Training
Improving lives by learning to shift how we talk about big changes
Grow your skills and confidence in our unique Narratives for Change methods. Make more impact with your work. Create hope for others by learning how to apply the latest research in psychology, communication, cognitive science, linguistics, and movement building.
We offer different training options to help you, your organisation, or community shift how people talk about the big issues.
Our training in mindsets and narratives can help you build support for the changes that will make the biggest difference to people and the planet. Shifting how people talk about issues can change how people think and act and whether they understand and support change.
You can view our upcoming training in our events calendar →
Narratives for Change Foundations training
Narratives for Change Foundations training is for you if you’re starting your narrative and training journey with The Workshop. This training will help you understand and use narrative strategies to help shift mindsets so people can support the big changes you’re working towards.
Topic-specific training and talks
Topic specific training and talks is for you if you want to focus on narratives for change in a specific area of work like climate or justice, or if you’re facing a specific challenge like difficult conversations and false information.
We have specific training on Preparing for difficult conversations and false information, Climate Narratives, and Reframing Crime and Justice.
Bespoke training
Bespoke training is for groups to work together as a team, and with your allies and collaborators. You’ll learn how narratives can build support for the specific changes you need. We’ll tailor bespoke training workshops that customise Foundations training content to match the focus of your group and community.
Email our training team to discuss bespoke training: training@theworkshop.org.nz
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What others have said about our training
“The workshop was incredibly useful. The values based framing was new to me and has transformed my way of thinking about messaging and communications. As a Foundation, our goal is to make sure all young people in Aotearoa New Zealand have the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. In order to reach our goals we need to be able to communicate complicated messages around poverty, racism and concepts of success. The sessions really drove home the idea that people respond to our messages based on deeply held values and make decisions on more than just the facts alone and provided strategies for moving forward. Highly recommended.”
“This workshop was extremely enlightening and illuminating! Some of the learnings were very ‘counter-intuitive’. I now see that I’ve got some un-learning to do. I highly recommend this workshop for anyone interested in positive social change and transformation. If you are working in this space, then you need to understand the importance of frames and values. If we always do what we’ve always done, we’ll always get what we’ve always got. It’s time to learn about a different way of talking about our work.”
“The workshop was eye opening. It changed the way I approach communication in my job. The theory is optimistic and realistic about people and the ways they can be influenced, and how you can effectively make change. It runs counter to some of the assumptions I had around messaging and has helped me be more ambitious and creative in running campaigns. They include relevant and moving examples of the theory in action that made me laugh and cry, and the workshop has been adapted well to the New Zealand context.”
“Learning from the team at The Workshop has fundamentally improved the way I do my job as a Strategic Communications Manager.
Learning about how The Narratives for Change method works and its well-researched, values-based approach to storytelling has brought me closer to my workplace’s target audiences and made me think deeply about the language I use and how others interpret it. The Workshop provides a clear framework alongside offering reflective questions to participants throughout, which spur thoughts and ideas well beyond the training itself. In my work specifically, I have greatly enjoyed exploring which values I am surfacing in my storytelling and how they align with the strategic goals of my workplace.
Anyone who has a role communicating ideas, whether internally in teams or externally with partners, will significantly benefit from taking part in The Workshop’s Narratives for Change training.”