Productive Tension

Turn tension into growth

Unhealthy conflict undermines efficiency, erodes value and festers into distrust.

I can help you have productive conflict that turns tension into a powerful tool for growth, innovation, and better decision-making.

Facilitation

Training

Kevin is a leadership partner with a strong track record of helping senior leaders of major multinationals, especially those operating in emerging markets, to be mindful of the economic and social dynamics of their host countries so that they can align them with corporate objectives to create mutual advantage. He is effective in mentoring senior leaders to skillfully lead their organisations to embrace cultural diversity and build trust with both the corporate centre and local stakeholders.

Nana Appia Kyei

Commercial Director, Kosmos Energy; Ex Phillips Petroleum Corp, GNPC, Arco, BP, Tullow Ghana, Board Member of GNPC, Bui Power & West Africa Gas Pipeline Authorities, Technical advisor to the governmen

Why work with me?

  • Experienced in navigating high-stakes tension: I’ve facilitated difficult conversations at all levels, from executive teams to operational units, including sociopolitical conflict, board rooms, and founder-manager leadership teams, helping turn friction into progress.
  • Practical tools, real impact: I equip teams with actionable strategies to handle conflict constructively, not just theoretically.
  • Calm, courageous presence: I create safe spaces where teams can surface tough issues, resolve tensions, and move forward stronger.
  • Focus on growth: I help teams view tension as a tool for learning, decision-making, and innovation.

Resolve longstanding tension or a high-stakes disagreement, so that the stakeholders are heard and the business needs are served.

  • Address the friction: Talk about the needs and blockers in a direct and respectful way.
  • Give trust a chance: Make fractured relationships more functional.
  • Align on shared goals: Refocus attention on what truly matters to the business.
  • Contract solutions: Develop practical agreements and commitments to move forward.

The thing about difficult conversations is that they’re difficult. This causes most leaders and managers to either attack or avoid tensions that arise.

Learn to have difficult conversations in ways that lead to progress. This training equips individuals and teams with knowledge and tools to have productive tension:

  • Understand the dynamics of conflict: Recognise how and why tension arises in workplace relationships.
  • Acquire skills to navigate difficult conversations: Approach performance, behaviour, or perspective clashes with confidence and skill.
  • Learn how to turn friction into innovation: Use disagreements as a catalyst for better decisions and creative solutions.
  • Gain confidence to ontract a way forward that will produce a different result to the past.