The Pitt, the Mayo Clinic, and Why Organizations Are Turning to Improv to Build Human Skills That Matter
Like millions of viewers, I’m hooked on THE PITT. It’s captivating—but beyond the drama, it’s also a reminder of how much we take hospital teams for granted. One of the biggest takeaways? How doctors interact—with patients and each other. Those moments where empathy, quick thinking, and real listening matter as much as technical skill. It’s a powerful illustration of how human skills make the seemingly impossible possible.
Which is why a recent NPR story caught my attention:
At Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic, medical residents are required to take improv comedy classes. Not to be funny—but to get better at listening, connecting, and practicing empathy.
The takeaway is clear: human interaction isn’t optional—it’s everything. And developing those skills isn’t easy. That’s why corporate improv training is so powerful. The skills—care, adaptability, trust—are serious, but the experience of learning them is anything but. It’s engaging, collaborative, and yes…fun. That combination is what makes the lessons stick.
The Hidden Skill Gap
The NPR story highlighted how improv exercises helped doctors:
Respond calmly when patients are anxious or fearful.
Use “Yes, and…” to validate concerns instead of shutting them down.
Notice body language and tone—the silent cues that matter as much as words.
“By the end of a workshop, doctors said it made them think differently about how to connect with another person and practice empathy.”
These aren’t textbook skills—they require real-time practice with other humans. That’s why improv works: it gives professionals a safe space to build habits that matter when the stakes are high. It’s experiential learning at its best: you don’t just think you’re empathetic—you see it, practice it, and improve it in real time.
Beyond Medicine: Why It Matters Everywhere
If improv can help doctors connect in critical moments, imagine the impact for any team facing uncertainty:
Remote work makes real connection harder.
Leaders juggle constant change.
Customers expect empathy at every touchpoint.
These aren’t “soft” skills—they’re core to how we lead, serve, and collaborate. Most organizations hand employees scripts and playbooks—but when the conversation goes off-script, traditional training fails.
Corporate improv fills that gap. It’s not theory—it’s live practice in the human skills that make work work.
Why Improv Works Where Other Training Falls Short
Traditional training is passive: slides, rules, scripts. Improv is active, experiential, and fun. Participants practice:
Listening without an agenda.
Saying “Yes, and…” to build ideas rather than block them.
Navigating uncertainty with confidence instead of fear.
As one Mayo Clinic participant said, these skills “can’t be learned from a textbook.” The same is true for leadership, team collaboration, and customer experience—they’re live, in-the-moment skills, and improv is the gym where you strengthen them.
According to research, 92% of executives say soft skills like communication and collaboration are just as critical as technical skills, yet most organizations underinvest in them.
Corporate improv training isn’t about being funny—it’s about being present, adaptable, and connected. Skills that matter wherever people work together…delivered in a way that’s engaging, memorable, and yes, fun.
