching accounting at Ohio Dominican
University, I realized that I was working with a talented pool of
students. This was when the financial community was dealing
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improv is no joke

with the fallout from the Enron scandal and the new regulations
of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
My seniors were looking for opportunities. Employment in
accounting firms was increasing, although far more firms were
recruiting at Ohio State University than at my school. While I was
attending a seminar, I met the tax partner at Deloitte in Columbus,
who gave me the name of the companys college recruiter.
I met the recruiter for lunch and brought her the resume of
one of my students, Bryce Burkhardt. Youre not going to go
wrong with this guy, I told her. He is sharp. Deloitte ended up
hiring him. It was the first time a big four accounting firm had
hired from ODUand one of his first jobs was to teach Deloitte
associates in India. It was a huge opportunity, and, to date, he is
still there and a manager.
The next year, after Deloitte saw how well he was doing, I got
this call: Pete, who else do you have for us? The company kept
asking, year after year, and hired four more of my students, until
one year I answered, Nobody.
What do you mean you have nobody?
I dont have a student this time who has the aptitude or the
personality to really survive the big four, I explained. The people
Ive sent to you in the past are all able to adapt to the stresses and
strains and the hours and the demands of your level. Right now
I dont have anyone in my stall like that. I could have sent them
somebody, but if that person failed, I would have lost credibility
with my contacts. The networking would have been for naught.
It was all possible because I had met that tax partner, who
had introduced me to the recruiter. They soon saw the qualities
54

improv is no joke

that my students could bring to themand among those qualities

were the soft skills that I teach, the ones that are so important for
success.
One of my students that Deloitte hired was Pat, a bright
senior who was a few years older than most of his classmates. He
was working full time to put himself through school. His grade
point average was 3.2, just under that 3.5 cut line, but he had a
lot of real-life experience.
Ive got someone for you, I told the recruiter, but youre
going to have to trust me on this. He doesnt have the GPA you
would want to see, but look at his work ethic. Look at what he has
done. Look at the drive and determination this guy has, as well as
his ability to communicate.
Compare that with some of your traditional hires with a
3.8 who have been in a sorority or fraternity but havent really
done a whole lot outside of the program. In my mind, hes head
and shoulders above the others. Pat had shown himself to be a
good communicator and an eager learner who was willing to take
risksall key ingredients to success.
Such are the elements of improv: drive, determination, competitiveness, respect, and the ability to network and work with
others. I was developing students who instinctively understood
the value of improvisation in their lives. They might not have recognized it at the time, and frankly that wasnt how I was thinking
of it as I conducted my classes. But thats exactly what I was doing.
Through networking, you can open opportunities not just
for yourself but for others. Youre doing a lot of good in the world
that way, because those people will be influential and productive.
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improv is no joke

And thats why networking isnt inherently selfish. Sure, you can
get places by knowing peopleand whats bad about that? You
still have to prove yourself.
You can go far in your career, in building a businessin life
itselfby learning how to get along with people. We need to deal
with others in ways that are not self-limiting but instead are selfexpanding, through the power of improv.
I know all the hard skills of my profession, the left-brain
technical side. I also know what will take people to the greatest
heights: the right-brain people skills. And it has become my
passion to help others develop those skills on the path to success.

56

Chapter 3 Takeaways
Treat every gathering as an opportunity to
strengthen your professional network.
Successful leaders understand that in order to get
things done and advance your career, you need
other people to help you. You cant do it alone.
When you feel shy or unmotivated to participate
in networking, let yes, and help silence your
inner critic so that you hurdle that brick wall.
Is there someone that you would like to meet, but you are hesitant?
Challenge yourself and set a goal of meeting this person.

chapter 4

Power at the
Podium

have heard it suggested that a good way to get over ones

fear of public speaking is to imagine that everyone in the
audience is naked. I cannot say that I agree, particularly
when delivering a eulogy or some other solemn intonation. I would be concerned that I might find all that skin and all
those body parts out there to be somewhat distracting, even if
everyone kept on their underwear.
When I ask audiences whether anyone fears public speaking,
a lot of people raise a hand. I share a Seinfeld joke with them.
Seinfeld said he had read that the peoples number one fear is public
speaking. Their number two fear is death. They would rather be in
a casket than giving the eulogy. For a variety of reasons, they dread
public speaking. They may feel they are not prepared, or they just
might not like all the attention.
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improv is no joke

Whether you are in front of an audience or expounding upon

something at a meeting, and you see all those eyeballs leveled at
you, you need to employ the principles of improvisation.
One thing that does work in quelling those fears of public
speaking is to silence that inner critic. The closer you get to the
appointed time when you must speak, the louder and more
incessant the critic becomes. You actually can get sick from the
stress that the critic brings your way. You might just stay in bed,
clasping a pillow to your head.
What can you do? You have to change the lines and start programming your brain to use yes, and instead of yes, but
When you do, you develop confidence. You tell yourself, I can do
this, and the more times you repeat it, the more you will believe it.
I did not have sex with that woman! Bill Clinton declared,
and perhaps at some point he actually believed himself, having
chanted that line in his mind so often. Such programming of
the brain can be used powerfully in positive ways, too. If you tell
yourself Yes, and I can do it repeatedly as you prepare to give
a talk and then deliver it, the inner critic will fade away. You will
silence that droning voice of doom that cycles through all your
fears: You cant do this, you dont know what youre talking about,
youre a fraud, youre going to fail, something will go wrong

The Perfectionist Pitfall

That last part of the inner critics diatribe is actually very likely
to come true. If you expect perfection, you are likely to be disappointed. Yes, you will make a mistake, probably more than one,
60

improv is no joke

and most of the time, unless its a real blooper, the only person
who knows about it is you. Your listeners wont pick up on it.
When youre overly focused on perfection, you can go into a
downhill spiral if you do make some minor mistake such as forgetting to make one of your less important points. If you maintain
your confidence, something like that wont trip you up. You need
to accept the fact that you will make some slips. Think of them as
opportunities to learn to do even better.
I have recorded a few of my presentations on video and asked
people to critique me. Nine times out of ten, nobody notices my
missteps. Then I ask them some specific questions: Was I pacing?
Yes. Was I talking too fast? Yes. I had to point out my own flaws to
them. But other times, people have noticed things that have been
amiss, and I need them to tell me.
Audiences give me feedback. In one presentation, I was using
my iPhone as a clicker for the slides. Thats a nice feature of the
app, but I never explained to anyone why I seemed so attached to
my phone that I couldnt let go of it even for my talk. So were
you waiting for a phone call? people wrote in their evaluations.
When I watched the video, I could see right away what a distraction the phone was.
The inner critic will tell you far more than you need to know,
however. You will hear what you simply cannot do or how you
will screw up. And here is what you can tell that naysayer: Yes,
I know I will make mistakes, and they will not hamper me. Yes,
I will not be perfect, and that means I can only get better. Even
today, whenever I get up in front of people, I get butterflies, but
I can control them now and make them flutter in the direction of
my choice. It takes a while to train them that way.
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improv is no joke

The inner critic does have a role, of course. If I were to

consider delivering a speech on nuclear physics, I would hope that
my inner critic would start screaming at me long before I stood
at the lectern. The critic doesnt know when to shut up, however.
You might know enough about a topic to deliver a decent speech,
but the critic keeps nagging: Your nose hair is showing. Your tie
is crooked. What a nitwit. If you pay too much attention, the
prophecies of failure could come true. You get hung up on your
shortcomings rather than focusing on your strengths.
The critic isnt one to offer a few words of friendly caution,
as in, Hey, hold on, good fellow. You might wish to read some
articles and prepare a bit more before tackling that one just now.
No, the inner critic will find less delicate ways of assessing your
weaknesses. Sometimes you need to just confront it: Shut up!
Shut up! You can do that through the yes, and approach
of improv. Yes, I hear what youre saying, and Im going to do
it anyway. The critic may still try to undermine you but not as
loudly. You build up self-esteem. You feel confident.

Ready for the Unexpected

When I am doing a presentation, I must be able to adapt because I
have no idea what could happen. When Im booked, I often dont
even know what the venue looks like. I once did a presentation
for a Fortune 500 company, and the only place they could put me
was in a conference room with a table that seated 12and there
were 30 people in attendance. Thats not what I had pictured, but
I had to adapt.

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improv is no joke

Seldom are there no uncertainties. You dont know how the

weather will be, or trac conditions, or even whether people will
want to hear you. What is the audiences mood? I try to get a feel
for that in advance. For example: Is the company planning layoffs?
I try to minimize the unknowns, but I know that I still will need
to adapt to the unexpected. Otherwise, I might as well just pack
up my bags and go home, but who would hire me again?
I once did a one-hour presentation for the Ohio Society of
CPAs in Cleveland on technical topics of accounting and auditing
updates. It was a room big enough for the 100 people attending. I
got there early to set up, and everything was working fineuntil it
came time to start the presentation. My computer froze. I couldnt
get the keynote presentation to work. The screen was locked.
Now, I might have told the audience: I apologize. I know
youre expecting me to start now, but Im going to need several
minutes to get this thing working. However, I had been hired
to start and to finish at a specific time. People were counting on
an accurate schedule. And so I said: Well, people, obviously my
laptop isnt going to cooperate with me, so heres what were going
to do. You have the materials in front of you, and Im going to do
this without the PowerPoint.
I tried my best to keep the sequence that matched their
materials. Im sure I went off on tangents, but I persevered and
finished the presentation, without PowerPoint and within the
allotted time. I didnt end early, and I didnt go over. Thats part
of adapting. If I cant do a one-hour presentation without PowerPoint, I know Im not prepared. Its a given that things will
sometimes go wrong, and its my job to adapt to that so that the
show goes on.
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Heres what the inner critic was trying to whisper to me that

day: Boy, you are screwed now, buddy. Youre going to look like
an idiot. Everyones going to be laughing at you, and theyll go
home and tell everybody youre a loser. And you are. Why didnt
you plan for this? Why didnt you have a backup? You jerk.
You can listen to a different voice, instead, the one that says,
You know you can do this. Thats the alter ego of the inner critic.
Thats the voice of improvisation. Thats the voice that prevailed
as I stood there looking into the frozen screen. Hey, rest assured,
guy, youre prepared. You spent hours on this, so heres an opportunity to prove how well you know this stuff. I found the focus
I needed, and I actually enjoyed giving that PowerPointless talk.

Getting Real with the Audience

I do a lot of full-day seminars, and they can be technical or partly
technical. The normal slide count for an all-day presentation is
about 250. Imagine you are in my shoes, and it is late afternoon,
and you have 100 slides still to go and 40 minutes to finish.
Instead of focusing on the audience, youre thinking, Ive got to
get through all these slides.
I once was preparing for an all-day program on the sexy topic
of revenue recognition, and I decided to get rid of 100 slides. I
just lopped them off. I figured instead of doing the presentation
with 250 slides, Id do it with 150. Im going to trust myself that
Im prepared, I told myself. I would engage the audience and get
people talking. I figured that would be a better use of their time
than seeing 100 more slides.

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improv is no joke

We started about 8:30, and by 11 oclock I was getting a

little nervous. The inner critic was saying: Youre going to finish
at 2 instead of 4:30, and you can be sure you wont be coming
back here again. My response: Im going to stay focused on the
audience, on getting them engaged, on cultivating the topic, on
getting people talking.
And when 4:30 came, I still had 15 slides to go.
That change in approach had resulted in a much richer experience on a very dry topic. The reviews were outstanding. Some of
the attendees told me they couldnt believe we would get so much
dialogue in this type of course. I did it by telling stories about
situations and getting people to talk about them. I showed them
pictures, which promote interpretation and creative thinking.
I have learned that a speaker needs to have a relationship with
the audience, to be real to them, to be someone they would want
to talk with. You can be up there with everything in order and all
the right slides and steps in placebut is that the kind of tidy
package that always works best in dealing with people and with
life?
If you have ever taught a child to fish, you probably got a
shovel and dug up some worms together, baited the hook, and
waited for the bobber to jiggle. You answered the questions as they
came naturally, and if the line got stuck in a branch, you figured
out together how to solve that problem. Suppose you instead had
just taken the child into a dark room, switched on a projector, and
said, This is the process of fishing.
In public speaking, you want to be more than just some
ociary who is presenting. You want to involve your audience
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so that you can get your message to sink in. Whether you are
working one on one with somebody or speaking to hundreds of
people, the best way to communicate is to establish a relationship.

When the Heads Start Bobbing

Ive seen people fall asleep within 15 minutes during an hour-long
presentation. Speakers see a lot of heads bobbing, particularly
at all-day workshops and seminars. Typically, when people walk
out of a presentation like that, about a third of what they heard
stays behind them in the room. They dont retain it. Within two
weeks they barely remember anythingnot even the name of the
speaker.
My goal is to get my audiences engaged and have them do a
lot of talking, rather than just listening to me go through bullet
points in a monotone. I try to create the relationship. I give
examples to illustrate the material, and we do some exercises to
figure things out together.
I know Im not going to connect with everybody. I will always
have somebody sitting there with that look that clearly projects,
My boss made me come to this. I cant do anything about that
person. But as for the rest of them, my goal is to keep their eyes
open, to make them laugh, and to stay focused on them while
delivering the material.
If I can do that, if I can make that connection, then I feel that
I am doing my job well and not just dispensing data to snoozing
people. That can be a challenge under the best of circumstances,
particularly during the last hour of a long day when I look out at
the audience and see what I call Krispy Kreme facesall glazed
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improv is no joke

over. The mind can only absorb as much as the butt can endure.
Ill start breaking into different voices and dialects, trying to keep
everyone engaged.
I remember the first time I walked in to teach a college class.
It was a night course for older, nontraditional studentsa couple
dozen faces, all looking at me. I had prepared for that first day, but
I didnt know how all this was going to work. The best advice I had
been given was this: Dont ever let them think this is your first
day as a teacher. If you do, they will eat you up and spit you out.
Later, when I would hire faculty members and knew it was
their first time, I told them the same thing. Go in there and make
them believe youve done this before, I would say. If they ask you
about where youve taught before, avoid specifics and just move
off the subject. Youre going to be nervous enough as it is.
Yes, that first class of that first term was tough, but that was
helpful advice. I came in with technical knowledge and real-life
accounting that I could relate to my students, and I think thats
what helped with that connection. I wasnt just reading out of a
book. I was sharing stories about what its like to be out there in
the working world.
I did have one student who would constantly sleep in class.
He fell asleep one day in the front of my class, and I took off my
loafers and slammed my shoe on the desk to wake him up. That
succeeded in engaging him but only for the moment. So I put
him in the back of the class, and he fell asleep there, too. I threw
an eraser at him. This was a student who was getting As and Bs in
other classesbut he failed mine. I put a premium on connecting with students, on inspiring and motivating. I was determined
to have the kind of relationship with them that you cannot have
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improv is no joke

when someones snoring. No boss is going to accept an employee

falling asleep at a meeting. Its a matter of respect. I made it clear
to my students: If you come into my class and fall asleep, youre
outta here.

On with the Show

I spoke at the Arizona Society of CPAs accounting conference,
arriving about an hour early for my presentation. Ive made that
my practice so that I can get a feel for the room, make sure all the
electronics are working, and do one more review of what I will say.
Can you go on now? my contact asked me as I walked
through the door. The 9 oclock speaker isnt here yetwe think
he got lost on the way. And so within five minutes I was plugged
in, miked up, and speaking. I did a few ice breakers to loosen
everybody up, and then we dove into the material.
It was another example demonstrating that you never know
whats going to happen. You need to be able to adapt to almost
any situation. You must prepare so that you dont miss a beat.
I once heard a story about a gentleman who was giving a presentation and fell off the stage. He apparently misjudged a step.
He tucked up and rolled, stood up, and continued his talk. He
made it look as if he had done the stunt on purpose.
Now thats what I call thorough preparation for any contingency. The lesson there is to take advantage of your forward
momentum, whether you are stumbling literally or figuratively.
On with the show.

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Chapter 4 Takeaways
Get out of the casket, and get up to the podium.
Be engaging and less reliant on
your PowerPoint slides.
Use yes, and to silence your inner
critic and find the confidence you
need to get your message across.
Seek speaking opportunities within your organization.
Remember, most people fear speaking in public, and this is a
way to be recognized as a leader. Another suggestion would be
to seek out a Toastmasters club in your area or really get outside
your comfort zone and attend an improv workshop.

chapter 5

Managing
Stress

e complain so much about stress in corporate

America and in our daily lives, and some of
it is inevitable. Those who rest under the
tombstones at the cemetery might be free of
stress, depending on whether theyre heading north or south in
the afterlife, but otherwise we will have our share of it.
Stress can come from so many sources, some of them the
daily frustrations of life but others highly troubling, such as
major health issues. And stress can be positive as well as negative.
Youre thinking about getting marriedthats positive stress,
generally. Youre thinking about getting married because you got
her pregnant, but you havent broken the news to her dadthats
negative stress. Why not turn negative stress into positive stress
whenever possible? Stress can actually be a motivating force. You
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improv is no joke

might feel inspired, for example, to get a better job and buy an
engagement ring before telling the prospective grandpa whats up.
Communication skills will go far in reducing stress. When
people feel disrespected or discounted, the stress intensifies. When
they feel unheard, they shut down, or they respond with cynicism
and distrust or angerand the situation becomes exponentially
worse.
Stress can have value in your life, if you think of it the right
way, and if you deal with it in the right way. I have faced many
stressful challenges, and I have found that the principles of improv
have helped me deal with them.

A Hole in the Heart

When I was 42, I was diagnosed with a hole in my heart.
The news came unexpectedly. The doctor walked into his
oce, where I was waiting.
Oh, youre the one, he said and walked back out.
He returned a few minutes later with this news: You have a
hole in your heart.
I had what is called ASD or atrial septal defect. When we are
born, we all have a hole between the chambers of the heart that
seals itself within days, although sometimes it takes longer. In rare
cases, the problem isnt discovered for decadesas was the case
with me, of course, since I dont fit in.
I looked at the situation as an opportunity to employ yes,
and Yes, I do have a hole in my heart, and if it had been
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improv is no joke

repaired in childhood, Id have a big scar on my chest because all

they could do then was open-heart surgery rather than working
through a catheter inserted into my groin.
It was scary, of course. Oh, god, a hole in my heart? I confess
that my principles of improvisation took a short hiatus. Instead of
saying yes, and, I was muttering oh, crap. Was my son going
to grow up without a dad?
The condition came as a big surprise to me, but I knew this
was a time for improvising. The surgery was a success. For me,
the bigger surprise was that the only place I could get the surgery
was at a childrens hospital, because this was most commonly a
childhood condition. I wondered whether the hospital would
have a gown that would fit me. Would everyone run for cover
when I walked down the hall?
What does one make of the fact that ones heart has a hole
in it? I joke about it with my audiences: I told my wife, and she
cried. I told my mom, and she called a priest. I told my ex-wife,
and she was in denial: You dont have a heart, she said.
Im taking some comedic license there, but its based on the
very real reaction of some of my studentsI was a professor at the
timewhen I told them about my impending surgery.
Comedy comes naturally when you are improvising. Unexpected and surprising associations of ideasa hallmark of improvisationare often funny. They are good for comedy but also for
stressful situations: the techniques of improv give you the ability
to find associations that will work to resolve the problem at hand.

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improv is no joke

The Challenge of Diabetes

Stress is bad for the heart, as we know, so one would think that
reducing stress is a good idea after you find out you have a heart
problem, which of course is stressful in itself. To make matters
worse, my family background was unknown because I am an
adoptee.
So what else might lie in store? A few years later, in 2007, I
found out that Im a diabetic. I realized something was wrong as I
was returning from a weekend on Lake Cumberland in Kentucky
with Tom Morey, a good friend since our college days. Lets
just say my diet that weekend hadnt been the best. There was a
lot of liquidity in it. Driving back, I began to experience heart
palpitations.
I went to the emergency room. The doctors discovered that
my potassium levels were low, prescribed potassium tablets, and
told me to check with my cardiologist about the blood work
in a week. When the cardiologist oce called, I was told the
potassium levels had stabilized. Five minutes later, the phone rang
againOh, and this is also important, the same person said.
Your blood sugar level is high at 235, and you should get a check
for diabetes.
As I hung up, I thought, Are you kidding me? First, the
hole in the heart, and now diabetes. As it turned out, I wasnt
the typical type 2 overweight diabeticI keep in fairly decent
shapebut instead a type 1, which again is usually diagnosed in
childhood. At least Im number one at something.
You have what? people exclaimed upon hearing of my
condition, and I tried the improvisation reaction: Yes, I have
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improv is no joke

diabetes, and its not even close to pancreatic cancer of anything

of the sort. Im not going to die tomorrow, and its not going to
slow me down or keep me from chasing my dreams. I just have to
manage it.
My mother, who is a nurse, became quite concerned about
my blood sugar levels. When she would come for a visit, she would
ask me, every time I pricked my finger: So whats your sugar, son?
Whats your sugar this time? How much is your sugar?
Mom, youre starting to sound like Chris Rock, I told her.
It was amazing. My mother turned into Chris Rock.
I do understand everyones concern, and I take it day by
day. I learned to manage carbs and sugar. I changed my diet and
cut way back on bread. I eliminated chocolate. I cant have edible
panties anymore. Not that big a deal.
People were impressed. Youve got the best attitude for this,
my endocrinologist said.
What other attitude is there to have? I asked him. If I want
to watch my son grow up, and if I want a great life and to grow
old with my wife, I dont know any other attitude to take. Im not
going to sit around and feel sorry for myself. Okay, I have a heart
problem, and I have diabetes, and, being adopted, who knows
what Monty Hall has behind door number three?
I have to adapt to situations that can change by the day because
diabetes does not stay constant. Faster than most diabetics, I went
from oral meds to an insulin pump. My numbers can be fine for
three months and then get out of whack. It can happen weekly
or daily. Unless you are experiencing it, it is hard to comprehend.
One adapts to keep ones sanity. I try to keep a sensible diet and
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to take decent care of myself, without living the life of an ascetic.

I do have to have a White Castle slider every now and then, just
to help the digestive system. Thats an old-school probiotic, right
there.
When I learned of my condition, I had a choice. I have met
some diabetics who live in a fantasy world, believing they need
not worry about it. I tend to think such an attitude will put them
in the ground someday minus their toes, feet, or legs. Still, I didnt
want to live fearfully, either. Some people go into a panic and
become obsessed to a point way beyond the necessary attentions
and precautions. I chose not to let diabetes affect my life that way.

Picking Up on the Signals

As I have built my business, I have spent a lot of time traveling and
standing in front of crowds. I love talking to audiences, but this
lifestyle is stressful to the body and can be particularly dicult for
a diabetic. My sugar level runs high when Im on the road, particularly during a presentationbut I told myself I wasnt going
to let that stop me from doing what I wanted. I just needed to do
some other things differently.
I also need to understand my limits. Thats another type of
listening that I have fine-tuned. I have to listen to what my body
is telling me. If my blood sugar is calling for me to tweak my
schedule, I must listen and adapt. And since thats the nature of
improv, I was able to apply those skills to yet another facet of
life. Improvisation has helped me manage stress so that I can take
better care of myself.

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improv is no joke

When you are aware of the signals, in other words, you will
know what to doand thats true whether youre trying to pick up
on the messages that your body is sending you or on the messages
that an audience is sending you. It is the awareness itself that plays
a major role in reducing stress. Once you know that you will be
able to deal with a situation, you develop confidence. You know
you will overcome the stress.
A lot of things in my life have been stressful, but as I have
encountered them, I have gone with the flow. I have been able
to think clearly in chaotic situations through improvisation. The
skills of improv clearly are a strength in times of crisis. I listen,
assess, and adapt. This also helps to rid drama from my life.
When my blood level is low, my body screams at me. I get the
shakes and sweats, and so I need to quickly drink orange juice and
take glucose tablets. When the level is high, I can have a hard time
putting words together, and its harder to work with numbers.
I have to pause longer than usual to think things through. Its a
physical condition that I can easily and quickly remedy, as long as
I pick up on those signals and heed them.
If you understand that you can control how your body reacts
to a medical condition, then you should also be able to understand
that you can control feelings of anxiety when confronted with a
new and uncomfortable situation. We all have found ourselves
facing appearances we might prefer to avoid, whether were called
into the oce or hauled into court or going on a job interview
or delivering a speech. Again, you have the power to silence that
inner critics prognostications of impending failure. Tell yourself,
Yes, this feels dicult for me, and I can do it.

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improv is no joke

Some people find it dicult to adapt. It requires that you

listen, focus on the situation, and develop trust, support, and
respect. To apply the principles of improvisation, you have to
adjust to what others are doing, and they have to adjust to you.
We must do a lot of things that we dont want to tackle.
Those tasks become much harder if we cop a bad attitude. I hate
talking to people and networking will defeat any chance of doing
well at such activities. There is a huge difference between I will
do the best I can and This is going to fail. If you adopt a better
attitude, one that doesnt broadcast defeat, you might actually
find that you are doing pretty well. You can feel good about your
accomplishment.
People with negative attitudes will just bring you down. Ive
used improv as my shield to fend off that negativity. Whether your
stress results from a physical condition or something else, so much
depends on your ability to perceive things positively. You either
can see your situation as a challenge and make the most of it, or
you can succumb to it and let the stress win.

Worse Than Stage Fright

I once was about to step on stage for a 75-minute presentation
to the Ohio Society of CPAs, and five minutes before I was to
begin, I could tell my blood sugar was crashing. I quickly downed
a Coke, and then I explained to someone from the society what
was going on.
Listen, I told her, I need you in this room. If I pass out,
you need to call an ambulance. I need you to call 911. Ill know
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in time to give you a sign, and if I do, then call somebody because
Im going down like a sack of potatoes.
Pete, I think maybe youd better not do this
Thats all right, I said. If I get through ten minutes, Ill be
all right. But Im just putting a contingency plan in place here. Its
time to startand its important to start on time.
For a bit, I was as white as Casper the Friendly Ghost. My
face was the color of a crisp, white dress shirt.
The room was set up for tables of eight, and I tend to walk
around to promote connectivity with the audience. This time I
kept to the front of the room, and I was sweating and having some
diculty talking. Those people in the first few tables must have
thought, Thats the worst case of stage fright Ive ever seen. Or
if they had seen me talk before, maybe they thought, I wonder
what hes on?
It was surreal, but after ten minutes, I could tell that I was
getting my feet back, and I got through the whole 75 minutes.
Lets just say I got home, and I didnt get out of bed for about
a day and a half. My endocrinologist explained that to get me
through the crisis, my adrenaline levels had risen so high that I
had nothing left in the tank.
But I hadnt panicked. I refused to tell myself that I couldnt do
it. I didnt accept a late startI had been hired to start and stop at
specific times. I wanted to make it clear that I was willing and able
to give 110 percentand thats what improvisation allows you to
do. It lets you operate clearly without panicking in chaotic situations. You know you can figure a way out. With those principles, I
feel that I can adapt to almost anything in business and in life.
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Down a Different Path

For a long time, I never held a job longer than four years or so.
Back in the day, that was considered job hopping. Now its considered the mark of somebody who has a lot of skill sets in a lot of
environments who can bring a lot to an organization. How times
have changed.
I remember when I was downsized, reorganized, restructured, laid-off, fired from Victorias Secret Catalogue. That was
extremely stressful. It came on the same day that I had gotten a
really solid job review. A few hours later, the boss called me back
into her oce. Weve decided to disband your department and
your team, she said, so your job has been eliminated.
I had never been fired in my life. I did my best to adaptbut
then I was asked to stay on for a week or so to help with the transition. When I left for good the next Friday, knowing I wouldnt be
coming back, I felt as if I were in shock.
I had a three-month severance package. I visited a counselor
for Wright & Associates. They were going to teach me how to
fish, as they saythat is, how to find my next job. I went into
that oce on Monday morning and looked out the window at
the view of Interstate 270, which goes around Columbus. I have
nowhere to be today, I thought. Its a Monday, but its not like
Im on vacation. I dont have a job. The counselor was talking to
me, but I wasnt listening. I wasnt focused. All I could think of
was that I didnt have a job, and I was in crisis mode.
A few days later, I started coming out of that fog. This is
a good thing for you, I told myself. When one door closes,
another one opens. Who knows where this will lead? At your next
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improv is no joke

appointment, Pete, you will focus and listen. You will be in the
moment, looking for opportunities. You wont panic. You have
your three months of severance pay, and you can figure this out.
This is a journey, a different path.
I thought about what my biggest complaints at Victorias
Secret Catalogue had been. I had put in 50 to 65 hours each
and every week. I had worked there four years, but thats like 28
years in a dogs life, and I worked in womens underwear. (Okay,
that last one was an upside.) But I wouldnt have to deal with the
stresses anymore. I just needed to figure out what I could do next.
I thought about those three letters behind my name, CPA, and
felt a sense of reassurance that something would come my way.
I could teach it, or I could practice it, if need beand I could
become better.
I felt a sense of calm. Perhaps it came from the professional
safety net that I had put in place. Someone had once told me,
Pete, I think youd be a good teacher, and I kept that in mind.
At my three-month mark, though, I needed a job, and so I became
a companys headhunter for a while. I ended up applying for
an adjunct position at Franklin University in Columbusand
the next thing I knew, thats where I was. I was a professor of
accounting.
I think again how things might have turned out if I had not
been fired from Victorias Secret Catalogue and if I had not gone
into teaching. Where I am today is largely a result of working at the
university and learning all about curriculum design and delivery
of courses. Had I not found myself in those circumstances, I dont
think my journey would have taken this direction. Thats why I
believe it is so important to listennot just to people, not just
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to ones body but to the environment in which you find yourself.

What is your current situation telling you about your abilities and
your goals?
Losing a job can be a blow to the ego, not to mention a blow
to the wallet. The stress can feel unbearable, but then a door opens
and your life changes. In order to see that door open, you have to
listen, focus, and adapt without panic. Panic can send you into a
freefall.

Humor As a Healer
I once did a presentation on humor at work for an accounting
firm in Dayton, Ohio. I explained that when we laugh, our bodies
release endolphinsyou know, those playful fish that go leaping
and diving through the bloodstream to help us fight stress and
anxiety and depression.
Later, as I read the written evaluations of my presentation, five
attendeesyes, fiveinformed me that dolphins are mammals,
not fish. Mr. Margaritis, one of them wrote, you should know
better. Let me emphasize here that I am not reinforcing the stereotype that accountants are humorless. They hardly need my
help.
So many workplaces seem devoid of humor. I ask my
audiences, When was the last time your coworkers burst out
into laughter and it wasnt at your expense? Stress is the reason
for all that oce ennui. People are in survival mode, just trying
to get through till quitting time. In fact, when youre facing a
tough deadline or enduring an impossible task, the last thing you
probably want to hear is some joker saying, Hey, did you hear
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the one about the priest, the rabbi, and Bill Clinton walking into
a bar? You want to rip their tonsils out.
A regular dose of laughter, however, reduces stress. It has proven
health benefits. Researchers have found that stress constricts the
arteries and vessels and reduces blood flow to the brain, resulting
in costly mistakes of judgment. There is truth, therefore, to the old
saying that laughter is the best medicine. It loosens us up. It has
also been found to bolster the immune system. When were stressed
out, we get sicker quicker, and we make others sick. Productivity
plummets. Laughter is the proven antidote, and it comes naturally
when the company culture is conducive to it. A bit of levity need
not be seen as evidence that the employees are goofing off again.

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Chapter 5 Takeaways
Communication skills will go far in
reducing stress, especially when you
use the method of yes, and
Remember to listen to understand versus
listening to respond to help combat stress.
Fight the Debbie Downersthose people
who have a black cloud following them
at all timeswith doses of respect, yes,
and, and the right attitude.
What is stressful in your life today? Is it positive stress or negative
stress? Adopt a way from this chapter to help deal with your stress.

chapter 6

Straight Talk
Lincolns Gettysburg Address
(revised for modern corporate audiences)
Fourscore and seven years ago, our stakeholders brought
forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty
and dedicated to the value proposition that all men are
created on a net-net basis.
Now we are operating in the space of a great civil war,
testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and
so dedicated, can add value while moving forward. We are
met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to
dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for
those who here gave their lives that that nation might experience a game changer. It altogether is what it is.

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But, from the 10,000-foot view, we cannot dedicate, we

cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave
men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated
it far above our poor power to add or detract. In the big
picture, people will little note nor long misremember what
we say here but can never literally forget what they did here.
It is for us the living, rather, to be robust about pushing the
envelope for the unfinished new paradigm which they who
fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. At the end of
the day, it is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great
task remaining before us; that from these honored dead
will come a win-win for that cause for which they gave
110 percent in their last full measure of devotion; that we
here proactively resolve that these dead shall not have died
in vain; that this nation, under God, shall see the glass as
half full and have a new out-of-the-box freedom; and that
the intellectual capital of the people, by the people, for the
people shall not perish from the earth.
First, let me offer my apologies to President Lincoln, but folks
today just dont talk the same way they did in his day, so I have
taken the liberty of translating his famous address into terms that
would be recognized in boardrooms everywhere.
I recently was in Vancouver, British Columbia, and I was
doing a session on communicating in the workplace. We talked
about buzzwords and technical jargon, such as reaching out and
the 10,000-foot view and back of the envelope and so many
others. I pointed out how empty they are. Theres nothing to them.
When somebody is just using a bunch of buzzwords and
jargon, then the listeners, if you can call them that, arent going
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to pay as much attention. When you are subjected to a barrage of

vapid words, you tend to tune the speaker out and wait for your
chance to say something. If we would just use simpler words and
real language, more people would care about what we have to say.
I was talking about buzzwords with my old college friend
Tom Morey, with whom I try to spend a weekend every year in
Kentucky. We spend a lot of time on his boat, and we eat lots of
good food, and we sample the various bourbons that we tend to
bring with us. Hes a sales rep for a pharmaceutical company. Our
conversation at a recent meeting somehow drifted to the rampant
growth of meaningless words. After the weekend, we exchanged a
series of text messages using as many corporate buzzwords as we
could, just for laughs.
That exchange spurred me to write a blog and article titled
Eliminate Corporate Buzzwords. Heres what I wrote:
I have called this meeting so we can reach out to our
customers to provide them with a value proposition based
on industry best practices. The bottom line is that
we have to go the extra mile to provide an amazing
customer experience so we can have a win-win
situation. I need everyone to think outside the box and
go through the ideation process so we can leverage our
position and provide efficient bandwidth so that at the
end of the day we can incentivize you on a net-net
basis. Spitball ideas with anyone on the team oine.
We all need to be teed up on this initiative because our
stakeholders and the company need to be singing from
the same hymnal. Lets do some back of the envelope
calculations and focus for now on the low-hanging fruit.
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It is important that we have our talking points aligned,

and I will circle back with each of you to level set our
strategy so that this does not turn into a train wreck.
Any questions? Good, lets all go the extra mile on this
initiative.
Does this sound familiar? Are you scratching your head now as
much as you do when you experience this at work? What happened
to a simpler way of speaking? Here are some buzzwords and what
I think of when I hear them:
10,000-foot view: I dont know any of the details.
Back of the envelope: We are out of legal pads.
Benchmarking: My photo is on a bus stop bench.
Bio-break: I am in buzzword hell if I cant even say
restroom.
Circle back: Circle back mountain.
Emotional leakage: Looks like a going concern. I better
get a pair of Depends.
In the loop: I am going to hang myself if I hear another
corporate buzzword.
Intellectual capital: The opposite of Congress.
Low-hanging fruit: Going commando.
Space: The final frontier.
Stakeholders: For those who like corn-on-the-cob
holders.
Value proposition: Negotiating with a prostitute.

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improv is no joke

Lets put my blog paragraph in a simple and understandable

format:
I have called this meeting to begin the conversation of
how we can improve our customer service. Everyone in
this room has thoughts on this topic, and we want to hear
them so we can determine which to implement. The team
with the best idea will win $10,000. Generate as many
ideas as possible. We want quantity. We will determine
quality afterward. This is a high priority initiative from
the board of directors. As part of this process, what little
things can we start doing today to improve our customer
service? I will be meeting with each team this next week to
gather their ideas, and we all will meet in two weeks with
our strategy. I thank you in advance for your hard work.
We went from 185 words down to 123 wordsa 33 percent
reduction in words and a 100 percent improvement in clarity.
Im starting a campaign to eliminate buzzwords at work, and you
dont even have to dump ice water over your head. Are you in?
You may have a buzzword that you particularly despise,
and chances are its somewhere in the parody aboveor in my
buzzspeak rendition of Mr. Lincolns immortal words. These
hollow expressions take the place of real thought. Im thinking
that if the Great Emancipator had been a product of todays
corporate culture, his address would have been mind-numbing.
In my 20-odd years in the CPA profession, I have observed
that communication skills are not one of the sought-out traits.
Some accountants possess those skills, but a majority of them do
not. Its as if they were saying to clients, My firm is too big to

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meet your needs. Let me find someone else to help you. Phone
calls and emails go unreturned, and the possibilities fade away.

A Lesson in the Snowakes

Sometimes as an icebreaker I ask everyone in my audience to pull
out a blank sheet of paper and tell them that they are to listen
carefully and follow my instructions to the T but that they cannot
ask any questions. Fold the paper in half, I say, and I give them
a moment to comply. Then: Tear off the bottom right corner.
Fold the paper in half again. Tear off the bottom right corner.
Fold it in half one more time, and this time chew off the bottom
left corner.
Then I ask everyone to unfold their sheet of paper, and I walk
around the room examining them. Whether I have a crowd of 20
or 100, I rarely find any two alike. Like real snowflakes, each is
unique.
People, help me understand something, I ask. I gave you
instructions for each step. So why isnt every snowflake exactly the
same?
Well, they often respond, you didnt give us detailed
instructions.
Youre right, I didnt. I agree. Some of what I said was
open to interpretation. I pause to let them think about it. How
could I expect the same results, they wonder, if I didnt explain
which direction to fold or how much to tear off or how big a bite
to chew?

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Has something like that ever happened to you? I ask.

Have your employees ever done something that bore little resemblance to what you expected? What they heard wasnt what you
had requestedand that might well have been because you didnt
take the extra minute or two to give them detailed instructions
and make sure they completely understood. You didnt explain
yourself, and you didnt let them question you.
As a result, you feel frustrated or angry, and the employees
are upset and dont understand what they did wrong. Stress levels
balloon. You wonder whether the employees have a clue, and
the employees see you as ineffective, and all of you are sharing
your impressions with your colleagues. Oce morale plummets.
Everything seems to take more time.
Thats the root of a lot of workplace tension. It happens
all the time. Poor communication leads to increased stress. It
comes from not understanding what someone is saying, from not
knowing what they want, and from not giving sucient directions. People complain about their long workdays, but the days
can seem so much longer when we fail to effectively communicate
as we delegate.
As a result, the managers may cease to delegate at all and just
do the work themselves, feeling its the only way it will be done
right. And in such a tense atmosphere, the staff may feel intimidated and hold back from asking the very questions that will get
them the information they need to do excellent work.

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Negotiating Successfully
Conducting a successful negotiation requires six major skills
and those skills are really based on the principles of improvisation.
1.

Take your ego off the table.

2.

Respect the other party.

3.

Be in the moment (focus).

4.

Listen to the other partys needs and wants.

5.

Adapt to the situation.

6.

Yes, and

I think using these steps can help to take emotions off the table.
When emotion gets involved in negotiations, things can go awry.
We are more likely to succeed in negotiations when both parties
can envision a common goal. In this kind of negotiation, the
parties are willing to compromise. The attitude should be, I may
have to give up something, but when we are done well both come
away feeling successful. Some peoplenot me!would call that
a win-win. Thats not exactly the tack that Congress tends to
take, which is more I win, you lose. No compromise. Thats
how toddlers often act: demanding and whining if they dont get
their way.
At a recent conference, a participant commented that he had
discovered that the power of yes, and really does work, especially with negotiations. He was on a nonprofit board for a youth
sports league and wanted to communicate that he felt their facility
needed a new floor. He expected to hear a lot of rejection because
it involves change, which people tend to resist.
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So he did do his homework. He talked to people about the

project and collected all the negatives on why they felt it would
never work. When it came time to make the pitch to the board, he
knew all of the yes, buts He turned each of them into a yes,
and Well yes, and this is how were going to do it. Yes, and
this is how well implement. Yes, and this is what its going to
take. Yes, and this will be the cost.
He was amazed at how that defused the negativity. Yes,
and allowed them to see the benefits that he was bringing to
the table. And ultimately, the deal was accepted and implemented.
He said he hadnt realized he was using the power of yes,
and He didnt know about that concept at the timeexcept
instinctively. He was finding a point of agreement and extending
the argument further to see what would happen with it. By doing
his homework, he understood what the pushback would be. He
was able to put aside his egowhich wasnt that large anyway
and emphasize respect for the other party. He respected their
positions and understood where they were coming from.
By being prepared, he was able to be in the moment, focused
and listening to what they were truly saying and applying it to
what he had learned. That is what allowed him to steer and adapt
during the conversation in the manner that helped him to win.
He had validated the power of improvisation.
Successful people all intuitively do this. They just dont necessarily realize that they are using improvisation in their daily lives.
Skillful negotiation is actually fun, many people find, and that
makes it all the more motivating.

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improv is no joke

Time and emotion, Anthony K. Tjan wrote in a recent

Harvard Business Review blog, are the two things most often
wasted during a negotiation. We simply spend too much time
on items that dont really matter, because we let our emotions
override any semblance of logic.
We tend to react emotionally and negatively to any points of
negotiation that oppose our own agenda. And that wastes time.
When our goals for a negotiation are so firmly anchored that
we cannot budge, it becomes hard to see any common goal as
a solution. Instead, emotions kick in, and egos inflateand we
cease to listen.
To succeed in negotiations, we need to take the egos off the
table and drop our agendas long enough to truly listenand with
respect for all involved. Im not necessarily talking about formal
negotiations around a conference table. This is the way to success
in the daily negotiations of life and careerduring a chat with
the boss or with ones spouse, or with a child. This is the kind
of straight talk we can cultivate that truly will make the biggest
difference.

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Chapter 6 Takeaways
Eliminate corporate buzzwords from your
vocabulary to invite listening from the other party.
The six major skills in negotiating are: take your
ego off the table, respect the other party, be in
the moment, listen to the other partys needs and
wants, adapt to the situation, and yes, and
Spend the extra minute or two to be sure that the other party
understands the instructions you have given. Make a list of
corporate buzzwords that you use daily, and find substitute,
nonjargon words as their replacement.

chapter 7

Business
Development

hile having lunch with a businessman

recently, I picked his brain for information
that my audiences might find helpful. I
wanted to know the sorts of things that kept
him up at night. I asked him questions and listened intently.
You know, Pete, he said at one point, what I really wish is
that my people would do what you are doing right now.
What do you mean?
Well, I wish they would be good listeners and ask the right
questions and probe for information, he said. I wish they would
get engaged with people. You know, thats all part of developing
business. You have to be able to sit across the table from someone.

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I think thats one of the challenges that accounting firms with

younger staff are having. Inexperienced salespeople are failing to
ask questions and are only pitching what their company has to
offer.
In our business dealings, we often are guilty of just not
listening. We come to the table with an agendaa new product,
a new serviceand wait while a prospect or existing client tells
us whats going on with his or her business. At some point, that
person will pauseand we pounce.
It takes practice, and it takes work to set aside your own
agenda so that you can truly hear what others are going through
and how you might join together for your common benefit. In
building a business, you want to either attract new clients or retain
existing onesand the first step is to understand your audience.
Business development requires dealing with those who may
not share your views or approach. You need to know peoples
communication and personality styles in order to build effectively.
In a public accounting firm or in any organization, you are in
the people businessand all people dont speak the language of
business in the manner that accountants do.
For example, when you say the word depreciation to nonaccountants, they might first think about the value they lose when
they drive a new car off the lot. The accountant, by contrast, is
thinking about a systematic allocation of an asset over time. Its
a different language. Each of us needs to adapt to how others communicate, and we need to let them know our own style.
In understanding our differences, we need to remember the
differences between left-brain people (the analytical types like
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accountants, engineers, and actuaries who prefer coloring inside

the lines and being in the box) and right-brain people (the creative
types who tend to color outside the lines and who, as a matter of
fact, have no idea where the box is).
A number of tests can help us to understand the personality
and communication styles of others, including the Myers-Briggs,
DISC, and HBDI. Myers-Briggs is probably the most recognized
of these. If you have ever taken the Myers-Briggs test, you may
remember you got a four-letter result, such as ENTJ or INTP.
I came out as SLOW, and so I took the test again and became a
BORE.
On the HBDI test, the results indicated that I had a whole
brain, which surprised my parents and most of my friends. But what
this test really showed was that neither side of my brain is dominant
and that both sides are fighting for attention. I have a very creative
side, and I have an analytical side, believe it or notand thats one
reason that I feel that I am an Accidental Accountant.
The DISC model has four quadrants: dominance, influence,
steadiness, and conscientiousness. Influence and steadiness are on
the right side of the brain, and dominance and conscientiousness
are on the left side. (Just as a side note, successful sitcoms often
include a character from each of those quadrants, because the
resulting friction tends to be funny.)
Lets take a look at people in each of those quadrants.

Dominance
These are the drivers among us. They are competitive,
decisive, independent, determined, and results-ori99

improv is no joke

ented. They want control and admiration. They also

tend to be domineering, impatient, and poor listeners.
They dislike disorganization and wasted time. They
dont think you should bring your feelings into work.
They can be hot tempered. Some see them as bullies.
People in this category could include Donald Trump,
Mark Cuban, and Jerry Seinfeld. Why might people in
this category be considered poor listeners? Its because
they are the deciders, audiences explain to me. They
have rendered the decision, and anyone elses words are
wasting precious oxygen.

Inuence
These are the cheerleader types who want to do what
they love without being confused by the facts. These
people are optimistic, animated, persuasive, imaginative, and enthusiastic. They are good communicators.
They love having fun, being the center of attention,
and receiving applause. They are dreamers. However,
they may talk too much, overwhelming others with
information. They have short attention spans. What
was I talking about? Squirrels...oh yeah, I rember. They
dont like being alone, and they dont like structure.
At their worst, they tend to be disorganized and miss
deadlines. In this group, you might include a lot of
salespeople, as well as people such as Oprah Winfrey
and, to revisit Seinfeld, the character Elaine.

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Steadiness
These are the cant we all just get along and work
together people. They worry about whether others are
okay. They are friendly, reliable, and supportive, like
a Labrador retriever. They are patient and diplomatic.
They want everyone to like them and obsess if someone
doesnt. They are very concerned about personal relationships and harmony in the workplace but tend to
be overly sensitive, conformist, and lacking in time
boundaries. They wont tell you what they think;
instead, they will tell you what you want to hear
which can be a dangerous trait. They dont like to be
rushed, they dont want to be alone, and they avoid
conflict when possible. You would never find them
watching The Jerry Springer Show. At their worst, they
tend to be indecisive, easily overwhelmed, and miss
deadlines. You find these types in human resources
departments. Examples might include Mister Rogers
or Kramer from the Seinfeld world.

Conscientiousness
These are the thinkers. They want to get it right all
the time, and they want to be ecient, thorough,
accurate, and careful. They are disciplined and love
solving problems and researching. This group tends
to be very critical and picky. They dont like disorganization or surprises. At their worst, they are rigid,
argumentative, and stubborn. These are accountants,
engineers, actuaries. If you are a fan of The Big Bang
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Theory, the character Sheldon Cooper is the quintessential conscientiousness individual. On Seinfeld, its
George Costanza.
Among these personality types, friction will naturally arise because
these are people with opposite outlooks. Still, you must work well
with all types, since every group contains people in each category.
How do we connect, how do we adapt, to someone who is not
like us?
To connect with those who are in the dominant
quadrant, be direct, be specific, and offer multiple
solutions. Remember, they are the decider. If you give
them only one option, its more than likely going to fail,
or it can become their idea instead of yours.
To connect with those who are in the influence
quadrant, be enthusiastic and positive, and avoid details.
Put things in a way that they can relate to. I have often
heard accountants complain that the salespeople never
get their expense reports in on time. My solution would
be to point out to those salespeople that they file early
for their tax refund so that the government doesnt get
to use their money any longer than necessary, so they
should submit their expense report to the company for
a similar reason.
To connect with those who are in the steadiness
quadrant, engage in small talk, ask a lot of questions,
and be informal, as if talking with a friend. Just dont
let them suck away your time and extend your workday.
You need to be respectful but firm about managing

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the conversation. Let them know you appreciate the

chatting, but its time to get down to business.
And for those of us who are in the conscientiousness
quadrant, we need to communicate to people in the
other three that we would like to focus on just the facts,
please, so that we can get organized.
It all starts with respect. Communication goes two ways, so the
better we understand othersincluding their pet peeves and their
hot buttons, their likes and dislikesthe better we will get along.
Once again its all about listening carefully to what people need
and want, adapting readily to the situation, and taking your own
agenda off the table.

A Secret to Business Success

By helping us understand the needs and wants of clients and
customers, the principles of improvisation are a powerful tool for
developing business.
In the world of improv, people talk a lot about commitment.
You need to be fully committed to your character. If youre going
to be the tree, be the best tree that you can be. If youre going to
be a crazy game show host, be the craziest. Be fully committed to
that character.
Thats a lesson for businesses, too. If you dont have the
passion for what youre selling, then youre not going to sell it.
Suppose youre trying to sell those clickers that speakers use in
their presentations. Hey, would you like to buy this clicker? It
helps in presentations, and it has a couple of useful buttons. What
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do you say? You can expect to hear a resounding no. You havent
shown passion or energy. You havent communicated that this is
the worlds best clicker, that everyone should have one, and what
your clicker has meant to you personally.
Its hard to fake enthusiasm, but a good salesman can do it.
Enthusiasm is what sells. The customer is looking for passion
behind the words. In my nontechnical presentations, people can
see my passion. I get great reviews for my technical talks, too, and
I think its because my passion for the soft skills flows over to my
presentation of the hard ones. I make dry stuff fun. Most technical
talks are delivered in a dry, monotone manner.
When somebody contacts me about the possibility of doing
a presentation, I ask a lot of questions. What are the issues you
are facing? What kinds of presentations have you been offering,
on what topics? And a key one: What is your expectation after
the two hours that I present? What behaviors are you trying to
change? Which issues should I address, and what do you wish me
to stay away from? So, in essence, I try to customize my presentation. I dont want it to be canned, particularly for the nontechnical topics.
A presenter has to understand the audience. Whos in that
audience? What are their needs and wants, and what behaviors are
they trying to change, modify, or enhance? One cannot succumb
to tunnel vision or complacency. We have to stop and think about
what differentiates us from the competition.

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Chapter 7 Takeaways
Make better connections with others by
identifying where they fall in the DISC
model and adapt your style to meet theirs.
Park your agenda, and listen to understand the
needs and wants of your client or customer.
Yes, and will help in guiding the
conversation to uncover the needs and
wants in order to provide solutions.
Go back and review the four quadrants of the brain according to
the DISC model. List people that you know in the quadrant that
you think they fall in. The next time you come in contact with a
person, see if you can devise a way to make a better connection.

chapter 8

Cultivating
Creativity

everal colleagues were brainstorming about ways that

they might increase their companys profitability.
They tossed out some possibilities and mulled over
the relative advantages and disadvantages.

I have an idea! one of them said after a long pause. I think

we should poison our competitors sales team!
I presume that gentlemans comment, as related to me by
a participant in one of my workshops, was meant in jest. But I
concede there is a limit to how far you can go when declaring that
no idea is a bad idea. We want to stay away from murder and
miscellaneous mayhem.
For the most part, though, you should not dismiss any
idea too quickly as unworthy. A questionable idea often can be
developed into a much better one. Instead of poisoning the com107

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petitors sales team, for example, maybe you could consider whom
you might poach from it.
Creativity is the foundation of innovation. I look at creativity as the generation of ideas, the more the better. In creativity
workshops, I explain that we should not worry that an idea might
be bad, because in any case it will lead to a better idea. So whatever
is in your head, let it outwithin reasoneven if it doesnt seem
the best of ideas. Bad ideas lead to good ideas. No idea leads to
nothing.

Dont Poison the Pool

For creativity to surface, we need to silence that inner critic. You
dont feel particularly creative when you hear the critic harping
about your stupid ideas. Its important when brainstorming to let
all ideas rise. You can narrow them down later. At this stage, dont
poison the pool of creativity.
Once the inner critic shuts up, people will feel free to say
what they wishthat is, if the atmosphere is conducive to such
expression. Its important to establish some rules for brainstorming. If 30 people in an accounting firmstaff, management,
junior managers, and partnersgather in a room to come up with
new ideas, it is likely that some will feel timid about speaking up.
They will wonder what the partners might think of them. You
therefore need to put a firm rule in place: Never mind your rank
for now. Whats said in this room stays in this room. It will not be
used to judge anybody.
This doesnt happen overnight, but if the leadership encourages the generation of ideas, some of them are bound to produce
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impressive results. Not all the ideas are going to work, no matter
how much product testing and field work a company conducts.
Some ideas will go nowhere, but if you have no ideas, you certainly
will go nowhere.
Years ago, Anheuser-Busch wanted a new marketing campaign
and needed to create a commercial for the Super Bowl. I imagine
they gathered the best and brightest marketers into a room to
brainstorm. Some man or woman in the back of the room
theres always someone in the back of the roomstands up and
says, I have an idea, why dont we put three frogs on lily pads in
a swamp and have them say, BudWeisEr.
What do three frogs on lily pads have to do with beer? I am
sure someone in that room must have said, Yes, but thats the
stupidest idea Ive ever heard, what do frogs have to do with beer?
A different reaction: Yes, and maybe lizards and other creatures
would be good for selling stuff, too! The concept of yes, and
keeps the conversation and inspiration flowing.

Creative Clustering
Its that yes, and principle of improv that will get those ideas
out of peoples heads. I use a technique called mind mapping and
clustering. If you have an objective, think about things associated with that objective. Some will be attributes, and some will
be details.
Lets say you have been asked to write an essay on what I do
on Saturdays, but you have writers block. You dont know where
to begin. Clustering helps you to lay it all out. You might think of
things such as mowing the grass, kids soccer, housework, playing
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golf, or fixing a leaky faucet. As you think about them and write
them down, you will be able to group them: some are chores,
for example, and others are sporting events. Those are attributes,
which the details describe.
This is a very simple example, but the concept works well when
dealing with complex matters. From a creative perspective, once the
mind is able to see the details and attributes, it often will connect the
dots in new ways to produce novel associations and ideas.
Think of it this way: if you were writing a book, your objective
would be the title. The attributes would be the chapters. And the
details would be the supporting information within each chapter.
If your objective is to open a new restaurant, you start by considering some of the details and attributes of what you anticipate you
will be doing. What type of food do you want to serve? Do you want
to open it in the city or the countryside? Is there a particular theme
you want to emphasize? What will be your reputation for service? As
you imagine your restaurant, you will be able to list dozens of details,
and they will readily cluster into attributes.
You just connect the dots. Perhaps you want to open a Greek
restaurant on the beach with a rain forest theme and so-so service.
(Or perhaps not.) Whatever your dream, you can quickly create a
specific picture from a general concept through this technique of
mind mapping.
It goes back to associations. You take two things that may not
seem to go together and put them together. Thats the essence of
creativity. Suppose you have a hot dog in one hand and a stick in
the other. Put them together, fry it in batter, and voila! You have a
corndog. A stroke of creative genius, I would say.
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More Than Facts and Figures

The inner critic will try to stop all that creative nonsense, but the
powers of improvisation will open the doors to the possibilities.
Whether you are mind mapping or brainstorming, the point is to
keep the ideas percolating. Creativity arises from the free association
of words and ideas, and no search engine can produce that for you.
You need more than just the facts. You want to discover
relationships between them. Accountants are very facts-oriented
people. The challenge is to get them to see that theres more to
their profession than just the facts and figures.
When I do a creativity workshop and ask those attending
whether they think of themselves as creative, maybe one or two
people will raise a hand.
You werent born and raised in this profession, were you?
I ask the group. I bet you started out doing other things. Youre
like me.
And they often agree. I think Im an Accidental Accountant, too, I regularly hear after my presentations. I was a social
worker before I got into thisor some other career path that
calls for people-oriented, right-brain thinking.
I show them ways that they can be creative. Its a big challenge
to silence the inner critic and learn to express yourself. Often their
mindset is that they really do just want the facts, and they can be
very introverted and reluctant to share their thoughts. Thats quite
an impediment to creative thinking.
Every time Ive done a creativity workshop, whether its for an
organization or accounting firm or as a general seminar, theres a
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strange thing called laughter that happens. I see accountants having

funwhile also coming up with ideas and solutions. I think they
kind of amaze themselves. Unfortunately, as they leave the seminar,
its as if they are putting their accountant suits back on.
Its as if they are saying, Okay, that was fun, I get it. But I could
never do that out there. I truly believe that if they are to succeed, they
have to do it out there. They have to deal with people. Accounting
is numbers, yes, but those numbers represent someones lifes work
and dreams and desires. You have to get those numbers right, and
accuracy is essential, but you also need to know what those numbers
stand for. Otherwise, theyre just digits in the ether.
Thats what ties it all together, the fact that were human beings
on a common journey, trying to accomplish something together.
Thats why we need to let creative ideas bubble up where they will. If
you keep bursting those bubbles, you lose so much opportunity.

Its All in the Approach

Good leaders inspire and encourage the expression of creativity. They recognize that their people have a lot of ideas. Tell me
whats on your mind. Tell me what youre thinking. Lets get it
out, they say. What comes out might be a bit rough, but with a
little polishing it could be beautiful. Successful leaders value that
creativity muscle. They get the most from their people without
deflating them.
What is the point of asking people what they are thinking
if you are going to beat them up for what they say? Thats not
leadership. Thats bullying, and it happens a lot. Its deflating,
demotivating, demoralizing, and humiliating. Criticism strikes
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people down, and they clam up. And some people wither without
armation.
Thats not to say we shouldnt challenge one another to reach
for greater heights. But its all in the approach. We can be agreeable
in our disagreements so that we work together toward solutions,
in the spirit of cooperation rather than confrontation. Whenever
possible, why not find some point of accord and then branch out
from there? Instead of competitors, you become collaborators:
Yes, and have you ever thought about it this way, though? The
goal is to examine and explore and develop.
Many people, somewhere deep inside, feel a sense of insecurity that perhaps they dont know enough. Thats why criticism
feels so sharp to them and halts the conversation. Yes, and
helps to arm and reassure so that ideas can blossom.

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Chapter 8 Takeaways
Creativity is about generating ideas
by silencing your inner critic.
Bad ideas lead to good ideas
no ideas lead to nothing.
Organizational status is left out of the room
when brainstorming. Respect everyones ideas,
and what is said in the room stays in the room.
Conduct a 15-minute brainstorming session with your team on
any objective at hand. See how many ideas you can come up
with. Put a jar in the middle of the table, and if someone says
yes but or thats crazy or we cant do that or thats a
stupid idea, they need to contribute a dollar. See how quickly
the conversation changes in a positive way.

chapter 9

Leveraging
Your
Leadership

heres a scene in the movie Remember the Titans

where Denzel Washington, playing a football coach
at a high school facing the racial tensions of integration, has a talk with his team after taking them on a
run through the woods at the Gettysburg battlefield.
This is where they fought the Battle of Gettysburg, he tells
them. Men died right here on this field, fighting the same fight
that were still fighting amongst ourselves today. This green field
right here was painted red, bubbling with the blood of young
boys, hot lead pouring right through their bodies.
If we dont come together, right now, on this hallowed
ground, then we, too, will be destroyed. Just like they were.
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I dont care if you like each other or not, but you will respect
each other. And maybe well learn to play this game like men.
He was saying, in essence, that a team can achieve only if
each member can achieve respect for the others. Whether we like
one another isnt as important as whether we give one another
supportand thats as true in the workplace or in a family as it
is on a sports team. You might not like your neighbor or wish to
chat with him over the fence, but if you have reached any level
of maturity you arent going to heckle and disrespect him and his
family.

Spotlight on Others
Throughout this book, we have been defining the components of effective leadership as we have examined various topics
such as communication, networking, public speaking, managing
stress, and creativity. Leaders need to develop their people and
enhance their talents and make them look goodand when they
do so, the spotlight eventually will shine on themselves.
That development must include more than technical skills.
Good leaders recognize the importance of respect, trust, and
support. When you are building a team, you need to uphold
those principles. Unless the leaders are having those critical conversations with the staff, they are not managing people. They are
simply managing processes.
Improvisation is all about positive attitude and outlook. Successful leaders possess the skills of improv. They need a variety of
qualities such as the ability to build a team, to inspire and motivate
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others to adopt their vision, and to accept the risk associated with
their decisions.
In todays business climate, successful leaders must be able to
communicate their vision and their ideas, while adapting to the
changing business landscape. They must be able to move forward
even within an arena of uncertainty. Successful leaders and improvisers process information quickly, and they are creative, innovative, and willing to see different perspectives. They strive to make
their teammates look good.
I sometimes see a dismissive look in peoples eyes when I
mention the word improv, as if to say, What are you trying
to sell me here? They soon learn that improvisation involves a
lot more than comedy. Leaders must respect, trust, support,
listen, focus, and adapt. They need that yes, and attitude. In
building the team, you must encourage colleagues to regard one
another in the way that the coach pointed out so poignantly in
Remember the Titans.
Its often said that God gave us two ears and one mouth for
a reason. We are built for listening, so we should do it. The most
successful leaders listen to their people. They listen to their environment. They can forget their own agenda long enough to adapt.
They are 100 percent focused and able to take a conversation in
creative directions. They dont shut things down with yes, but
Any leader will encounter trying circumstances and confusing
situations, and the principles of improv provide clarity. Making
tough decisions is the leaders job, and those decisions might not
be popular. Sometimes ego gets in the way. It can be easy to forget
that leadership is about the team and making others look good. A

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leader must be able to mentor, coach, groom, and provide others

with the resources for success.
Each of the actors on Whose Line Is It Anyway? has a pretty big
ego. But each knows his proper place. Everyone wants to deliver
the word or the line that gets the biggest laugh. But at times, its
not your turn. At times, whatever you are about to say would not
be appropriate and would kill the scene. Instead, you need to help
set somebody else up in order to make the ensemble look better.
You need to be able to drop your ego.

Changing the Conversation

In my mind, thats successful leadershipmaking others around
you look better. At the opening retreat after I was installed as
chairman of the Ohio Society of CPAs executive board, I began
by introducing the concepts of improvisation to the rest of the
board. Were going to operate this year under this philosophy in
anything that we do or think about, I said. That can be a tough
sell to a room full of CPAs, but I think that by the end of my term,
they all had a sense of the power of improv.
In his book Start with Why, Simon Sinek says successful
leaders all have a why. Why are they doing what they do? For
example, the Apple leaderships why is to challenge the status
quo. My why is to change the conversation to recognize the
importance of improvisation.
In the accounting world, we need more than just technical
skills. We need interpersonal skills to become better at our jobs
to be the best communicators and leaders possible. Younger CPAs
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often are not developing those skills. I did a course on writing and
public presentation at a firm and found that only two people there
had a public speaking class in their college curriculum. Nor had
business writing been offered.
As leaders, we need to do a better job of that. We need to
make our profession look good. We can do that by developing the
people who will be making the changes. Thats my why.
I offer a course that I call How to Dump SALY (an acronym
for same as last year). We tend to do things the same way we did
last year because, in some cases, its just the easiest. But we need to
dump SALY and find new, creative ways of doing things. SALY is
an inherent risk in our profession.
If you have been doing things with clients or customers the
same way for a long time, you face a hidden risk, and it could be
explosive. It could bring down a company. If you are not thinking
and asking the right questions and coming up with creative
approaches, you could shut yourself down.
Ive repeatedly emphasized throughout this book the power
of yes, and They are words of agreement, not conflict. They
are words that explore possibilities, not ones that dash hopes. They
are about managing stress and not letting it defeat you.

Improvisation Empowerment
Successful leaders are able to focus and immerse themselves in
the moment. They can think on their feet and adapt to changing
situations. By adopting a yes, and attitude, they become more
motivating and inspiring. The respect that such leaders show to
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others makes them better negotiators. They listen to understand,

not just to respond, and as their colleagues feel their support and
trust, they produce better results.
These are the kind of leaders who know the difference
between being critical and being curiousand that, fundamentally, is how yes, but differs from yes, and The
former attacks and tears down. The latter carries the power
to convince others that they are wrong, but the approach is
far different. It is accepting and respectful of the difference of
opinion and seeks to build upon it. It is collegial rather than
confrontational.
When you say yes, but, youre trying to impose your
argument. Youre trying to get your way. Youre trying to make
your point known. When you say yes, and, youre still trying
to make your point known, but youre also trying to work with
others to see what additional points might develop.
As you can see, improvisation is the mark of leadership.
Once you understand that, the effect is transformative. Improv
can be funny, but it works in situations that arent very fun at all,
regarding matters that could flare into confrontation if handled
the wrong way. If you apply these principles, you promote healing
and growth instead.

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Chapter 9 Takeaways
Dump SALY.
Use the principles of improvisation to
strengthen your leadership abilities.
Yes, andYes, andYes, and
As Nike saysJust do it!

conclusion

Getting
the Pieces
in Place

ome years ago a friend and I started a business called

The Group Mind. We had some large cards printed
with the words Yes, and on the outside. You opened
the card to see: There are gems in every idea. Embrace
and build, and someday one of those ideas will change the world.
I send out those cards as follow-ups and thank-yous. I want
people to remember me. We all desire that, and I still wonder how
much influence I have on others. After they go home, will they
recall three major points that I made in my presentation? Or will
I become that Pete Martini or something guy?
Ideas indeed have the potential to shake the world. People
have told me they still have those cards on their desk so they
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will always remember to ponder and practice the power of ideas.

Virtues are formed in man by his doing the actions, Aristotle
wrote. Excellence is a habit.
If you want to change things, you have to flex that creative
muscle. You need to employ improv until it becomes second
nature. You have to put it into constant practice to the point
where you cant stop doing it. You will believe in yourself and
your abilities, and that confidence will propel you to even greater
excellence. A golfer understands that principle well: a confident
swing produces results. Thats what Im trying to create, a habit
and a belief.
This is too simple, Pete, people sometimes tell me, and I
agree. It is simple. Its supposed to be simple. The most powerful
concepts are not all that dicult to grasp. You can use improvisation and yes, and in your workplace, your marriage and
family, and your relationshipsit works at all levels. Each day of
our lives is an exercise in improvisation.
After I deliver presentations, I often hear back from those
who hire me that they found me easy to work with and that I was
adaptable to their needs. I bring it all back to improv. Treat others
well, and keep your focus during confusion or crisis. Devote your
attention to the person with whom you are speaking. If someone
is telling you their needs, listen attentively. If you are just waiting
for an opening to make your pitch, it will be readily apparent.
The elements of improvisationtrusting, supporting,
respecting, listening, focusing, and adapting, along with yes,
andwhen working together, will go far to enhance your
ability to adapt quickly and appropriately. Its a matter of attitude,
and each day we need to strive to get those pieces in place.
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Whether you are dealing with issues of career or family,

the power of improv will help to get you through. You can move
forward with confidence and hope rather than sinking into negativity. These are the principles for effective living and leadership,
and success awaits those who embrace them.

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