Is Michael Scott Actually a Good Improviser?
As I sit down to watch The Office on Netflix, for what must be at least my 20th time, I’m starting to realize something about the show’s protagonist, Michael Scott.
He’s actually a pretty good improviser.
And no, I’m not talking about actor Steve Carell, who is unquestionably a very talented comedic performer and improviser. I’m talking about his character, Michael Gary Scott, Regional Manager of Dunder Mifflin: Scranton.
And Office fans, I know what you’re thinking: “Michael Scott did improv in Season 2, and he wasn’t very good at all!”
You’re right. He doesn’t seem to create very compelling scenes with his go-to gun technique.
“What about the scene they [your partners] set up?” his improv teacher asks.
Michael responds, “Boring.”
Obviously, this is response a big no-no in improv. It flies in the face of the core “Yes, And…” tenant of improv, which encourages building on someone else’s idea rather than stubbornly sticking to your own.
It seems the main problem (there’s more than one) with Michael’s improv, is the same problem with Michael’s character: he’s far too selfish. Michael is too focused on being the centre of attention, and not focused at all on the scene around him.
The truth is, the best way to get somewhere interesting in improv is by saying yes to other people’s offers, which often involves letting go of our own ideas of what will make a scene interesting. The best thing you can do is first listen and connect, then play and have fun. Something that’s really hard to do when you hold everyone at gunpoint and/or shoot all your scene partners.
However, we know Michael Scott isn’t necessarily a bad or selfish guy at his heart. Despite many of his selfish behaviours, Scott has just as many redeeming qualities.
I like hearing Steve Carell explain his character here:
We see Michael Scott is humanized and empathetic in so many episodes. Either we see him come out of his selfishness to try to help people (“Scott’s Tots” where even after lying about paying for a class’ tuition, he still tries to do the right thing for one student and buy his books), or we see him succeed in a big way against all odds (“The Client”, “Michael Scott Paper Company”, we learn Michael has pretty savvy sales and entrepreneurial skills).
These are my favourite episodes. Michael comes out of his typical selfishness to connect, listen and support others. And improv, at its core, is just connecting to, listening to and supporting others. So we know Michael can do it.
In the early seasons, we see Michael struggle to keep his branch alive. His character is most self-absorbed for the first two seasons. But after more episodes of character development, where more good sides of Michael begin to show themselves, the Scranton branch starts turning around, and eventually becomes the most profitable branch in the company.
While Michael could work on his improv skills in improv class, the improv skills he takes into his workplace are actually employed with great tact - even though Michael probably isn’t conscious of what he’s doing.
At The Making-Box, we love doing improv in classes, but we think the real value of improv skills extend far beyond the classroom. Improv training often changes how people approach work, relationships, self development, social life, and everything else really. Many of the skills of improv have actually worked into the way into Michael Scott’s management style - whether he knows it or not.
And dare I say, if more bosses were improvising like Michael Scott, work could become just as fun as it seems on this sitcom. Let me explain.
MICHAEL’S FAVOURITE MANAGEMENT STYLE IS TEAMWORK AND COLLABORATION
You can’t go many episodes without seeing Michael call one of his infamous conference room meetings. Now Michael has many bad examples of these meetings, where they essentially turn into excuses for Michael to perform unfunny characters to his staff or indulge his need for attention (improvisers, please don’t do this, it’s giving us a bad reputation).
However, one of the main tenets of improv is creating an open space for everyone’s ideas to be heard. In the episode “Did I Stutter” we see the episode actually start with a lively brainstorm session, where people are unafraid to jump in and contribute their ideas. People are happily contributing ideas because Michael is writing everything down and celebrating it with enthusiasm. How easily can you pull that off at work?
The only thing he does wrong in this case is trying to get office grump Stanley involved. And when Stanley is cleary insubordinate and says “no,” or rather, “did I stutter?” it shuts the whole conference room meeting down. The ideas stop flowing. The office is halted.
Whether his conference room meetings are actually productive is up for debate. But the fact remains: Michael’s branch becomes the most profitable and the conference room meetings never slow down. Also by the end of the series, everyone in the office are best friends and care about each other deeply. I think a focus on collaboration is the only way that would ever happen.
I think it’s safe to say that Michael’s focus on collaboration and having everybody in the same room and on the same page, shouldn’t go unnoticed.
MICHAEL SEES THE VALUE IN EVERYONE
More to this point, Michael absolutely sees the value in everyone and what they have to contribute to the office. Even when no one else does. In the early seasons, Michael’s boss, Jan, is a constant point of anxiety for Michael because she continuously brings the bad news that Michael’s branch may be closing. Michael’s first concern isn’t about the company, but about the people he surrounds himself with, as we can see in this clip below.
Countless times, Michael refers to his staff as his family. He wants nothing more than for everyone to be friends, get along and have a good time. That’s a pretty improv-y way to think, and a very advantageous mindset if you’re looking to create a workplace where people feel welcome and happy. Sometimes, he’s just so self-involved, it can be tough to remember the times where he shows his empathy.
Staff at the Dunder Mifflins of the real world are complacent with being office drones. Working their 40 hours a week. And put up with the false idea that they have no control or say over what happens to them at work. This expectation is where a lot of the comedy comes from in the show. People at Dunder Mifflin don’t want close connection or to see themselves as a family.
But not Michael. Michael intrinsically understands putting effort, resources, and care into the people who surround you is what is actually going to make work a better experience for everyone. It’s tough to argue this. Would you rather work for a boss who sees you as an important part of a family, or a disposable human in a desk?
Seeing the value in everyone is the reason Michael wants everyone to have their own birthday parties, when a more straight-shooting and efficiency-concerned Jim wants to combine them into one celebration (in the episode “Survivor Man”). And when the company doesn’t treat Michael with respect by cancelling his 20-year anniversary party, Michael quits starts his own paper company.
Can you imagine having almost no turnover for your staff for almost ten seasons? While the company doesn’t seem to care too much about them, and despite some pretty frequent complaints from the likes of Jim and Stanley, something keeps the people of Dunder Mifflin Scranton around. It’s because they feel valuable, thanks to the love and attention Michael gives them.
MICHAEL IS MOST SUCCESSFUL WHEN HE’S A GOOD LISTENER
So it’s clear Michael values the humans in business, more than business itself. And this makes him better at his job. It’s important to look at how Michael Scott makes a sale. I could go into depth about how Michael’s sales philosophy is based around listening and making personal connections; two skills that are incredibly crucial in improvisation. Fortunately, there is this great short video essay from a YouTube called Like Stories of Old who has made quite the compelling argument for me.
Essentially, we see that Michael isn’t totally incompetent. He’s one of the company’s best sales people of all time, and that’s because he knows how to connect with people. In the episode, “The Client”, the only reason he makes the sale is because the person he’s selling to actually feels like Michael cares. Michael isn’t afraid to be vulnerable and make a connection. Something which can be pretty terrifying to do, but also one of the first walls we break down in an improv class.
Another great example of Michael’s is the episode, “Booze Cruise.” We see Michael try to inspire everyone on the boat by being disruptive, and talking into a microphone, and acting like a dummy. When he’s not self-aware, and not listening to the room, he makes a fool of himself in front of the entire boat.
But later in the episode, when he strips away the “look-at-me-attitude,” he has a one-on-one moment with Jim where Jim confides in Michael about his love for Pam. Michael tells Jim “never give up” and Jim listens. It’s not that Michael can’t connect and say the same things, he just gets caught up doing it in a grandiose way. Something I think all improvisers who have ever steam-rolled a scene can empathize with. The good scenes come when you focus on your partner and listen to them rather than trying to boss over everything and do it on your own.
The final point of this video essay is crucial. We see some businesses in the world become more focused on efficiencies and bottom lines. However, businesses that lead with heart and a more human approach may have more success especially in certain human-focused areas like one-on-one sales.
MICHAEL ISN’T AFRAID TO PLAY
We can already see that Michael’s style of work is very people-focused, but there’s one other element of Michael’s management that is completely something improv can bring to the workplace: play!
Play typically is thrown away at childhood, but seeing as Michael is essentially one big man-child, that play has never left his arsenal of management techniques. And often, when consequences are most dire, is when Michael decides a bit of play will help his employees take the edge off and relax for a bit.
When Michael thinks he needs to find a replacement for himself in the episode “Beach Day.” He decides the best way for a manager to be decided is to see who can lead and win the most Beach Games. We see Michael take on many characters; Michael Klump, Prison Mike, etc. to be more engaging. We see Michael plan fun social events like the Lonely-Hearts Love Mixer, Christmas Parties (where he’s always Santa) and his Cafe Disco - which become smash successes connecting staff in a meaningful way and relieving stress.
In the episode “Murder,” when Dunder Mifflin is approaching bankruptcy, and the future of the company is in jeopardy, Jim wants everyone to keep working, but Michael has another idea. Michael pulls out a Murder Mystery game and has the entire office play that game as a distraction claiming to Jim “they need this.”
Jim eventually finds that by the end of the episode, Michael was right. Instituting a little fun, especially when things are stressful can be a very powerful way of bringing people together in solidarity.
Plus take a look at this clip from the end of the episode:
Not only is it a testament to the effectiveness of play that Michael got people to stay far after work had ended, but Michael even started doing better improv. In this case, everyone has a gun, and Michael even accepted Andy’s offer of having a crossbow.
So maybe Michael isn’t even a terrible improviser in scenes after all.
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?
At The Making-Box, we have all kinds of businesses coming to us craving the same sort of culture and togetherness Dunder Mifflin Scranton experiences every day. And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that having a manager with improv training can help some of improv’s core concepts trickle into your company culture.
At the end of the work day, Michael Scott just wants his employees to feel valuable, feel heard, feel happy, and share a vision. Michael has people and connection at the heart of his management style. When he steps out of his own selfish concerns, everyone on his staff actually come to appreciate a pretty amazing workplace.
Well… everyone except Toby.