7 ‘improv’ techniques to drive change
Change communication often fails not because leaders lack strategy, but because they lack presence, adaptability and real-time connection with people.
That’s where improvisational theater techniques can help.
Improvisational theater (or “improv”) isn’t about being funny or spontaneous for its own sake. It’s about listening deeply, building on what others bring and responding constructively in uncertain situations, which, if we’re honest, is exactly what change leadership requires.
When paired with the Prosci model for change, Adkar (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement), Improv principles can become surprisingly powerful tools for communicating change.
We asked Vina Vidal Vicente, subject matter expert of Inquirer Academy on communication, for her thoughts and insights.
She provided seven ways improv techniques can help.
1. ‘Yes, and’ builds awareness instead of resistance
Adkar Stage: Awareness
One of the most famous improv rules is “Yes, and.” It means acknowledging what someone says before adding to it.
In change communication, this translates to validating people’s current reality before introducing what needs to shift.
Instead of: “Your current process isn’t working.”
Try: “Yes, the team has worked hard to make the current system function, and now we have an opportunity to improve it.”
When people feel heard rather than dismissed, they’re more open to understanding why change is necessary.
2. Listening generously creates desire to participate
Adkar Stage: Desire
Improvisers practice listening generously, not just waiting for their turn to talk, but actively noticing what others offer.
During change initiatives, employees often ask questions that reveal fear, confusion or hidden insights. Leaders who truly listen communicate one powerful message: “You matter in this process.”
When people feel seen and heard, resistance often softens into curiosity, and curiosity becomes a desire to engage with the change.
3. ‘Make your partner look good’ builds shared ownership
Adkar Stage: Desire
Another improv principle is “Make your partner look good.”
The goal is to support your scene partner so the entire scene succeeds.
In organizational change, this means positioning employees as capable contributors, not passive recipients.
Instead of presenting change as something leadership is imposing, communicators can frame it as: “We trust this team to make this work.”
When people feel trusted and respected, they are far more likely to want the change to succeed.
4. Accepting offers helps teams understand the change
Adkar Stage: Knowledge
In Improv, an “offer” is any idea or information introduced by another performer. Good improvisers accept offers and build on them.
In change communication, employees constantly make offers: suggestions, concerns, workarounds and alternative ideas.
Rather than shutting these down, leaders can treat them as learning opportunities. By accepting and exploring these offers, organizations can clarify how the change actually works in practice, deepening knowledge across the team.
5. Embracing mistakes builds ability
Adkar Stage: Ability
Improvisers treat mistakes as gifts. A missed cue or unexpected line simply becomes part of the scene. Change implementation works the same way.
People rarely get new systems, behaviors or workflows right the first time. Leaders who frame mistakes as part of learning create a psychologically safe environment for practice. And practice is what transforms theoretical knowledge into real ability.
6. Staying present helps leaders navigate uncertainty
Adkar Stage: Ability
Improv performers train themselves to stay present and respond in the moment, even when the scene takes unexpected turns.
Change initiatives almost always evolve after launch. Questions arise, timelines shift and unforeseen challenges appear. Leaders who adopt an improv mindset can adapt their messaging and support in real time, helping teams move forward even when the script changes.
7. Celebrating wins reinforces the new reality
Adkar Stage: Reinforcement
In improv, scenes often end by acknowledging and building on what worked.
Similarly, change needs reinforcement. Leaders can sustain momentum by highlighting small successes, early adopters, lessons learned and progress made.
Celebrating these moments reinforces the message that the change is not just an initiative. It’s the new way of working.
Improv doesn’t replace structured change frameworks like Adkar. What it does is bring these to life. Where Adkar provides the road map, improv provides the mindset and behaviors that make communication authentic, responsive and human.
And in the end, that may be the most important lesson improv teaches change leaders: 1) Change is rarely a perfectly scripted performance, and 2) It’s a scene we create together: one response, one conversation, and one “yes, and” at a time.
Vicente will facilitate a course titled “Leading and Communicating Change: Turning Resistance into Readiness” on April 29. This one-day training discusses change management using the Adkar framework.
The session is highly interactive, using methodologies such as applied improvisation, grounded in real workplace scenarios and designed to be immediately applicable to participants’ current or upcoming changes. INQ
For your employees’ learning and development, Inquirer Academy can help you in designing and facilitating a training program.
For more information, write to ask@inquireracademy.com, or send an SMS to 0919-3428667 and 0998-9641731.
