How the change triangle course can empower office managers in New Zealand companies

Understanding the change triangle course

What is the Change Triangle Tool?

The change triangle is a practical tool designed to help people understand and work with their emotions in the workplace. It is based on emotion education and helps office managers in New Zealand companies recognise the core emotions that drive behaviour and decision-making. The triangle model highlights three main types of emotions: core emotions, inhibitory emotions, and defensive states. By learning to identify and process these emotions, office managers can create a more openhearted state at work, leading to better communication and improved staff wellbeing.

How Does the Change Triangle Work?

The triangle tool guides individuals through their emotional experience by encouraging them to notice what they feel in their body. Core emotions such as joy, excitement, anger, sadness, and fear are at the heart of the model. Inhibitory emotions like anxiety, shame, and guilt can block access to these core feelings, often leading to states like depression or anxiety. By recognising these patterns, office managers can support their teams to move from a defensive or shut-down state to a more authentic and productive one.

Why Emotion Education Matters for Office Managers

Understanding emotions is not just about feeling better; it’s about creating a workplace where people can thrive. When office managers learn to work with the change triangle, they gain tools to help staff manage anxiety, shame, and other inhibitory emotions. This leads to a healthier work environment and can reduce issues like burnout or conflict. The change triangle course offers practical strategies for navigating emotional challenges, which will be explored further in the following sections, including building resilience and improving communication.

• Helps identify and process core emotions
• Reduces the impact of anxiety, shame, and guilt
• Supports a more authentic and openhearted workplace
• Improves overall staff wellbeing and productivity

For office managers interested in the latest skills and education in emotional intelligence, exploring cutting-edge office manager training can provide further insights and practical tools for daily management.

Emotional intelligence in the New Zealand workplace

Recognising Emotions at Work

In New Zealand offices, understanding emotions is more than a soft skill—it’s a core part of effective management. The change triangle course offers a practical tool for office managers to identify and work with emotions in themselves and their teams. Many people experience anxiety, shame, or guilt at work, but don’t always know how to address these feelings. By learning to recognise core emotions and inhibitory emotions, managers can help staff move from a state of anxiety or depression to a more openhearted, authentic state.

The Role of Emotional Experience in Daily Interactions

Emotional intelligence is not just about feeling better; it’s about understanding the body’s signals and responding appropriately. The triangle tool from the change triangle course helps managers notice when emotions like joy, excitement, or sadness arise. This awareness supports better decision-making and communication. When people feel seen and heard, they are more likely to engage positively with change and uncertainty in the workplace.

Practical Emotion Education for Office Managers

Managers who invest in emotion education will learn how to support staff through challenging times. The course teaches how to identify when someone is stuck in inhibitory emotions like anxiety, shame, or guilt, and how to guide them back to their core emotions. This approach can reduce the risk of book depression or anxiety depression taking hold in the team. It also builds resilience and helps staff feel more connected to their work and each other.

• Recognise and name emotions as they arise
• Use the triangle tool to navigate emotional experience
• Support staff in moving from inhibitory to core emotions
• Encourage an openhearted state for better collaboration

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Navigating change and uncertainty

Supporting Teams Through Emotional Ups and Downs

Change in the workplace often brings a mix of emotions. Office managers in New Zealand companies know that uncertainty can trigger anxiety, shame, or even depression among staff. The change triangle tool offers a practical way to help people recognise these feelings and move towards a more openhearted state. By understanding emotions and how they show up in the body, managers can guide their teams through periods of transition with greater empathy and clarity.

• Recognising core emotions: Emotions like joy, excitement, anger, and sadness are at the core of our experience. When change happens, these core emotions can get covered by inhibitory emotions such as anxiety, guilt, or shame. The triangle model helps staff learn to identify what they truly feel, rather than what they think they should feel.
• Reducing anxiety and stress: When people don’t feel safe to express their emotions, anxiety and stress can build up. The change triangle encourages honest conversations, which can help reduce anxiety and prevent issues like depression from taking root in the workplace.
• Building emotional intelligence: Emotional education is not just about naming feelings. It’s about understanding how emotions influence behaviour and decision-making. By working with the change triangle, office managers can support staff in becoming more emotionally aware and resilient.

Managers who use this approach notice that staff are more willing to share their concerns and ideas, leading to a more authentic and productive work environment. This emotional experience can help teams adapt to new processes or structures with less resistance and more engagement.

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Building resilience among staff

Fostering a Supportive Environment for Emotional Resilience

Building resilience among staff is a core benefit of integrating the change triangle tool into your management approach. In the fast-paced New Zealand workplace, people often face anxiety, stress, and uncertainty. The change triangle course gives office managers practical strategies to help teams recognise and process emotions, rather than suppressing them. When staff learn to identify their core emotions—such as joy, excitement, or even sadness—they become better equipped to handle challenges. This emotional education reduces the impact of inhibitory emotions like anxiety, shame, or guilt, which can otherwise lead to depression or disengagement at work. By encouraging open conversations about emotional experience, managers create a culture where people feel safe to express themselves and support each other.

• Understanding emotions: Staff learn to notice what they feel in their body, making it easier to address issues before they escalate.
• Moving through the triangle: The change triangle helps staff move from inhibitory emotions to a more openhearted state, improving their ability to adapt to change.
• Reducing anxiety and depression: By acknowledging and working with emotions core to each experience, staff can feel better and more authentic at work.

Managers who apply these principles notice improved team morale and stronger relationships. The change triangle course is not just about managing change—it’s about helping people learn, grow, and thrive, even during uncertain times. This approach supports both individual well-being and overall business performance.

Improving communication and conflict resolution

Practical Tools for Clearer Conversations

Office managers in New Zealand often face the challenge of guiding teams through emotionally charged situations. The change triangle course introduces a practical framework for understanding emotions and using them to improve communication. By recognising core emotions like joy, excitement, anxiety, and even shame or guilt, managers can better identify what drives workplace conflict and how to address it constructively.

• Recognising emotional triggers: The triangle tool helps managers spot when staff are experiencing inhibitory emotions such as anxiety or shame. This awareness allows for more empathetic responses, reducing misunderstandings and tension.
• Encouraging open dialogue: When people feel safe to share their emotional experience, they are more likely to move towards an openhearted state. This leads to more authentic conversations, where issues are addressed at their core rather than being masked by defensive behaviours.
• Resolving conflict at its root: By focusing on core emotions instead of surface-level disagreements, managers can guide teams towards solutions that feel better for everyone involved. This approach not only resolves current issues but also builds trust for future interactions.

Learning to Respond, Not React

Emotional intelligence is not just about recognising emotions in others—it’s also about managing your own. The change triangle course teaches managers to pause and reflect on their own feelings before responding. This helps avoid reactive communication that can escalate conflict. Instead, managers learn to approach situations from a state that is more authentic and less influenced by anxiety or depression.

Education around emotions core to the change triangle model empowers office managers to create a work environment where people feel heard and valued. Over time, this leads to improved morale, less anxiety and depression, and a stronger sense of team cohesion. The experience of working change through this model is transformative, making conflict resolution a skill that benefits both individuals and the wider organisation.

Integrating the change triangle course into daily management

Practical steps for daily application

Integrating the change triangle course into your daily management routine can transform how you and your team handle emotions at work. The triangle tool is not just a theory—it's a practical framework for understanding emotions, navigating change, and supporting people through uncertainty. Here are some ways to make it part of your everyday experience:

• Start meetings with emotional check-ins: Encourage staff to share how they feel. This helps surface core emotions and creates an openhearted state, making it easier to address anxiety, shame, or guilt before they impact work.
• Use the triangle tool during conflict: When disagreements arise, guide people to identify whether they are experiencing core emotions, inhibitory emotions, or are stuck in anxiety or depression. This approach can lead to more authentic communication and faster resolution.
• Promote emotion education: Share resources and encourage learning about emotional experience. Understanding emotions like joy, excitement, and sadness helps staff feel better and builds resilience against anxiety and depression.
• Model vulnerability: As a manager, openly discuss your own emotional responses to change. This sets the tone for others to do the same, reducing stigma around emotions core to the human experience.
• Encourage body awareness: Remind your team to notice physical sensations linked to emotions. This can be a powerful way to move from a state of anxiety or shame to a more authentic, productive state.

Tracking progress and outcomes

To ensure the change triangle is making a difference, regularly reflect on how it’s impacting your team. Are people more open about their feelings? Is there less anxiety and more joy or excitement at work? Collect feedback and adjust your approach as needed. Over time, you’ll notice improvements in communication, reduced conflict, and a stronger, more resilient workplace culture.

Embedding the triangle in company culture

Finally, make the change triangle part of your company’s core values. Include it in onboarding, ongoing education, and performance reviews. When everyone learns to recognise and work with their emotions, the whole organisation benefits. This ongoing commitment to emotion education and authentic connection will help your team thrive through any change.