99% of workplaces have a bullying policy. 1 in 3 workers still experience it.
People walk out of most bullying training able to define the problem - and still walk past it in the hallway the next day. The actual skill is recognising the grey zone, interrupting it in the moment, and having the conversation that either repairs the team or escalates it the right way.
What we do differently
Most bullying programs teach recognition as a checklist - not as a judgement call you'll make under pressure. They run generic scenarios that don't look like your workplace, so participants file them under “not my problem.” They train awareness but not response. They leave leaders to figure out duty of care on their own. And they don't rehearse the interruption. The interruption is the skill.
Our program is built around rehearsal, not recitation. A tailored Corporate Play brings low-grade bullying into the room as it forms - the repeated slight, the ambiguous instruction, the team member who's always the butt of the joke. Participants watch it compound the way it does in real teams, then practise the interruption with our actor-facilitators until it starts to feel natural.
Leaders get a separate track on receiving reports, managing confidentiality and supporting employees who disclose - without over-stepping, without under-reacting. These are specific practised skills.
Much Ado About Hector
Our flagship Corporate Play on workplace bullying - the grey zone made visible, the team dynamic made specific.
Rehearsal for Reality
Small-group practice with actor-facilitators. Participants try the interruption until it starts to feel natural.
Leader track on duty of care
Receiving reports, managing confidentiality, supporting employees without over-stepping or under-reacting.
Optional Upstander extension
For cohorts who want the wider bystander skill set - recognise, redirect, refer.
The plays we use for this topic
Nothing is delivered off the shelf. These are the plays in our repertoire - every one gets tailored to your workplace before it goes in the room. Jacob picks and adapts on the scoping call.
Our primary Bullying play. Rupert leads a diverse project team, and Slugger is the old-school one who keeps crossing lines. Especially resonant for outdoor, high-vis and trade workforces where the line between "banter" and bullying gets blurred.
Hector shakes things up at the office, starting with Mary. Lives in the line between legitimate workplace instruction and inappropriate behaviour.
A newly-appointed manager navigates a day of wide-ranging team issues; Bullying is one of the most commonly selected focus topics.
The four Upstander behaviours, turned into muscle memory.
What a session looks like
Half-day or full-day, depending on whether you want the standalone bullying prevention module, the full Upstander extension, or the leader-specific track added on. We've delivered well at Rio Tinto sites at 50 participants - comfortable at that ceiling.
- Much Ado About Hector (or sector variant) Corporate Play
- Rehearsal for Reality interruption practice
- Leader track on receiving reports and duty of care
- Optional Upstander module for active-bystander capability
- Commitment Mapping as the close
“It has allowed them to not only gain a better understanding around bullying and harassment in the workplace, but also how to deal with situations outside of work.”
— Site Superintendent, Downer
Frequently asked questions
Short version: we rehearse the interruption. Most programs teach people to recognise bullying. We teach them to do something about it, and we make them practise until it starts to feel natural. The research on bystander behaviour is clear that recognition without practice doesn't translate to action.
Yes, and we recommend it. Leader content covers duty of care, receiving disclosures, managing confidentiality and supporting employees through reports without over-stepping. These are specific practised skills, not overlap with the general workforce session.
Often. The three topics share a spine and many clients run them as a sequenced program rather than separate one-offs. That approach builds consistent language across the workforce and compounds the culture shift. Jacob can scope a multi-topic program on the scoping call.
Ideal is 30 to 40 participants - that lets us split into four or five small groups for Rehearsal for Reality so every participant gets practice time with one of our actor-facilitators. Up to 50 also possible; we've delivered well at Rio Tinto sites at this size.
Safe Work Australia, the Fair Work Commission, current Australian case law on bullying, and the bystander intervention research literature. Our facilitators keep current with both the legal and behavioural side.
Training Delivered Differently
Let's talk about what went wrong with the last program
If you've run workplace Bullying training before and watched the behaviours reappear six months later, you already know what we need to talk about. Twenty minutes with Jacob. Bring the short version of what happened last time. We'll tell you honestly whether we can help.