The problem this workshop addresses
- A disagreement about the task has started to damage the relationship.
- People recognise escalation only after fuel has already been added.
- Teams need a shared way to disagree, listen, and stay connected without avoiding what matters.
Who this workshop is for
Corporate and intact teams carrying cross-functional or interpersonal friction, especially after a reorganisation or merger.
- Unspoken team tension
- Hard conversations inside intact teams
- Useful disagreement without damaged trust
What participants leave with
- Recognise moves that escalate or calm a difficult conversation
- Describe behaviour, impact, and a wish without blame or absolutes
- Listen and resolve the issue while protecting the relationship
Client voices from related work
Selected from approved client testimonials that match the theme of this workshop.
“I am at a cross roads to report to Global and yet needed to do Regional work. These two conflict with each other and Maik enabled me to see the situation from a zoom out and zoom in lens and ask critical questions to seek clarity in directions!”
“Maik had a fantastic feel for the people in the room and simply radiated energy throughout. I was astounded and surprised by how easy it seemed for Maik to invite, include and excite everyone in our diverse workshop group.”
“A great course - we learned in small steps, had a lot of practice with real world examples, made commitments for the next actions after the course and the most remarkable thing - we had follow-up meetings to help to apply things in practice.”
What gets practised
- Distinguish task conflict from relationship conflict
- Choose fuel or water moves deliberately
- Use the Fire Triangle to read escalation
- Give feedback and listen without making the conflict personal
Workshop flow
Tell task conflict from relationship conflict with a practical litmus question
Build the team's own Fuel and Water map
Make a paired conflict worse and better, then swap roles
Use the Fire Triangle to spot triggers and choose the next move
Typical use cases
- Cross-functional friction
- Difficult conversations inside intact teams
- Relationship repair after a reorganisation or merger
Fit and boundaries
Participant prep
No advance preparation is required. The session can use recognisable situations without bringing confidential case details into the room.
Not a fit for
- Formal grievance, safeguarding, legal, or mediation cases
- Situations where the working relationship is unsafe