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Practical resilience training for smaller businesses01962 656330
Managing People Through Pressure
Resilience Workshops for Managers.
A practical session for the people your team turns to first. Learn to recognise stress, respond calmly and have conversations that lead to useful support.
You do need a way to begin. A team member is struggling with their workload. A mistake has been hidden. Someone who normally contributes has gone quiet. These are familiar management moments, but they can feel surprisingly hard to handle.
This workshop gives you a structure to work with and time to practise it. You'll explore realistic examples, listen to different perspectives and find words you can use naturally with your own team.
You don’t need previous mental-health training. You’ll practise everyday management skills and learn when to seek additional support.
Inside the programme
Four skills that work together.
01 / NOTICE THE CHANGE
Spot the early signs of stress.
Learn to recognise a change from someone's usual behaviour. Our Ten Tells exercise covers missed deadlines, withdrawal, irritability, visible tiredness and unusual working hours. The skill is to notice a pattern and stay curious about its cause.
An isolated sign isn’t a diagnosis. You’ll practise describing what you’ve noticed without making assumptions about someone's health or motivation.
You'll practise: Spot the SignsPriya normally submits reports early. Recently, they’ve been late and contained unusual errors. She's also stopped speaking in meetings. Your group explores what has changed and whether to start a conversation.
02 / STEADY YOUR RESPONSE
Use a simple grounding technique.
A calm response is easier when you've taken a moment to steady yourself. You'll try box breathing and a physical reset, then practise introducing a technique in your own words.
The full-day format also includes the 5-4-3-2-1 senses exercise. You can try the techniques and reflect on what feels useful to you. No single technique works for every person or situation.
You'll practise: Practice and PairTry a technique together, then work in pairs on a brief scenario involving a colleague who feels unsettled before a meeting.
03 / BUILD TRUST
Make it safer to speak up.
Psychological safety means your team can raise concerns, admit mistakes and ask for help without fear of humiliation. Your everyday responses help shape that experience.
You'll work with four habits: respond calmly, ask before assuming, model openness and follow through on concerns.
You'll practise: The Reaction TestA team member admits they missed a deadline during a difficult few weeks. Write the first sentence you would say, then explore how different responses might affect their willingness to speak up again.
04 / HAVE THE CONVERSATION
Listen well. Agree what happens next.
Use Open, Observe, Ask, Agree to prepare a conversation about workload, performance or wellbeing. Bring a specific observation, make space to listen and finish with an action both people understand.
You'll write an opening, rehearse a conversation and receive focused feedback. The full-day format gives everyone time to rotate through the manager, team member and observer roles.
You'll practise: Script It and conversation triadsPrepare a real or realistic conversation, try it out in a group of three, then reflect on what worked and what you would change.
The half-day programme
A focused morning. A practical starting point.
The 3.5-hour format covers all four skills and gives most of the time to exercises and practice. The sample morning below includes a short break; start times can be agreed around your team.
You’ll spend 70 minutes preparing and practising conversations, because trying the words out loud helps you build confidence.
09:30Welcome and a supportive learning environment10 min
09:40Spotting the early signs: scenario discussion40 min
10:20Grounding: guided and paired practice30 min
10:50Break10 min
11:00Psychological safety: The Reaction Test40 min
11:40Difficult conversations: structure and rehearsal70 min
12:50Your two-week action plan and close10 min
Choose your format
More practice, when you have more time.
The full-day workshop runs over seven hours, including lunch and breaks. You’ll explore the same four skills in more depth and have time to try every role in the conversation exercises.
Half-day and full-day workshop comparison
What's included
Half-day · 3.5 hours
Full-day · 7 hours
Early signs of stress
Ten Tells and a workplace scenario
Ten Tells, Team Map and a workplace scenario
Grounding practice
Box breathing and physical reset
All three techniques and paired practice
Psychological safety
Reaction Test and one personal commitment
Reaction Test and team-habit self-assessment
Conversations
Structure, preparation and a focused rehearsal
What Not to Say exercise, support boundaries and time in all three practice roles
You’ll leave with a reference card and your own action plan: one change to notice, one grounding technique to try, one team habit to build and one conversation to have.
You can also choose a two-week reminder. We’ll agree how it works and how your personal reflections stay private when we prepare your workshop.
Something to remember
A concise reference card brings together the signs, techniques, safety habits and conversation structure.
Something to try
Choose actions that fit your working day and decide when you’ll try them.
Something to reflect on
What did you notice? What did you say? What changed in the conversation? These questions help learning continue.
Practical details
Make the session work for your people.
What room and equipment do we need?
A private, comfortable space where the group can talk and work in pairs or threes. We’ll agree the room layout, presentation arrangements, accessibility and materials with you beforehand.
What if someone is uncomfortable with role-play?
The exercises are framed as rehearsal, with realistic or hypothetical examples. The facilitator sets expectations and encourages supportive feedback. Tell us what would help you or your team take part when we prepare the session.
Can more than 12 people attend?
We recommend groups of six to twelve. If your group is larger, we can discuss working in smaller groups of three or four, or arranging extra sessions so everyone has time to practise.
Is it suitable during an active employee crisis?
The workshop develops everyday management skills. An urgent individual concern needs an appropriate support route rather than waiting for training. We’ll talk through what the workshop can and can’t cover with you.
Free guide for you and your team
Find your first words.
Not sure how to check in with someone? Try a familiar workplace situation and find a thoughtful way to begin.
