Strengthen your relationships with a Connection Labs workshop experience.
Dive into an engaging learning experience that cultivates communication skills, boosts productivity, and ultimately drives bottom-line results in everything you do.
Join us at Connection Labs today!
Our workshop sessions will enable you to….
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“When the 75 members of Stanford Graduate School of Business’s Advisory Council were asked to recommend the most important capability for leaders to develop, their answer was nearly unanimous: self-awareness.” - Harvard Business School Press
What our clients are saying:
“This workshop makes you look inward in a way that you most likely have not done before...What you find out about yourself can greatly impact your personal and professional relationships.”
“This is a great opportunity to understand yourself and how you relate to other people both at home and in the workplace. And if you've ever wondered how you can improve dynamics at work or with family and friends this workshop is for you!”
“The workshop not only helped me get to know myself as a learner and leader, but also reminded me, constantly, that THE OTHER PERSON IS DIFFERENT. It was a great reminder to get to know others and treat them as they wish to be treated.”
“Connection Labs is a great way to look at yourself in an honest, but not brutally honest, way and gain insight into why and how you react in different situations.”
“A level of self-awareness and ability to manage and draw upon strengths is really empowering.”
Build self-awareness
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You won’t wait until the end of the workshop series to reflect on and integrate what you’ve learned in our sessions. At Connection Labs, we’ve designed our workshop content to spiral; we’ll ask you to connect, reflect on, and integrate your building knowledge base in every session and between sessions.
What our clients are saying:
“What impressed me most about Connection 101 was how quickly and easily our team was able to integrate the concepts into our daily engagements.”
“I don’t want to lose my edge in a day of back-to-back meetings - it can feel like whiplash. Having handy post-it reminders of the powerful tools and language of Connection Labs helps me keep my edge and do my job effectively and thoughtfully.”
“Already noticing improvement in working relationships with people whose character strengths and leadership styles are different from my own. And noticing a big improvement in my ability to participate effectively in difficult conversations.”
“I am much calmer. I don't react as much to what people say because I am trying to listen better and figure out where their question is coming from, and how it links to their character strengths or their leadership style.”
“I have not been to a more transformative experience in years upon years upon years.”
“Extremely impactful. I have a greater understanding of how to create work environments where I and others might thrive.”
“I am so thrilled that I am receiving something "tangible" with which I can help myself and those around me to be just better people. Wowsers!”
“I feel that having the framework and shared vocabulary will establish a solid foundation for our team to grow and move to the next level.”
Reflect and integrate
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“Extensive scientific findings from a variety of disciplines… converge on the same conclusion: social connection is a significant predictor of longevity and better physical, cognitive, and mental health… In fact, the benefits of social connection extend beyond health-related outcomes. They influence an individual’s educational attainment, workplace satisfaction, economic prosperity, and overall feelings of well-being and life fulfillment.” - US Surgeon General’s Advisory 2023
What our clients are saying:
“I'm just feeling very comfortable with the group and impressed/surprised at how comfortable everyone feels together after just a few Zoom sessions! Excellent virtual facilitation skills.”
“I've been skeptical of these exercises in the past, but this time I thought the sessions brought everyone together into a common framework/understanding on how to approach our daily work and daily interactions. I highly recommend having cross-sections of our entire staff work through this. It's a new way of thinking about work in a highly collaborative organization.”
“I already am feeling very grounded and present in this "space" and with these people. It's a calming and nurturing environment.”
“I continue to feel that at each session, everyone is ready to jump right in. I've never heard anyone say, "I didn't do the work," which is a beautiful surprise.”
“This is such a great group of people! There are lots of hidden benefits to just being with a dynamic diverse group of people from around the country.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed all the folks I met and felt instantly connected with a number of them.”
“Really appreciating the amount and length of small group time and I'm feeling connected to many of the participants because of the group time.”
Create community
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Our workshop experiences are not only interactive and reflective but also carefully curated to foster self-awareness, enhance team collaboration, and strengthen relationships.
What our clients are saying:
“The "structure" of this program is second to none.”
“The Connection Labs team has “broken the code” on remote learning. This workshop delivers all of the insights and far more practical content than other bigger, more expensive and extensive programs. The structure and cadence of this program delivers truly practical content at a pace and volume that allows for honest reflection and easy implementation for lasting improvement.”
“Beautifully organized. I appreciated the emails, the learning nudges, the bite-sized content videos and most of all the warm, inviting and informative facilitation.”
“The discipline around session prep and expectations helped me take this more seriously and put more intention behind my efforts than I otherwise might have. Thank you for setting high expectations for us all!”
“Something about the way the Connection Labs program was structured cemented the learning in a different way. It sounds simple and it is when done right.”
“Through their excellent marriage of technology, group discussions, breakouts and teaching, Connection Labs brings the research to life as it relates to who you are and how you interact in the world. You walk away with more self-awareness of your strengths and tools for interacting with others in challenging situations. This workshop makes you a better parent, friend, and colleague.”
“You have created a well-polished gem here.”
“I continue to appreciate how organized everything is— how you start right on time, but with feedback/context that folks a few minutes late can jump right into.”
“These workshops are remarkably smooth and fast-moving, without leaving folks behind. Great use of "homework" time to establish some basics, which then you reinforce and advance in the workshop.”
“Very impressed with the layout, timing and execution of the workshops; set-up for most effective learning.”
“Great facilitation. Very clear directions. Topics were identified and covered clearly and succinctly with lots of positive and affirming moments for feedback.”
“Excellent facilitation— packing a lot of good content in a short amount of time.”
“I found the bite-sized break down of pre-work to do pre-session very helpful — it was always manageable even if I was squeezing in a piece of the pre-work here and there before our session.”
“The facilitators did a fantastic job of organizing, clear tasking, dealing with technology, and showed mastery of the content.”
“Polished, grounded in research. Excellent tempo and affect.”
“Your pacing, tone, word choice, overall message made this content feel super accessible. Super impressive.”
“Thank you team Connection Labs - you are making the world a better place for all.”
Experience one-of-a-kind design
What you can expect:
New confidence in who you are and what you bring to the table
More clarity about and compassion for the different ways people show up on teams and in the world
A strengths-based perspective and strategies to operationalize your strengths to support your relationships
Access to resources and a community of practice
Our strategically designed, expertly facilitated, interactive workshop experiences combine research with engaging activities and curated conversations to cultivate cultures of understanding and communication.
What you’ll learn in our 8-session series: Connection 101
This workshop series is offered three times a year: winter, spring, and fall.
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Employees who feel heard are 4.6x more likely to feel empowered to perform at their best ability. Listening is core to strengthening relationships.
In this session you will:
Build an awareness of your strengths and challenges as a listener
Practice three strategies for effective listening
Begin connecting with a diverse cohort of curious learners
What our clients are saying:
“The activities that we used were such a terrific way to practice a core set of skills AND get to know each other. So fun and useful!”
“I enjoyed the complete engagement both as a listener and a speaker. It's rare when you speak to someone or listen to someone, there's no distractions and you know you are being fully listened to.”
“I can paint a much larger picture in my mind when I listen until someone is done talking, and ultimately I can come up with better / more nuanced questions.”
“SOOO good to get people to tune into listening! Perfect!”
Session 1: Listening
Session 2: An Introduction to Strengths
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“Knowing your...strengths isn’t just interesting information. When skillfully applied...strengths can...help you buffer against, manage and overcome problems, improve your relationships, and enhance health and overall well-being.” - VIA Institute on Character
In this session you will:
Get to know your VIA Character Strengths
Discuss how they show up in your life and support you
Consider how context impacts how and when you put your strengths to use
Become familiar with the ACI process*
*Connection Labs proprietary framework
What our clients are saying:
“I appreciated the concepts of towing and foundational strengths and came to better appreciate the top strengths I have.”
“My signature strengths often function like "building blocks" for me, helping guide me and channel other areas when I need them.”
“The other people I am surrounded by/working with/on my team have a huge impact on which of my strengths show up.”
“I very much appreciated thinking more about towing, context, and the power zone. Our conversations have me feeling very grateful for the current role that I am playing in my organization and the team with whom I work.”
“I feel like this gives me more permission to lean into my creativity and curiosity, and not feel bad about "wasting time" in the mess of the process. This is how great things are created.”
Session 3: Leadership Styles
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“The key to a successful organization is having empowered leaders at all levels, including those who have no direct reports. They not only inspire those around them, they empower those individuals to step up and lead.” - Harvard Business Review Press
In this session you will:
Become familiar with your default leadership style and how it impacts your relationships
Consider how context impacts how you show up in group settings
Examine the intersection between your strengths and your leadership style
What our clients are saying:
“All leadership styles are valid, can be strengths, and ARE forms of leadership. We are all leaders in our own unique ways. Our style is not static and can be context-dependent.”
“Strong realization that my default leadership style has evolved from a need to manage uncertainty/ambiguity, and I am at my best when I have built trust and lean into some of the other styles to temper my interactions. It was really helpful to consider the contexts and environments in which I am able to deploy my strengths to support my leadership style.”
“That, while my foundational leadership style is obvious, aspects of the others pop through depending on context. Like adding a different spice to the mix and changing the tone of a dish.”
“Now that I know my default leadership style, and that I definitely tend to operate in the deltas when I'm stressed, I can be more cognizant of catching myself when I'm "driving" too hard in all areas of my life.”
“Even if I don't operate in a specific leadership style, maybe that is an opportunity to partner with someone who does, and have both of us work in our strength areas.”
Session 4: The Nuances of Strengths
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“Once you look closely at how you bring forth your strengths too strongly (overuse) or not enough (underuse), you’ll find your world opens up. You’ll discover new ways of seeing yourself, seeing others, and handling your troubles. You can apply this thinking in any situation of your life.” - Ryan Niemiec, VIA Institute
In this session you will:
Deepen your understanding of how you might overuse or underuse your strengths
Examine the relationship between the challenges of your leadership style and the strengths you over or underuse
Discuss how you might rebalance strength overuse or underuse
What our clients are saying:
“Overuse/underuse has been really fascinating to me, and I continue to reference those behaviors regularly. This has helped build awareness.”
“Overuse and underuse of strengths is a really helpful and powerful lens to consider as I interact, both personally and professionally.”
“Today I learned to remember that how we perceive our own actions, and how others might perceive our actions can be very different. This only heightens the awareness that how things are communicated is so important.”
“This session and the breakout discussions got me thinking about who I go to in my life to balance me out when I am operating in "overuse" or "underuse" zones.”
Session 5: Psychological Safety
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“When the environment nurtures psychological safety, there’s an explosion of confidence, engagement, and performance. Ask yourself if you feel included, safe to learn, safe to contribute, and safe to challenge the status quo. Finally, ask yourself if you’re creating an environment where others can do these four things. In the process, look around and see others with respect and fresh amazement, find deeper communion in your relationships, and more happiness and satisfaction in your own life.”
Timothy R. Clark, Organizational Anthropologist and author of The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety
In this session you will:
Understand how psychological safety is built or broken
Investigate the behaviors that influence how you function in a group setting
Explore how your core strengths and leadership style might support you in (or prevent you from) cultivating a culture of psychological safety
What our clients are saying:
“In becoming more aware of how I show up in a group and what makes me feel safe, I need to be more aware of how I can create safe spaces for other people and how they might show up. Am I defaulting to a person someone feels comfortable talking to?”
“I am really noticing the relationship between speed of action / time and my strengths and ability to build psychologically safe spaces. Lots to think about and invitations to use my strengths more intentionally to craft the kinds of interactions I want to have at home and work.”
“Being known, respected and seen allows for greater psychological safety and more progress.”
“Putting hard issues on the table can be a gift for the group.”
“Very enlightening and valuable!”
“We all have our unique gifts in communication, and the more we honor that in one another, the more ease we'll have in life.”
“I expected my voice to get louder as I aged. It did not because my style and strengths are not there. So I can accept and even embrace my quieter voice and realize there is room for it at the table.”
“I need to be more aware of the needs, strengths, and deltas of my teammates so that we can all effectively contribute to psychological safety.”
“I'm reflecting on the importance of addressing behaviors that corrode psychological safety before those behaviors root in and spread.”
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“As it relates to workplace wellness, the reality is that trust always impacts, in either direction, two profound outcomes: Energy and joy. High-trust cultures are positively energizing, exciting, engaging, and creative.” - Stephen M.R. Covey
In this session you will:
Explore the research on trust
Examine your tendencies for building or breaking trust
Consider how your core strengths and leadership style support you in developing trusting relationships
What our clients are saying:
“Having a larger vocabulary about facets of trust can help focus a conversation...so it's not "trust is lost", but “this aspect of trust has been weakened and could use some focus.””
“When I co-set boundaries with someone, we are enhancing clarity for how we can best interact, and then adjust the arena from there.”
“The make-up of groups is so important...I usually set up a group by skills, but maybe I need to think about 'trust' as a parameter.”
“I now appreciate that building trust and psychological safety can be a balancing act whereby our impact on a group, and our self-intentions may not be on the 'same page' - this gap can be explored with the help of the group, differing perspectives/leadership styles and vulnerability.”
Session 6: Trust
Session 7: Curiosity and Communication
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“Effective communication impacts more than just the bottom line. For leaders, it’s what enables them to rally their team around a shared vision, empower employees, build trust, and successfully navigate organizational change.” - Lauren Landry, Harvard Business School Online
In this session you will:
Explore your default conflict resolution style(s)
Consider how your conflict resolution style intersects with your core strengths and leadership style
Practice asking questions to promote growth instead of defensiveness
Discuss how conflict resolution styles can impact a culture of psychological safety and trust
What our clients are saying:
“I’m realizing that my default conflict resolution styles impact the development of trust and psychologically safe spaces. Leaning into curiosity, asking questions and pausing are helpful approaches.”
“I learned that I have a tendency to use one of the conflict resolution styles not necessarily to be amicable, but to speed up a decision-making process. But when I don’t give a topic/issue the right amount of air-time, that can lead to each party giving up something - when potentially, neither party had to give up anything (and we both needed different things).”
“I continue to notice that so much of my leadership and conversational styles are about action and reaction and me acting/speaking, rather than pausing or listening. Because my high-octane style has worked for me, I default to high-speed behaviors very easily. I am struck by how other styles might slow down the speed of interaction - in my case potentially good tools to build in addition to my more aggressive go-to styles.”
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“Having strong connections at work is one of the greatest predictors of happiness, success, and health, which makes it an outstanding investment of time and resources.” - Shawn Achor, Researcher of applied positive psychology and Author The Happiness Advantage
In this session you will:
Synthesize workshop concepts in a personal statement and share your preferences and tendencies in accessible language
Workshop and gain confidence in your personal statement
Celebrate the amazing individuals in your cohort
What our clients are saying:
“The power of the personal statement exercise is that by proactively and intentionally stating what it may be like to work with me, I minimize the chance of being misunderstood. This is so relevant today with less in-person communication and more potential for misunderstanding of meaning in emails, text messages and virtual calls.”
“Wow, what a vulnerable feeling to share these statements. And what an incredible community who held and supported one another so beautifully to do that sharing.”
“I'm really starting to see the themes of my ways of being and how they weave through all the different aspects of connection/leadership/conflict resolution.”
“An incredible synthesis of all the concepts we learned!”
