The Missing ‘How’ of Innovation—and Why It Starts with Improv

by Holly Mandel

If someone were to ask you, “Is innovation important?” I’m guessing you’d say “Yes.” There are even jobs where it is vital—what you do day in and day out. It keeps your company and its products and services relevant, and gives you a significant edge over your competitors—the first one to do something versus the fifth. New ideas, fresh perspectives, and out-of-the-box thinking are the fuel that companies run on and grow with.

And you're not wrong: 94% of senior executives say that innovation is critical to their company's success (McKinsey). Yet, if I then asked you, “How do you get better at innovation?” would you have an answer?

I started IMERGENCE in 2011 because I saw that what I was learning and teaching in my improv classes were training people in incredibly important and “hard to reach” skills—including how to innovate and ideate. These were not the focus of the classes I taught, but they were consistently the result. Everyday, ordinary people were tapping into more spontaneous creativity, a fearlessness to generate new ideas, and an ease in collaborating with others quickly.

And while most companies say innovation is important, they often don’t have the structures or tools to cultivate it. In fact, only 6% of executives are satisfied with their company’s innovation performance (McKinsey). That's a huge disconnect between knowing innovation matters and actually doing something to foster it.

Fostering it just happens to be our forte. We have spent over a decade perfecting HOW to activate innovation in people and groups.

Our secret sauce is improv. Improv, simply put, gives you the how. The process of learning and implementing improv allows people to access what I call The Improv Mindset.

This Mindset is highly optimized. It operates at a higher frequency and with more bandwidth. By its nature, it contains greater creativity, curiosity, and the ability to surf ambiguity with no issues. It thinks quickly without judgment and doesn’t look to follow the same-old, same-old—but is inspired and freed up to explore what’s new and unexplored.

Best of all, it’s extremely fun to learn and do. It’s an interactive, energizing activity with no PowerPoints or seminars. It systematically unlocks this Upper Mind—The Improv Mindset—which is also The Innovative Mindset.

And unlike a one-and-done team-building day, we also provide useful, applicable tools to help everyone get back there when needed. Meaning: it’s not merely a fun two-hour distraction. It’s got learning and skills mixed in with the laughter and joy.

Because here’s the thing: innovation is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s the price of entry. A recent PwC report found that companies prioritizing innovation grow 16% faster than those that don’t. In a world that’s changing faster than ever, the ability to respond, adapt, and improvise isn’t just useful—it’s essential.