Resources
Practical guides for running game-based conflict training – how to run sessions, debrief them well, measure whether they worked, and the research behind all of it. No fluff, no funnel.
Advocacy-Inquiry: The Debrief Questioning Technique That Surfaces Real Reasoning
Debriefing with good judgment pairs an honest observation with genuine curiosity about the reasoning behind it. How to build and practice advocacy-inquiry.
Aesthetic Distancing: Why Playing a Character Makes Hard Conversations Easier
The drama-therapy concept behind 'it's my character, not me': how a fictional mask lowers identity threat so people practice conflict they'd normally avoid.
Beyond the Feedback Sandwich: Evidence-Based Ways to Give Feedback
Why the feedback sandwich backfires – praise becomes a threat cue – and what the evidence supports instead: the GAIN framework, SBI, and worked examples.
Can a Tabletop RPG Really Teach Conflict Skills? What the Research Says
An honest evidence review: what simulation research, aesthetic distance, and two pilot sessions say a tabletop RPG can and can't teach a workplace team.
Navigating Competing Priorities with Peers When Nobody Outranks Anybody
Two team leads, two legitimate priorities, no tiebreaker. How to make trade-offs explicit, negotiate on shared criteria, and escalate jointly if you must.
The Real Cost of Conflict Avoidance at Work
Conflict avoidance looks like harmony and bills like rework. What the silence costs, why capable people stay quiet, and what actually breaks the cycle.
50+ Debrief Questions for Team Exercises (Organized by What They Surface)
50+ after-action review and debrief questions, organized by phase and by what they surface – plus the three to ask when you only have ten minutes.
Logistics for a Game-Based Training Day: People, Time, Room, Materials
The planning checklist behind a 7.5-hour game-based training day – group size, timing budget, breaks, room setup, printed materials, and facilitator prep.
How to Debrief a Training Exercise: A Three-Phase Guide That Actually Changes Behavior
The learning happens in the debrief, not the exercise. A three-phase structure – reactions, analysis, application – with timing budgets and real questions.