BUSINESS PROGRAMS

The Sapphire offers a variety of interactive training programs, designed for business environments of all types and sizes, that explore difficult work and related life challenges. Each program is tailored for the audience to examine corrosive conflicts, explore complex issues and discover new solutions. Don’t see your particular topic…? We can work with you to create a customized learning experience to fit your specific needs.

Our training programs for businesses feature PICTURE THIS® – our Emmy-award winning process that takes tough topics, places them center-stage, then engages audiences in a dialogue facilitated towards learning goals. The PICTURE THIS process allows audiences to directly interact with challenging subjects in a safe, low-risk environment, where new approaches to problems are encouraged and rehearsed without consequences for failures. We also offer interactive WORKSHOPS & SEMINARS and “HOT-SEAT” SIMULATIONS, led by facilitators who use theatre-based exercises to teach the established learning points. These engagements provide fun, meaningful experientials that can be directly applied back in the workplace.  Individual creativity and group problem-solving are both engaged, with a strong emphasis on team-building and effective means of interpersonal communication.

Your leadership team shapes not only your internal work culture, but the outside world’s perception of your organization.  We can help your company be a place where employees want to work and clients are proud to do business.

PICTURE THIS for Corporate Audiences

Professional improvisation actors portray real-life scenes customized for each audience, then facilitators guide a two-way conversation between the audience and the characters, exploring the issues and navigating difficult conversations. The PICTURE THIS process allows participants to directly engage with challenging subjects in a safe, low-risk environment.

KEY TOPICS for CORPORATE Audiences:

• Communication & Conflict Resolution:  Empathetic listening, understanding voice and body language, and de-escalation techniques lead to better work relationships.
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:  By fostering healthy dialogue about differences in race, ethnicity, gender, ages, religions, sexual orientation, political views, backgrounds, personalities and more, we help move audiences forward, from tolerance to acceptance and towards truly valuing diversity in the workplace.
• Ethics: Careful consideration of future consequences, not just immediate reward, are explored to instill integrity around decision making.
• Harassment & Hostile Environments:  Respect for others is reinforced around situations of inappropriate humor, sexual harassment, and bullying.
• Workplace Violence: Raising awareness, identifying early warning signs, and knowing how/where to report are all critical to prevent situations from escalating.  We partner with topical and tactical experts to offer further training in handling critical events.

WORKSHOPS & SEMINARS:

Our engaging WORKSHOPS & SEMINARS provide fun, meaningful experientials led by facilitators who use theatre-based games and exercises to teach the established learning points. Every experience is tailored to meet the needs of each audience and custom workshop creation is available. Almost all workshops are available virtually.  Examples include:

• IMPROVE with IMPROV…! This interactive, high-energy, team-building workshop utilizes the techniques of improvisation to teach communication and relationship skills. Listening actively, thinking quickly, applying mindfulness to stressful situations, and building relationships comprise the focus of this team-building corporate training program.
• LISTENING and the Lost Art of Consensus Building. This workshop highlights diversity and inclusion by focusing on listening to the diverse voices around us. Highly interactive, this workshop provides not only the latest evidence and information about the benefits of diverse learning environments and workplaces, but also clear and executable exercises for improving various types of inclusion. By starting with the skill of listening to accept rather than to respond, participants find ways to set aside personal and unconscious biases and improve communication and instruction techniques.
• LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. Effective leadership requires a wide array of interpersonal skills that must be adaptable for each moment and opportunity.  Our programs are customized to meet your company’s needs, and to sharpen the skills of effective leadership and communication.  Our process creates a safe, encouraging environment that allows attendees the freedom to stretch from their normal habits to try novel approaches.

“HOT SEAT” SIMULATION TRAINING

Focused, intensive, interactive experiences for small groups is offered through our Hot Seat Simulation Training.  In-depth scenarios are created to give participants the opportunity to talk one-on-one with an employee, client, or boss (portrayed by a professional SAPPHIRE actor) and experience difficult conversations.  Immediate feedback is given from observers and facilitators, that is applied and tried in real time, using theatrical rehearsal techniques. This poignant process raises awareness of communication strengths and weaknesses, while helping to build outstanding interpersonal communication skills.  Roleplay for training has never been less intimidating and more impactful!

KEY TOPICS for “HOT SEAT” SIMULATION TRAINING include the following:

• Customer Service
• Delivering Bad News
• Employee Reviews
• Exit Interviews
• Giving Constructive Feedback
• Handling Crisis
• Hiring Interviews