Deep conversations
Agency energy shapes the work. When it is right, everything flows. When it is off, people feel it.
Bringing a Feelings-First culture inward, without making it earnest, awkward or weird about feelings.
A brain-based team workshop helping Fiasco Design create space to reflect on what was working, what deserved celebrating and where subtle tensions might be shaping the energy of the studio.
Fiasco Design is a B Corp certified creative agency in Bristol, building emotion-driven brands and digital experiences.
The context
Fiasco is intentional about a culture rooted in empathy, optimism and openness. The team wanted to bring that Feelings-First approach inward: noticing the everyday realities of studio life, the subtle tensions that can hold people back and the part each person plays in shaping the culture around them.
The work
We created the space to think clearly, together.
Clear thinking
Kate created a grounded, thought-provoking workshop that helped the team reflect on where they are at their best, what they were celebrating and what needed more honest attention. The work connected emotional awareness, brain states and team habits to the very practical idea that my vibe sets the vibe.
Practical ways forward
Used simple questions to explore when people are at their best individually and as a team.
The outcome
Stronger foundations. Clearer direction. Better relationships.
- The team had space to celebrate what was already working
- Subtle tensions became easier to name without turning the room heavy
- People reflected on their own role in shaping the studio culture
- The session gave the team shared language for keeping the culture moving forward
“It opened up an honest conversation about the role each of us plays in shaping the culture around us.”
The impact
Clarity that changed how the work could move.
The work can be emotionally intelligent without becoming solemn. Sometimes the best room is one where people can say, with a straight face and a small smile, the vibes are off, and then do something useful with that information.
Delve deeper
Related resources for the pattern underneath this work.
01
Leadership
Hybrid did not create your relationship problems. It just made them impossible to ignore.
Hybrid did not create the relationship problems in a team. It reveals the trust, communication and psychological safety issues that proximity used to quietly manage.
02
Psychology & Work
You can see exactly what's wrong. You've seen it for months. So why haven't you said anything?
The gap between knowing something is broken and actually naming it out loud is one of the least examined spaces in professional life. It is also, right now, getting wider.
03
Practical tools
How to run a team conversation about how we actually work
Most teams have never had an explicit conversation about how they work together. They have had conversations about what they are working on, how the project is going, what the priorities are.