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One wouldn't expect that the art of improvisational theater would apply especially well to business issues, but Hough, who learned improv at Chicago's Second City and later became a highly successful salesperson and consultant, makes that connection very well in this unusual and fascinating book.

One of the keys to improv, she says, is trust. In business, as well as in improv, we need to trust each other, to go out on a limb and be assured that someone will work with us and take our side. Using this and other improv concepts, this book takes team building to a whole new level.

"When we adopt the improviser's mind-set and behaviors, we create trust every day, moment by moment, in the workplace. . . .  We all improvise, every day," Hough writes. "Every time we deal with an unexpected setback in our office or collaborate on a great project with our team, we are using behaviors grounded in improvisation."

Does that sound reminiscent of life in a law firm marketing department? How about the following, also from Hough:

"Improvisation is the perfect analogy for learning to live with less. Consider improv ensembles, which arrive onstage without any of the common tools of theater: no costumes, props, or scripts. And with nothing, they have to create magic. The very constraint of having less allows them to be more creative."

But it's not as easy as it looks. Many of us have seen improv performances, and some of us have performed in them. As Hough points out, a good improv troupe is one that practices all the time and is ready for anything that comes at it. The same is true in business. Practice and anticipation matter a great deal. When you seem to be out there on a limb but you do a great job, you save the situation and you help your career at the same time.

Hough writes concisely and stays away from consultant-speak. She gives concrete examples from real companies that benefited from her insights. The book is slightly repetitious, but it is still highly valuable, especially in a time of limited resources when many of us are being asked to tackle projects that may be out of our comfort zone. It's important to know that someone is there to pick up our threads and watch our backs.