Power Play & Status: Negotiation Playground | Matías Avaca & Susan Zheng

You’re sitting across from someone who wants an answer now.

You need time to think. But they push harder.

You feel the tension. You want to say what’s bubbling up inside, but the words won’t come out.

And afterwards... you regret not speaking up.

What if the outcome could be different?

What if their directness isn’t necessarily a personal attack, but simply a different way of communicating?

Hard conversations can be difficult to practice in real life because the consequences are very real.
Here, you can try new things, pause, change approaches, switch perspectives and try again.

In this immersive, full-day workshop, we invite you to get curious, experiment and learn by doing.

• Recognise power dynamics, understand what the other person needs and become more strategic about how you respond.
• Practise saying what you need, while understanding what matters to others and finding a way forward together.
• Explore DiSC behavioural styles to understand differences in communication, pace and priorities.

Matías Avaca brings his experience as a Senior Engineering Manager in the software industry, combining leadership, systems thinking and a curiosity about what makes people tick.

Susan Zheng is a DiSC Advanced Accredited Consultant. She draws on techniques from Chris Voss, Jefferson Fisher and Janine Driver to explore negotiation, communication under pressure and body language.

Both are applied improv facilitators. Together, they’ve created a day where you can discover better ways to handle tricky conversations.

You’ll take part in short exercises, paired conversations and realistic workplace scenarios.

You’ll have opportunities to replay moments and discover what changes when you adjust your words, body language or approach to status.

You’ll practise skills to help you speak up with confidence, adapt your negotiation approach and work better with others.

No improv or acting experience needed.

Just bring your curiosity. And, if you like, a conversation you wish had gone differently.

For leaders, managers, professionals, facilitators, coaches and anyone who wants to communicate and negotiate more effectively across different working styles.

We’ll explore familiar situations such as managing up and down, negotiating responsibilities, setting workplace boundaries, working with clients and vendors, and navigating competing priorities.

You're invited to bring a situation that you find challenging.

You’ll have opportunities to explore it from different perspectives and experiment with what you could do next.

You’ll practise how to:

• Prepare for important conversations without a fixed script.
• Use DiSC to understand your own communication style and adapt to others.
• Explore voice, body language and status and how they shape a conversation.
• Spot misunderstandings early and help prevent conflict from escalating.
• Try different scenarios through playful roleplay, swap perspectives and discover what works for you.

Matías Avaca brings together theatre, leadership and a curiosity about human behaviour. An Argentinian improviser based in Auckland, he has spent 15 years performing, directing and teaching improv across more than 15 countries.

By day, he leads software engineering teams through complex projects and competing priorities.

His workshops combine real-world leadership experience with playful theatre tools to reveal how we communicate, connect and respond under pressure.

This is a rare opportunity to work with him as he's in Sydney for one weekend only!

Susan Zheng brings together applied improv, DiSC and 20 years of experience in sales and marketing.

As the founder and Chief of Spontaneity at Improv Life Lessons Pty Ltd, she turns communication and personal development into playful, hands-on learning.

Her workshops invite people to get out of their heads and to turn pressure into possibility.

Read Susan's Google Reviews

“If you are lucky enough to get the chance to do a course or workshop with Matías, grab it! He creates a safe, vibrant learning environment that is super interesting and fun!”

— Karen, workshop participant

“Susan's improv has taught me how to stay grounded when plans fall apart, how to feel genuinely safe to fail and how to use the moment instead of fighting it. What I love about her workshops is that it’s not about being funny, it’s about learning to trust yourself, respond instead of perform and build the kind of confidence that comes from knowing you can handle whatever happens. Highly recommended.”
— Annik Rau, Founder of Expressive Wings

Join us for a playful, hands-on day. Places are limited so everyone has time to practise, experiment and get personal feedback.

This is a rare opportunity to work with Matías as he's in Sydney for one weekend only!

Book your spot now and step into The Negotiation Playground

Event venue & nearby stays

City of Sydney Creative Studios, 119 Bathurst Street, Sydney, Australia

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