ENGAGING MEN AND BOYS

DEI programs in male dominated workplaces often struggle to meet ambitious goals with difficulties retaining talented women and increasing defensiveness and disengagement from men.

This program merges DEI and men’s wellbeing goals in a holistic approach to culture and leadership development that turns resistance into engagement and empowers participants to drive real change.

Content

• Masculinity, wellbeing, and behaviour;

• Psychological safety, fostering connection and trust with men;

• Collaborative leadership and gender’s influence on leadership styles;

• Emotional professionalism – understanding and communicating emotions at work;

• Cultural intelligence, demystifying privilege and leveraging power;

• Four steps for better 1:1s;

• The FERVA coaching model;

• Empathy maps for calling people in instead of calling people out;

• Accountability for sustainable change. 

Outcomes

Participants gain:

• Enhanced collaborative leadership capability;

• Confidence in navigating difficult conversations with men;

• Practical communication, coaching, and collaborative problem-solving skills; and

• Improved wellbeing through strengthened purpose and peer connection.

Organisations see :

• Measurable improvement in engagement from men in DEI, wellbeing and culture initiatives;

• Greater impact of DEI and wellbeing programs;

• Leaders equipped to build high-trust, equitable, psychologically safe cultures;

• Improved cross-team collaboration;

• Increased attraction, retention and progression of women and diverse employees.

Format

A series of 8 experiential workshops for an internal coalition of ‘champions for change’, or in smaller workplaces for an entire team. Delivered over 2 full days or across 4-8 weeks. Ideally delivered in person, however online group learning is available.

Engaging conversations grounded in participants' lived experiences – not compliance theatre, but genuine skill-building centred around your unique workplace challenges.

Teachers, youth workers, and facilitators often struggle to engage boys and men in meaningful conversations about wellbeing, relationships, respect, inclusion and masculinity. Information-heavy approaches leave young men feeling lectured at.

This program equips educators and facilitators to shift from delivering content on whiteboards to facilitating experiences that explore real behaviour and spark honest dialogue - building the deeper understanding and genuine relationships of support and accountability that actually change behaviour.

Content:

• Understanding masculinity, the 'Man Box' and culture’s impact on wellebing and behaviour;

• The need for connection, the power of groups and transformative learning frameworks;

• Facilitation mindset and psychological safety;

• Facilitating connection and trust with groups of boys and men;

• Facilitation toolbox – activities that spark conversations;

• Debriefing on purpose – Catalytic questions that turn experiences into insight;

• A framework for safety in sensitive conversations;

• Using resistance and disengagement to build trust;

• Essential interpersonal skills;

• Closing conversations with aligned action and accountability;

• A framework for designing engaging and meaningful transformative learning experiences that drive tangible behavioural change.

Outcomes

Participants gain:

• ‍Confidence in quickly building engagement, trust and connection between boys;

• A clear framework for making honest conversations safe;

• Strategies to pivot when conversations feel unsafe, or uninteresting;

• Confidence dealing with resistance, conflict and disengagement;

• Expanded toolkits of activities to make classes and conversations fresh and interesting and to spark creative thinking;

• A simple method for immediately generating catalytic questions to draw out groups’ wisdom,

• A clear framework for designing engaging, safe, transformative conversations and programs. 

Organisations see:

• Invested and engaged teaching or facilitation teams with greater passion and confidence to design and facilitate effective SEL programs for boys and young men.

• Greater engagement from students or participants, strengthened relationships and peer accountability.

• Tangible changes in young men’s behaviour and wellbeing.

Format

A series of 12 experiential workshops delivered over 3 full days, spread over a 4-12 week period, or a shortened 2 day version. The program is ideally delivered in person, however, it can be delivered to groups online.

Each workshop explores participants' real facilitation challenges and learning a toolbox of tricks you'll use immediately in classrooms, immersive camps, wellbeing programs and all across your school or organisation.

I work alongside schools, social services organisations and community groups to design engaging and impactful experiences that resonate with boys and men – designed specifically for your community. Programs created to fit your unique timetable, location, needs, values and objectives to enhance your existing classroom, outdoor, sport or camp experiences.

From a short workshop series to immersive camps and year-long rites of passage programs, I help teams combine engaging activities with purposeful conversations – resulting in social and emotional learning programs that are practical, enjoyable, and impactful.

Outcomes

• Confident and capable staff who are ready to deliver with enthusiasm;

• Content that genuinely engages men and boys;

• More practical, embodied social and emotional learning that gives students a deeper understanding of your content;

• Strengthened relationships and peer accountability;

• Tangible changes in participant wellbeing and behaviour.

Formats

• A series of group program design coaching sessions that empower your team to collaboratively co-create programs while tapping into my wealth of content ideas; or

• A group of your staff attend my ‘Better Conversations’ training, empowering them with a clear framework to design and facilitate engaging SEL experiences. This process can be supported by group program design coaching; or

• I can design bespoke programs for your school to fit your format, needs and objectives.

Bespoke Workshops

I design and facilitate workshops tailored to your specific needs including any combination of the Better Conversations and/or Leading Together program content.

I can also design an experience to build shared understanding around culture, values, leadership, communication, facilitation skills, wellbeing or healthy masculinity.

Format and outcomes to suit your timetable, needs and budget.

Keynotes

I bring my wealth of experience working with boys and men to give your community a deeper understanding, a common language for engaging men and boys.

Healthy Masculinities at Work' - For everyone in your workplace: understanding of how culture shapes men's wellbeing and behaviour, and how everyone can engage in generative conversations about wellbeing and inclusive culture.

‘Better Conversations with Boys’ - For parent communities and educators: understanding the 'Man Box,' how boys are impacted, and practical strategies for engaging young men in important conversations.

‘Thriving Together' - An inspiring exploration of our human needs for connection and the simple actions we can take to lead the conversations that build stronger, richer, more connected communities.