Your Mindset Is Everything: Why Perspective Shapes Every Decision You Make
by Holly Mandel
Ever notice how the same situation can feel completely different depending on when you experience it? That difficult conversation you had at 9 a.m. might seem like the end of the world… but by 5 p.m., it’s just a blip on your radar. The only thing that changed was you—your energy, your outlook, your state of mind.
That’s because mindset acts like a translator. It filters every experience and determines how we interpret what’s happening. Which means mindset isn’t just important—it might be the most important piece of the puzzle. It decides whether a challenge feels like a dead end or an opportunity, whether feedback feels like criticism or support.
“We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are.” — poet & author, Anaïs Nin
If this is true, then investing in mindset isn’t a luxury—it’s essential. Because everything we experience at work (and in life) runs through that lens.
When our perspective narrows, it often falls into survival thinking: Right/Wrong. Good/Bad. Threat/Safe. That state shows up as defensiveness, fear, mistrust, and fragility. It’s exhausting—and it limits our options.
Now imagine flipping that state quickly—not over weeks of analysis, but in a matter of minutes. Moving into a mindset of curiosity, trust, openness, and collaboration. Suddenly, you’re not just reacting; you’re creating.
How Improv Energizes and Uplevels Your Mindset
One of the fastest tools I’ve ever found for shifting perspective? You guessed it! Improv.
And no—this isn’t about being funny, although it's always fun. It’s about practicing a new way of thinking in real time:
You stop labeling things as right or wrong.
You embrace “Yes, and…” to build instead of block.
You experience trust, because the exercise only works if everyone supports each other.
Improv ignites a different brainwave and --therefore--mindset. Point of view. Perspective. Improv exists in a world of possibilities -- it could be this or that or even something else!
Certainty is replaced by an embrace of uncertainty, and knowing is replaced with curiosity and an openness to see perhaps something in a new way, or that you hadn't seen before.
It's also a positive, Growth Mindset! Improv teaches us to look for what we can build upon, with the Golden Words: YES, AND. They are as much as perspective as a phrase. They offer the opportunity to see "what is there that I like or want to know more about?!" Instead of searching for what is not working, wrong or an obstacle, it invites us to see what is there that can be worked with, that is novel or a possible solution.
These aren’t abstract benefits. They translate into real workplace impact: more trust, less friction, and faster problem-solving. That’s why we have been working with organizations from Apple to Google to Pfizer to PwC -- companies using improv to improve communication, adaptability, and innovation.
They recognize that, beyond a fun, interactive training process, their employees are getting a Perspective Upgrade -- access to a different, more expansive and creative way to look at things and respond.
Mindset is the Lens for Everything
If perspective colors every experience, then changing your mindset isn’t just self-improvement—it’s a business advantage. Whether you’re leading a team, navigating change, or trying to innovate, the question is: What lens are you looking through?
For us at iMERGENCE, improv isn’t about comedy. It’s about equipping people with a mindset of openness, trust, and resilience—and embedding it into the culture so it sticks. Because when the lens shifts, so does everything else.