Fix the Friction First
Workshops that clear the friction stalling your team’s best work.
Hi, I'm Don.
For nearly 20 years, I’ve worked at the intersection of strategy, planning, and performance at companies like Adobe, Google, and Electronic Arts.
I’ve sat across the table from teams of every size and seen the same pattern: incredible talent, brilliant plans, and execution that stalls because of unresolved tension between the people doing the work.
Friction is what you see. Frustration is what you feel.
Every team has friction, underneath it all is frustration, and most people leave it unaddressed.
Unfortunately, the consequences of avoidance add up, slowing decisions, straining relationships, and causing the same problems to show up in new forms.
According to a Study by WPP Global, unresolved avoidance costs U.S. organizations over $359 billion a year in lost productivity alone.
A 10-year longitudinal study of 1,211 adults found that avoidance coping predicted more chronic stress, more acute stress, and more depressive symptoms four years later.
Workshop Overview
If your team is thinking “why does this have to be so hard?” start here…
Description:
Whether it shows up as slower work, lower quality, or people just grinding through the day, the cause is usually the same: unresolved friction between the people doing the work. It doesn’t have to be this way, and your team knows it.
Your team walks out able to name the tension they’ve been working around — and handle it themselves the next time it shows up.
The engine is The Curiosity Model a science-backed framework that helps people move from avoidance to engagement across 4 areas:
ME / YOU / WE / US
Practical enough to use the moment they leave the room.
Format:
- 90-minute to half-day workshop
- Virtual or in-person
- 60-minute keynote available
Every engagement is tailored to your team. I work globally, so I’m available virtually from anywhere and in-person when I’m in your region.
After the workshop, your team will:
- Address frustration instead of avoiding it
- Self-manage friction using simple tools
- Plant the seeds for organic re-engagement
This workshop is built for:
- Professional development days, leadership offsites, and retreats
- Association conferences and breakout sessions
- Team meetings and staff development sessions
- Virtual events and distributed teams
Best-fit audiences: Teams in operations, administration, project management, education, and customer-facing roles.
Organizations under 300 people where friction between colleagues directly impacts the work.
Working With Me Is Simple
I used to work in events, so I know that planning is already a TON of work.
With that in mind, I make pre-event coordination turn-key for you. We’ll take care of it all in 3 short calls.
1. Discovery (30m)
You tell me about your team, your event, and what you're trying to accomplish. I ask the questions. You just show up and talk.
2. Preview (30m)
I share what I've learned about your organization and walk you through the high-level arc of the workshop. You give feedback. We refine.
3. Prep check (30m)
We confirm logistics and make sure everything's set.
Total time from you: 90 minutes. I’ll lead every call and there’s nothing for you to prepare. You already have enough on your plate!
Better late than never
I spent years inside organizations that believed addressing tension would create more of it. The result was that people avoided it, and the challenges compounded.
But what I’ve discovered is the opposite.
Every organization is just a few questions away from unlocking the conversations that could change everyone’s quality of work-life overnight. That’s what the Curiosity Model provides.
Let it work for your team
Book a discovery call and I’ll learn about your team, your event, and what you’re trying to accomplish. If it’s a fit, let’s build something together.
