'Professor' Jeff facilitating a team learning session with three team members.
Foundational workshops
Establishing team foundations

Our foundational team-based workshops are designed to facilitate collective change through action-oriented learning and development experiences. Participants do not just learn new theory, frameworks, and tools; they spend most of their time practising with them on real scenarios, issues, and challenges together.

All workshops are facilitated live (virtually and in-person) by our team of Learning Facilitators, who create safe spaces where all voices can be heard, and connection and trust can deepen. Following this, we help teams to operationalize the prioritized learning that surfaced during each workshop, ensuring traction that drives real, sustainable change.

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Using Conflict to Create Connection and Trust

Having meaningful conversations

Transform your team's relationship with tension and conflict in this immersive workshop designed for creative, collaborative, high-stakes environments. Learn to engage in tension productively, understand different conflict types, and apply effective frameworks that turn challenging interactions into opportunities for deeper connection and enhanced performance. Move beyond avoidance or unproductive arguments to build a culture where conflict serves as a catalyst for growth and innovation.

Details

Many teams (and people in general) struggle with conflict – avoiding it, getting stuck in it, or misusing it. This type of conflict can show up as loud (and judgmental) arguments during meetings, fiery emails or Slack posts, and artificial harmony or silo-like behaviours. When teams engage in unhealthy or harmful conflict, it can lead to disconnection and poor performance, high levels of distress and burnout, grievances and sick leave, and other negative outcomes.

In this workshop, participants will learn how to create space for the safe and open exploration of conflict on their team and begin to identify and address core patterns of behaviours to deepen connection and trust. Introducing helpful tools, models, and frameworks, this workshop’s purpose is to help participants to practice healthy and productive conflict with more awareness and skill.

Who this is for

Teams who work in creative, collaborative, and high-stakes environments, where higher levels of tension and conflict exist.

Key takeaways

This workshop will help participants to:

  • Understand four common types of conflict
  • Make sense of their individual and collective relationship with conflict
  • Learn and apply effective tools & frameworks to real scenarios
  • Establish shared priorities and next steps to activate learning

Deepening Collaboration and Relationships with Feedback

Doing Feedback Right

Master the art of meaningful feedback in this transformative workshop designed for teams at all levels. Learn to create a culture where feedback flows naturally, driving innovation and connection. Through practical models and hands-on practice, participants will develop the confidence to give, receive, and request feedback effectively, breaking down common barriers and establishing a shared language that elevates team performance and individual growth.

Details

Effective feedback is an essential skill for creating a highly connected, innovative, and accomplished culture. It is also one of the skills that leaders struggle with the most and that team members say is missing from their employee experience and learning journeys. In this workshop, participants learn the key principles of requesting, making sense of, and providing effective feedback. Introducing helpful tools, models, and frameworks, this workshop’s purpose is to help participants to practice feedback with more awareness and skill.

Who this is for

Teams at all levels who need to engage in meaningful performance, developmental, and values-based feedback loops for the sake of what they are seeking to accomplish together.

Key takeaways

This workshop will help participants to:

  • Develop shared language and tools for engaging in helpful feedback loops
  • Learn and practice with several simple and effective feedback models
  • Identify and overcome barriers to giving meaningful feedback

Breaking through Artificial Harmony

Embracing tension productively

Break free from the silent struggle of artificial harmony in this transformative workshop designed for teams seeking authentic collaboration. Learn how psychological safety and conscious communication can transform suppressed tensions into opportunities for growth and innovation. Through practical tools and frameworks, leaders and team members will develop the confidence to create an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives thrive and meaningful dialogue becomes the norm, leading to stronger relationships and enhanced performance.

Details

On many teams, artificial harmony is a not-so-visible type of conflict that can lead to a build-up of resentment, ‘stuckness’, and disconnection - slowly eroding trust and hindering collaboration. It occurs when people minimize or avoid conflict to preserve their relationships, career prospects, or job security. The inability to engage in healthy, productive conflict is often rooted in power dynamics and the presence (or lack thereof) of psychological safety.

In this interactive workshop, participants will explore how to break free from the constraints of artificial harmony by addressing the deeper issues that prevent open and meaningful dialogue. Through a mix of tools, models, and frameworks, we will dive into the four stages of psychological safety and learn how to practice conscious communication to navigate conflict with awareness, skill, and confidence.

Who this is for

Leaders and teams committed to fostering an inclusive culture where meaningful feedback, productive tension, and open dialogue are encouraged.

Key takeaways

This workshop will help participants to:

  • Recognize different types of conflict, including the signs and root causes
  • Learn and activate deeper levels of psychological safety
  • Create safe spaces for different perspectives to be shared openly
  • Develop skill in addressing disagreements with clarity and confidence

Activating our Power through Conscious Communication

Breaking through assumptions and biases

We are a judgy species by nature, and in some cases this has (and can) serve us well - e.g. not walking towards that growling sound in the bush or not clicking on that AI-generated text link to collect our government 'rebate'. But 'unchecked' assumptions can also negatively impact our relationships, quality of work, and personal purpose. Enter 'conscious communication' - a powerful skill enabling you to connect and meaningfully interact with people in your life, helping your relationships to thrive.

Details

Sometimes, despite our best efforts and intentions, our communication lands poorly and causes confusion. Or, our well-crafted and thoughtful messaging gets delivered poorly by someone else, causing additional harm and frustration.

The ability to (truly) listen deeply, engage in meaningful dialogue, and give purposeful direction ('conscious communication') is a fundamental skill, and an essential ingredient in building high functioning teams.

In this interactive workshop, our facilitators will create a safe, engaging, and open environment for participants to cultivate new levels of awareness and skill when it comes to communication. Through a mix of tools, models, and frameworks, participants will practice engaging in deep listening and meaningful dialogue with each other.

Who this is for

Leaders and teams who want to cultivate deeper levels of awareness and skill in communication – with self and others!

Key takeaways

This workshop will help participants to:

  • Identify communication traps that can negatively impact relationships (usually unintentionally)
  • Develop effective strategies for identifying and aligning on needs, values, and hopes & fears
  • Create a safe, open, and engaging environments for conscious (empathetic) communication

Choose the right TACO learning experience for your team

🌮

Bite

1 session
1.5 hours*
  • Up to 12 participants
  • Live facilitation (virtual and in-person)
  • Hands-on, immersive experiences
  • Tools and frameworks
Starting at
$2,500**
excluding travel and expenses
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🌮🌮

Snack

1-2 sessions
4 hours*

Everything in 🌮, plus:

  • Shared online learning space
  • 1 follow-up ‘Traction Planning Session’ (1 hour)
  • 1 hour of Trusted Advising time (e.g. Coaching, Facilitating, Strategizing)
  • 10% off your next workshop (within 6 months)
  • Complimentary participation in Friends of TACO L&D events
Starting at
$5,500**
excluding travel and expenses
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🌮🌮🌮

Meal

1-3 sessions
8 hours*

Everything in 🌮🌮, plus:

  • A personalized (co-designed) learning experience
  • Baseline and growth impact surveys for measuring progress
  • Digital printable copy of TACO’s Playbook (tools, frameworks, models)
  • 1 additional hour of Trusted Advising time (2 hours total)
  • Annual program preferred pricing + a blueprinting session (1.5 hours)
  • Community rates on your next TACO engagement
Starting at
$7,500**
excluding travel and expenses
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* These hours represent participant’s synchronous learning time, which will be supported by pre and post session activities (e.g. planning, designing, debriefing)

** Prices are based on virtual workshops for groups of up to 12 participants with one senior facilitator. We can accommodate larger groups and invite you to explore this with us.

Testimonials

Client TACO-monials

“What distinguishes The Ally Co. is not only their in-depth knowledge but also their commitment to creating an inclusive and interactive learning environment. The workshop, carefully crafted to encourage active participation, sparked meaningful conversations amoung our attendees. The practical tools and strategies shared were immediately applicable, and the follow-up information provided by The Ally Co. further enriched the learning experience and ongoing conversations. The overwhelmingly positive feedback we've received about the event speaks for itself.”
Julia Perkins, Director of Mentorship at IABC Calgary
“Our leadership development work was critically important for us to function as a team before coming back to the office post Covid - given the dysfunctions and behaviours that existed previously. As a team, we’re a lot healthier and happier now. Going forward, I think people feel more safe coming back. This was a very important process for us to go through and The Ally Co. did a fantastic job to help get us here over the last 10 months.”
Rick Urbanczyk, Director of Facilities Services at TC Energy
“Working in the non-profit sector with a goal to create and nurture lasting social impact is extremely rewarding and fills a passion for so many. It can also be lonely and uncertain work, often leaving leaders and teams with more questions than tools and answers. The Ally Co.’s transformational leadership program provided real-time thinking and tools to help our team foster more collaborative, impactful, and healthy cultural practices. ”
Eryn Dewald, Past Executive Director at Children's Link Society

Ready to get started?

Questions? Thoughts? Feedback? Whatever it is, we would love to hear from you!

team@theallyco.world