In boardrooms and breakout sessions across the country, something unexpected is happening. Leaders are saying “yes, and” instead of “no, but.” As a result, teams are laughing together before they lean into hard conversations. And somewhere between a chicken dance and a creative brainstorm, real transformation is taking root. Welcome to the world of improv-based corporate training, where play meets purpose and professional development gets a serious upgrade.
At the helm of this movement is Erin Diehl, founder and Chief “Yes, And” Officer of improve it!, a woman-owned professional development company that has trained over 56,000 professionals through experiential leadership development programs. Her approach? Ditch the dry PowerPoints and bring in the play.
Diehl’s journey into corporate team-building workshops began with a simple realization: the corporate world was starving for authenticity. After graduating from Clemson University and moving to Chicago to pursue a hosting career, she found herself climbing the corporate ladder in recruiting and experiential marketing. The work paid the bills, but something was missing.
Then came improv comedy. Training at Chicago’s legendary theaters, including The Second City, iO Theater, and The Annoyance Theatre, Diehl discovered a space where perfectionism melted away, and genuine connection took over. She had what she calls an “aha-haha moment,” the kind where the light bulb goes off while you’re laughing.
In June 2014, she launched improve it! with a bold mission: to bring the transformative power of improv into corporate America. The gamble seems to have paid off. Within months, the company won the Chicago RedEye Big Idea Award and has been nominated for the Chicago Innovation Award every year between 2015 and 2022. Today, Diehl is a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program and a proud member of The Chicago Innovation Awards Women’s Cohort.
What makes improve it! different from traditional workplace communication training? It starts by understanding that experiences tend to change people far more than lectures do. And there’s real science behind why play and improv serve as powerful catalysts for transformation.
Research shows that people learn best when both the head and the heart are engaged. Traditional training speaks to the analytical mind, but it often fails to create lasting behavioral change because it bypasses emotional connection entirely. Play changes that equation. When adults engage in playful activities, they reconnect with their inner child, that authentic version of themselves that existed before professional masks and corporate armor became the norm. In those moments of genuine play, something remarkable happens: judgment dissolves, presence deepens, and people show up as their truest selves.
This is precisely why Diehl uses improv to teach soft skills that organizations often desperately need. The company takes a boutique approach to every engagement, sending pre-questionnaires to employees and designing customized employee engagement workshops that address specific pain points. The magic continues after live sessions through three-week e-learning courses, reinforcing culture-building elements with just five minutes of daily practice.
Photo Courtesy: Erin Diehl
The client roster reads like a who’s who of corporate excellence. United Airlines, PepsiCo, Deloitte, Motorola, Walgreens, LinkedIn, Uber Freight, Adobe, Warby Parker, Caterpillar, Amazon, and even The Obama Foundation have all turned to improve it! for fun workplace learning activities that deliver tangible results.
Why do Fortune 500 companies keep coming back? Because the research backs it up. Empirical studies have shown that improvisational training can improve trust, teamwork, communication, presentation skills, and creative problem-solving. These aren’t soft skills anymore. They’re survival skills in a volatile market where adaptability separates thriving organizations from struggling ones.
Diehl lives by a mantra that permeates every improve it! offering: “Get comfortable with the uncomfortable.” In a world where professionals often hide behind polished presentations and rehearsed responses, this philosophy feels revolutionary.
Her approach to improv-based corporate training centers on creating psychological safety where people can remove the masks they wear at work. When team members feel they cannot fail, when they know their colleagues will celebrate and support them, they stop performing and start being. Play becomes the gateway to presence, allowing individuals to shed the layers of self-protection that prevent authentic connection.
This is how people find their highest selves at work. Not through another mandatory training module, but through experiences that remind them who they are at their core. When judgment disappears, and presence takes over, teams start listening to understand rather than listening to respond. Ideas flow freely. Collaboration becomes natural rather than forced.
This people-centric approach extends to Diehl’s own organization. improve it! has grown from a solo operation to a team of dedicated professionals, supported by seventeen trained improvisers from premier theaters in Chicago, Charlotte, Los Angeles, and New York City.
Diehl’s influence extends far beyond corporate team-building workshops. She hosts The Workday Playdate Podcast, a Top 1% global podcast where she explores professional development through the lens of play and connection. She has also authored I See You: A Leader’s Guide to Transforming Your Team through Radical Empathy, a book that dives into the power of making others feel valued, a theme that runs through everything she creates.
Her keynote speeches have graced stages for organizations worldwide, blending high-energy edutainment with actionable takeaways. Whether speaking about positive relational energy or leading interactive improv sessions, Diehl brings the same infectious enthusiasm that has made improve it! a leader in experiential leadership development.
Photo Courtesy: Erin Diehl
As organizations navigate hybrid work environments, generational shifts, and increasing demands for authentic leadership, the case for team collaboration training that actually engages people has never been stronger. improve it! stands at the intersection of serious business outcomes and genuine human connection.
For leaders ready to shake things up, the invitation is clear. Skip the forgettable seminars. Instead, consider what might happen if your team learned to say “yes, and” to each other, to new ideas, and to the kind of workplace culture where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued.
As Diehl puts it, her mission is to help others evolve into the highest versions of themselves through play. In a corporate landscape hungry for innovation and connection, that just might be the competitive edge everyone’s been searching for.
