- a seminar about conflicts and leadership

“Under Pressure” is a seminar that focuses on group dynamics, conflict management, and how to be a creative and inspiring leader. The aim is to encourage the participants to further discuss individual responsibility, as well as strengthening their ability to mobilise their associates and their commitment to the organisation.

The dramatic part of the seminar takes place in an office. Two graphic designers have been part of the same team for several years. A year and a half ago, one of the designers, a competent specalist, was promoted to the position of team leader. There is also an office assistant and topping the hierarchy is the head of the division. Lately, the team’s performance has not been up to standard and they have failed to achieve adequate results. This has been noted by the head of the division and if an improvement remains absent, she will be forced to relocate the team leader, which will lead to the dissolution of the group.
The head tries to resolve the conflict by acting as rationally as possible towards the team leader. However, the team leader is a good example of Peter’s Principal – a competent specialist who lacks leadership skills but is despite this fact promoted to a leader’s position. The other designer finds it difficult to say no when asked to take on extra work. Instead she considers leaving the organisation and finding a place where she is allowed to be more creative. Meanwhile, due to the bad atmosphere at work, the assistant keeps running off to the dentist… (!). The characters, as well as the audience, face a series of questions;

· How does one improve a work environment where people keep blaming each other and are locked by stature and prestige?

· What kind of role models are needed in order to form good team leaders?

· Who is responsible for the group dynamics?

· How does one create a team that functions well in ups as well as downs?

· How can each person be the leader of his/her own life?

“Under Pressure” offers the participants the chance to try out their own thoughts and ideas in a realistic scenario. Here, they will discover the possibilities and the difficulties when dealing with conflicts at work. They are also given the opportunity to transform an insufficient and authoritarian style of management into an inspiring and creative one.

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