# IMPROV Communication

> Europe's leading consultancy for psychological safety and emotional intelligence. We make leaders and teams feel the change, not just hear about it — through Applied Improv in a leadership and organisational context.

IMPROV Communication is an international leadership and team development consultancy based in Helsingør, Denmark, founded by Stefan Pagels Christensen. We work with global organisations across Europe, Middle East, Asia and US. Our approach is experiential — less PowerPoint, more doing — and it is built so the change lasts long after the room empties.

## Pages

- [/](/): Homepage — leadership and team development overview, client logos, service tiles, stats, testimonials and call-to-action.
- [/about](/about): About IMPROV Communication, our founder Stefan Pagels Christensen, and our mission.
- [/contact](/contact): Contact form and information to get in touch with us.
- [/trainings](/trainings): Full overview of all services and training programmes we offer.
- [/team-building](/team-building): Experiential team building in Copenhagen for groups of 10 to 200.
- [/methodology](/methodology): Our experiential methodology — how we design training that sticks.
- [/find-your-training](/find-your-training): Interactive tool to find the right training programme for your team or organisation.
- [/case-studies](/case-studies): Real-world results from our leadership and team programmes — outcomes, methods and lessons.
- [/blog](/blog): Insights and ideas on leadership, teams, psychological safety, innovation and the human side of work.

## Sectors

- [/sectors](/sectors): Overview of industries and sectors we serve.
- [/sectors/technology](/sectors/technology): Training solutions for technology companies.
- [/sectors/pharma-life-sciences](/sectors/pharma-life-sciences): Training for pharmaceutical and life sciences organisations.
- [/sectors/industrial-manufacturing](/sectors/industrial-manufacturing): Training for industrial and manufacturing companies.
- [/sectors/fmcg-consumer-goods](/sectors/fmcg-consumer-goods): Training for fast-moving consumer goods companies.
- [/sectors/energy-utilities](/sectors/energy-utilities): Training for energy and utilities organisations.
- [/sectors/scale-ups](/sectors/scale-ups): Training for scale-ups and high-growth organisations.

## Training Programmes

- [/trainings/improv-training](/trainings/improv-training): Improv Training — build collaboration, trust, and adaptability.
- [/trainings/improv-training/5-guiding-principles](/trainings/improv-training/5-guiding-principles): The 5 Guiding Principles of IMPROV applied to teams.
- [/trainings/improv-training/team-building](/trainings/improv-training/team-building): Team building that strengthens connection, communication and trust.
- [/trainings/improv-training/post-merger-integration](/trainings/improv-training/post-merger-integration): Post-merger integration through improv.
- [/trainings/improv-training/restructured-teams](/trainings/improv-training/restructured-teams): Support for restructured teams.
- [/trainings/improv-training/scaling-teams](/trainings/improv-training/scaling-teams): Scaling teams with improv principles.
- [/trainings/innovation-training](/trainings/innovation-training): Innovation Training — turn creativity into action.
- [/trainings/innovation-training/core](/trainings/innovation-training/core): Core innovation training programme.
- [/trainings/innovation-training/innovation-resilience](/trainings/innovation-training/innovation-resilience): Building innovation resilience.
- [/trainings/leadership-training](/trainings/leadership-training): Leadership Training — develop leaders who connect deeply.
- [/trainings/leadership-training/core](/trainings/leadership-training/core): Core leadership training programme.
- [/trainings/psychological-safety-training](/trainings/psychological-safety-training): Psychological Safety Training — create environments where people feel safe to speak up.
- [/trainings/psychological-safety-training/core](/trainings/psychological-safety-training/core): Core psychological safety programme.
- [/trainings/psychological-safety-training/rebuilding-trust](/trainings/psychological-safety-training/rebuilding-trust): Rebuilding trust in teams.
- [/trainings/emotional-intelligence](/trainings/emotional-intelligence): Emotional Intelligence — build self-awareness, empathy, and emotional regulation.
- [/trainings/emotional-intelligence/core](/trainings/emotional-intelligence/core): Core emotional intelligence programme.
- [/trainings/emotional-intelligence/human-side-of-ai](/trainings/emotional-intelligence/human-side-of-ai): The human side of AI — EQ in the age of artificial intelligence.
- [/trainings/universities-phd-postdoc](/trainings/universities-phd-postdoc): Universities, PhD & Post-Doc Training — communicate science with impact.
- [/trainings/universities-phd-postdoc/5-guiding-principles](/trainings/universities-phd-postdoc/5-guiding-principles): The 5 Guiding Principles programme.
- [/trainings/universities-phd-postdoc/communicating-your-science](/trainings/universities-phd-postdoc/communicating-your-science): Communicating your science to human beings.
- [/trainings/universities-phd-postdoc/leveraging-your-network](/trainings/universities-phd-postdoc/leveraging-your-network): Leveraging your professional network.
- [/trainings/universities-phd-postdoc/team-development-support-staff](/trainings/universities-phd-postdoc/team-development-support-staff): Team development for support staff.

## Blog

- [/blog/applied-improv-for-events](/blog/applied-improv-for-events): Applied improv turns a keynote, kick-off or away day into something people take part in — lifting energy, connecting teams, and making the day's message stick.
- [/blog/what-happens-in-an-applied-improv-session](/blog/what-happens-in-an-applied-improv-session): Inside an applied improv session: the types of exercises used, what each one builds, and why there is no acting and no audience. A guide for leaders and teams.
- [/blog/thinking-on-your-feet](/blog/thinking-on-your-feet): Thinking on your feet is a skill you can build, not a talent you are born with. Why it is mostly about listening, and how to get quicker in conversation.
- [/blog/applied-improv-innovation](/blog/applied-improv-innovation): Applied improv builds the behaviours innovation depends on: deferring judgement, building on each other, tolerating uncertainty. What the research shows, and how teams get more creative.
- [/blog/psychological-safety-after-layoffs](/blog/psychological-safety-after-layoffs): Layoffs quietly erode the safety to speak up. Why survivors go quiet, what leaders get wrong, and how to rebuild psychological safety after redundancies and change.
- [/blog/self-awareness-emotional-intelligence](/blog/self-awareness-emotional-intelligence): Self-awareness is the first component of emotional intelligence and the one the rest depend on. What it means, the two types, and how to build it at work.
- [/blog/applied-improv-communication-skills](/blog/applied-improv-communication-skills): Communication is a behaviour built by practice, not a slide. How applied improv trains listening, building on others and clarity under pressure.
- [/blog/psychological-safety-remote-teams](/blog/psychological-safety-remote-teams): Distance strips away the cues that build trust, so remote and hybrid teams need psychological safety built on purpose. A practical guide for leaders.
- [/blog/signs-of-emotional-intelligence](/blog/signs-of-emotional-intelligence): The signs of emotional intelligence are behavioural — how someone handles pressure, feedback and disagreement. The clearest signs of high and low EQ, and whether they can change.
- [/blog/applied-improv-team-development](/blog/applied-improv-team-development): Team building lifts energy for an afternoon; team development changes how a group works together. How applied improv turns a group into a genuine team.
- [/blog/psychological-safety-in-meetings](/blog/psychological-safety-in-meetings): People stay quiet in meetings when speaking feels risky. How to run meetings where airtime is shared, challenges are welcome, and the room actually speaks up.
- [/blog/how-to-measure-emotional-intelligence](/blog/how-to-measure-emotional-intelligence): Emotional intelligence can be assessed. The main EQ tests — ability-based and self-report — what they measure, and what a score does and doesn't tell you.
- [/blog/applied-improv-psychological-safety](/blog/applied-improv-psychological-safety): Psychological safety has to be felt to be believed. Why applied improv — embracing failure, building on each other — is one of the fastest ways for a team to build it.
- [/blog/project-aristotle-psychological-safety](/blog/project-aristotle-psychological-safety): Google's Project Aristotle studied 180+ teams and found psychological safety predicts performance most. What the study found — and what it means for leaders.
- [/blog/emotional-intelligence-in-leadership](/blog/emotional-intelligence-in-leadership): The leaders people follow read the room, stay steady under pressure and make others feel safe. Why emotional intelligence is the core leadership skill.
- [/blog/why-experiential-training-works](/blog/why-experiential-training-works): Half of what people learn in training has drained away within a year. Why experiential, practised learning changes behaviour where information transfer fades — and what to look for in a programme.
- [/blog/psychological-safety-at-work](/blog/psychological-safety-at-work): What psychological safety at work really means, why it drives performance, and the practical leader behaviours that build it — grounded in the 5 Guiding Principles of IMPROV.
- [/blog/psychological-safety-myths](/blog/psychological-safety-myths): Psychological safety is widely misunderstood. The five most common myths — that it means being nice, lowering standards, or agreeing with everyone — corrected with Edmondson's research.
- [/blog/how-to-improve-emotional-intelligence](/blog/how-to-improve-emotional-intelligence): Emotional intelligence is a skill you can build. Practical ways to grow self-awareness, regulation, empathy and social skill — and why practice beats theory.
- [/blog/does-applied-improv-training-work](/blog/does-applied-improv-training-work): Sceptical that improv builds real business skills? The evidence on training transfer, experiential learning, and the behaviour change teams report afterwards.
- [/blog/signs-of-low-psychological-safety](/blog/signs-of-low-psychological-safety): Low psychological safety rarely looks like a crisis. Seven everyday signs your team has stopped speaking up — quiet meetings, late bad news, hidden mistakes — and what to do.
- [/blog/eq-vs-iq](/blog/eq-vs-iq): IQ gets you in the door; EQ decides how far you go. What the research says about emotional intelligence versus IQ for leadership — and why teams need both.
- [/blog/applied-improv-for-leadership](/blog/applied-improv-for-leadership): Applied improv builds the leadership skills that slides can't — presence, listening, adapting under pressure, and making it safe for others to speak. How it works.
- [/blog/psychological-safety-and-accountability](/blog/psychological-safety-and-accountability): Psychological safety and accountability aren't opposites. Amy Edmondson's learning-zone model shows why the strongest teams score high on both — and how leaders get there.
- [/blog/components-of-emotional-intelligence](/blog/components-of-emotional-intelligence): Daniel Goleman's model breaks emotional intelligence into five parts: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skill. Each one explained.
- [/blog/five-guiding-principles-of-improv](/blog/five-guiding-principles-of-improv): Yes And, Do Not Judge Yourself, Do Not Judge Others, Embrace Failure, Make Each Other Look Good — the five principles behind IMPROV's work, and how each one changes a team.
- [/blog/what-is-emotional-intelligence](/blog/what-is-emotional-intelligence): Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognise and manage emotions — your own and others'. What it means, its components, why it matters, and how to build it.
- [/blog/what-is-applied-improv](/blog/what-is-applied-improv): Applied Improv takes the core skills of improvisation — listening, building on others, adapting, embracing failure — and uses them to develop leaders and teams. The complete guide.
- [/blog/how-leaders-destroy-psychological-safety](/blog/how-leaders-destroy-psychological-safety): Most leaders erode psychological safety without meaning to. The everyday behaviours that shut people down — and what to do instead.
- [/blog/four-stages-of-psychological-safety](/blog/four-stages-of-psychological-safety): Timothy Clark's four stages — inclusion, learner, contributor and challenger safety — explained, with what each looks like on a real team.
- [/blog/psychological-safety-vs-trust](/blog/psychological-safety-vs-trust): Trust is between two people; psychological safety is a group climate. Why the distinction matters, how each is built, and why teams need both.
- [/blog/how-to-measure-psychological-safety](/blog/how-to-measure-psychological-safety): You can measure psychological safety. Amy Edmondson's seven-item survey, the Fearless Organization Scan and its four domains, and how to track change over time.
- [/blog/how-to-build-psychological-safety](/blog/how-to-build-psychological-safety): Psychological safety is built through behaviour, not policy. A practical guide for leaders: go first, reward the messenger, separate ideas from judgement.
- [/blog/what-is-psychological-safety](/blog/what-is-psychological-safety): Psychological safety is the shared belief that it's safe to speak up. What it means, why it predicts team performance, and how to build it — the complete guide.
- [/blog/three-types-of-failure](/blog/three-types-of-failure): Amy Edmondson's three failure types — basic, complex and intelligent. Why most organisations punish the wrong one, and how improv trains teams to fail well.
- [/blog/emotional-intelligence-is-learnable](/blog/emotional-intelligence-is-learnable): Emotional intelligence is a learnable skill, not a fixed trait. The evidence — and why experiential improv training is one of the fastest ways to build it.
- [/blog/yes-and-building-on-each-other](/blog/yes-and-building-on-each-other): "Yes, and" is the most practical tool a team has for innovation. Here's what it means, why "Yes, but" quietly kills ideas, and how to build the habit.
- [/blog/ruler-model-emotional-intelligence](/blog/ruler-model-emotional-intelligence): RULER is Marc Brackett's evidence-based model of emotional intelligence — Recognising, Understanding, Labelling, Expressing, Regulating. Here's how leaders use it.
- [/blog/fear-of-speaking-up](/blog/fear-of-speaking-up): Most good ideas never get said. Here's why capable people stay silent, what it costs your organisation, and what leaders can do to make speaking up safe.
- [/blog/deep-listening-playbook](/blog/deep-listening-playbook): Listening is the most underrated leadership skill. A practical playbook for listening to understand — build trust, hear the truth and make better calls.

## Case Studies

- [/case-studies/sales-team-european-technology-distributor](/case-studies/sales-team-european-technology-distributor): A keynote and 5 Guiding Principles training for a sales team in change. 20 of 20 respondents would recommend it.
- [/case-studies/cross-border-digital-team-tic](/case-studies/cross-border-digital-team-tic): A 55-person cross-cultural digital team; 98% would recommend and two in three opted into a 30-day sprint.
- [/case-studies/leadership-cohort-global-chemical-company](/case-studies/leadership-cohort-global-chemical-company): A 5 Guiding Principles training for 23 leaders at a global chemical company — 100% of respondents would recommend it.
- [/case-studies/supply-chain-global-energy](/case-studies/supply-chain-global-energy): A five-session Masterclass moved a supply chain team's willingness to raise problems from 4.5 to 5.4/7 — and it held five months later. Recommendation: 6.1/7.
- [/case-studies/danish-professional-services-team](/case-studies/danish-professional-services-team): A 90-minute psychological safety session for 27 people at a Danish professional services team — 100% of respondents would recommend it.
- [/case-studies/innovation-team-global-energy](/case-studies/innovation-team-global-energy): IMPROV gave an innovation team a shared language for safe challenge. Every respondent would recommend the day.
- [/case-studies/psychological-safety-irish-leadership-cohort](/case-studies/psychological-safety-irish-leadership-cohort): Three open EPIC × IMPROV trainings for ~90 Irish leaders. 100% of respondents would recommend it; 92% joined the 30-day sprint.
- [/case-studies/pharma-research-team-speaking-up](/case-studies/pharma-research-team-speaking-up): A 150-minute Applied Improv session helped a pharma research team build the habit of speaking up — 12 of 14 would recommend it.
- [/case-studies/pharma-project-managers](/case-studies/pharma-project-managers): A 5 Guiding Principles training for a team of project managers at a global pharmaceutical company — 16 of 17 respondents would recommend it, cross-team openness 5.7/7.
- [/case-studies/care-sector-staff-team](/case-studies/care-sector-staff-team): A full-team 5 Guiding Principles day for a staff team in the care sector — all 24 respondents would recommend it; the principle that landed hardest was No Judgement of Yourself.
- [/case-studies/epic-improv-maersk](/case-studies/epic-improv-maersk): 24 senior leaders from global organisations, one experiential day at Maersk in Copenhagen. 6.6/7 on value, 100% would recommend it — and a third discovered the same hidden habit.
- [/case-studies/neuroscience-academy-denmark](/case-studies/neuroscience-academy-denmark): How IMPROV built and measured real behavioural change across a six-session masterclass for 16 PhD students at Neuroscience Academy Denmark — tracked, not assumed.
- [/case-studies/engineering-transformation](/case-studies/engineering-transformation): 115 senior managers at a global pharma engineering company, navigating a major transformation. After one session, 97% would recommend it and cross-team outreach hit 6.03/7.
- [/case-studies/basf](/case-studies/basf): A third of one BASF cohort committed to the same single behaviour change after our session — and 93% would recommend it. How culture shifts one word at a time.
- [/case-studies/lederne](/case-studies/lederne): Lederne helps leaders lead better. We helped their own team do the inner work first — psychological safety and EQ through the 5 Guiding Principles. 90% would recommend.
- [/case-studies/ucaps-university-of-copenhagen](/case-studies/ucaps-university-of-copenhagen): 24 PhD students and postdocs, a voluntary Wednesday evening, a two-hour session. 95% would recommend it and 18 of 19 signed up for more. Here's what happened.
- [/case-studies/innovation-roundtable-munich](/case-studies/innovation-roundtable-munich): 25 senior leaders, one hour at Amazon HQ Munich. 6.7/7 on value, 100% would recommend it, 100% opted in to continue — and the room committed to changing its language.
- [/case-studies/bright-at-dtu](/case-studies/bright-at-dtu): How IMPROV gave 100 researchers and support staff at BRIGHT at DTU a lived experience of interdisciplinary collaboration in a single day. 98% would recommend.
- [/case-studies/triband](/case-studies/triband): A playful game studio whose brainstorms had drifted into solo presentations. After a half-day on the 5 Guiding Principles, people felt the cost of "Yes, but" in their bodies.
- [/case-studies/global-legal-team](/case-studies/global-legal-team): A global FMCG company's legal team meets in person only every two years. After one off-site, 100% would recommend it and cross-border outreach scored 6.42/7.
- [/case-studies/rigo-haribo](/case-studies/rigo-haribo): Around 70 colleagues spread across four floors, rarely connecting across teams. After a keynote and sessions, 97% would recommend it — and they started crossing the floors.