Dr Matt Slavin · Auckland & New Zealand · Performance Psychology
Team Workshops
& Speaking
Science-backed workshops and keynote talks that help leaders and teams think more clearly, communicate more effectively, and perform consistently under pressure.
Formats · Keynote / Half-day / Full-day / Series
Audiences · Leadership teams, HR & People teams, Founders
Location · Auckland · Nationwide · Online
THE WORK
What this is about
Pressure changes the way people think, communicate and lead, often in ways they don't notice until it's already affecting performance, culture and relationships.
My workshops and talks draw on clinical psychology, neuroscience and real-world performance work to give leaders and teams a clearer understanding of what's happening under pressure and practical tools to respond more steadily and effectively.
This isn't generic resilience training. The content is psychologically grounded, practically useful and designed to stick.
WHO THIS IS FOR
Right for your team if…
Corporate leadership teams:
Leaders and their teams who want high performance under sustained pressure without burning out or losing effectiveness.
SME founders & owners:
Founders navigating high-stakes decisions and leading small teams through uncertainty.
HR & People & Culture teams:
Teams building psychologically healthier cultures, or looking for evidence-based wellbeing programmes.
Professional associations:
Conferences and CPD events looking for a credible, engaging speaker on performance psychology.
WORKSHOP THEMES
Common Topics
Sessions are tailored to your team's context, not delivered off a shelf. These are the themes I'm most often asked to work with:
How stress and pressure affect thinking and decision-making
Leadership and nervous system regulation
Burnout: how to prevent and how to recover
Attention, focus and cognitive performance
Performing under high stakes, clarity when it counts
Communication under pressure
Psychological safety and team culture
Building sustainable habits of performance
FORMATS
How we can work together
TalkKeynote Speaking
45-75 minutes. Conference keynotes, leadership days and company events. Engaging, evidence-based and immediately applicable.
WorkshopFull-Day Session
6–7 hours. Deeper exploration with more time for team discussion, exercises and personalised application.
WorkshopHalf-Day Session
3–4 hours. Theory, discussion and practical tools. Works well as a standalone event or part of a team or leadership programme.
ProgrammeSeries / Ongoing
Multiple sessions across weeks or months. Builds real change over time - often the most impactful option for teams.
THE APPROACH
What makes this different
01 Clinically grounded, not just theoretical
The content draws on real clinical and performance psychology work, not repurposed self-help. I bring the science, and the experience of actually working with people under pressure.
02 Tailored to your team and context
I don't deliver the same session twice. Every workshop is shaped around what your people are actually facing - their pressures, their patterns, their mission and goals.
03 Practical, not just inspiring
People leave with tools they can actually use - strategies grounded in psychology that work in real working conditions, not just ideal ones.
04 A facilitation style that people respond to
Calm, clear and genuinely engaging. The kind of session people talk about afterwards, and not just because it was comfortable.
IN THEIR WORDS
What People Say
"A sign of great training is when you're engaged throughout the day and leave full of wonder and a wish to tell others. This did just that."
- Workshop Participant"Matt inspired confidence and backed up what I believed with science, history and humanity. A great workshop for the team."
- Workshop Participant"Matt's facilitation style was clear, well-paced and thoughtful. I appreciated his calmness and attentiveness."
- Workshop Participant"The workshop was easy to follow, engaging with everyone, and interactive, which I liked more. We took away valuable tools that anyone can implement straight away for a better, healthier mind."
— Workshop ParticipantWhat People Say
"Clear, inclusive, experiential. It helped inform my work and gave me a fresh perspective."
- Workshop Participant"I really appreciated Matt's knowledge, professionalism, pace and grounded humility."
- Workshop Participant"Extremely informative and useful. A highly valued and memorable experience."
- Workshop ParticipantInterested in working together?
Get in touch to talk about what your team needs. I'll respond within a couple of days and we can figure out whether and how I can help.
FAQs
Most resilience training gives people a framework and sends them on their way. This is different in two ways. First, the content is clinically grounded - drawn from real psychology, not repurposed self-help. Second, it's tailored to your team's actual context, not delivered off a shelf. People leave with a genuine understanding of what's happening for them under pressure, and tools that work in real conditions, not just ideal ones. The feedback we consistently get is that it makes a difference where it counts.
How is this different from other wellbeing or resilience training?
1
How do I know if a workshop is right for our team?
2
If your team is operating under sustained pressure, going through change, or you're noticing stress, communication breakdowns or performance issues - a workshop is likely a good fit. If you're not sure, get in touch and we can talk it through. Sometimes a workshop is exactly what's needed. Sometimes consulting or a series makes more sense. I'd rather help you find the right thing than sell you the wrong one.
Can you tailor the content to our industry or context?
3
Yes - always. Before any workshop I'll want to understand your team, your sector and what you're actually navigating. The psychological principles are consistent, but how they're framed, the examples used and the focus areas are shaped around your people. This isn't a generic programme with your logo on it.
What size groups do you work with?
4
I work with groups ranging from small leadership teams of 6-8 through to larger conference audiences of 100+. The format shifts depending on size - smaller groups allow for more discussion and personalisation, while larger keynote settings are more structured. If you have a specific group size in mind, mention it when you get in touch.
What does it cost?
Pricing depends on the format, length, travel requirements and scope of preparation involved. A half-day workshop, a full-day session and a keynote are all priced differently. Get in touch with a sense of what you're looking for and I'll come back with a clear proposal.
5
How far in advance do we need to book?
6
As much notice as possible is helpful, particularly for full-day sessions and series work which require more preparation. That said, if you have a shorter lead time, it's always worth getting in touch. I'll let you know what's possible.
Do you offer follow-up or ongoing support after a workshop?
7
Yes. A one-off session can be valuable, but the most meaningful change tends to happen over time. I offer follow-up sessions, series formats and ongoing consulting relationships for teams who want to build on the work rather than treat it as a one-day event. This can be scoped as part of the original engagement or added afterwards.
We've done wellbeing training before and it didn't land, why would this be different?
8
Usually when training doesn't land it's because it was too generic, too abstract, or people couldn't see how it connected to their actual day-to-day. I spend time before every session understanding your team's context so the content feels relevant - not like something HR ticked a box on. If you've had that experience before, tell me about it when we speak. It'll help me understand what would actually be useful.