Tuia Connect Consulting

31/08/2026

Day 4 with the current Fulton Hogan Kaiārahi o Ākengokengo cohort, and this time the focus was on building engagement.

There’s a difference between having people in the room and actually having them with you. You can’t really ask people to be engaged and expect that to do the trick.

People are more likely to lean in when they know where they’re heading, understand where they fit, trust the people around them, and feel like they’re part of the waka rather than just along for the ride.

Engagement is something we build together.

Ngā mihi to the Fulton Hogan crew for another great day.

25/08/2026

Pretty cool to see Te Ahu spending some time with our future leaders. 🙌

Our Carlton Ngā Tūākana met with Te Ahu Teki from Tuia Connect Consulting this morning. Te Ahu has leadership roles with many local trusts, and iwi/hapū rōpū.
He shared an insight into some of the qualities of effective leadership.

24/08/2026

A pretty special day with the awesome humans at Kapiti Youth Support.

We recently spent the day with the KYS whānau exploring De-escalation & Confident Communication, with plenty of movement, laughs, honest conversation and chances to give things a go together.

One of the things we kept coming back to throughout the day was “connection before correction”, because when pressure starts to build, the relationship matters.

Knowing the person in front of you, noticing what’s changing, and having enough connection there to work with can make a pretty big difference.

The feedback afterwards talked about the energy, the connection, the practical tools, and simply having time together as a team.

Tanz came away with her cup pretty full too 💚

Ngā mihi nui to Christina and the whole KYS whānau for sharing the day with us.

17/08/2026

“I wish I had done this training earlier” was one of the comments that came through after last week’s Cultural Awareness workshops with Naylor Love in Wellington.

There were plenty of curious questions and good kōrero along the way. One of the activities started with something already familiar, Naylor Love’s own values. The groups looked more closely at the te reo Māori expressions connected to them, and the meaning and connection to how people work together every day.

The feedback said plenty too: “Enlightening”, “I was engaged throughout the whole session”, and that the learning felt really relevant to the work. Pretty humbling feedback to receive, thank you, whānau.

Ngā mihi to both Naylor Love groups for sharing the safe and brave space together.

10/08/2026

Last month we spent a few days in Auckland with several Enviro NZ groups as the I’ve Got Your Back rollout continued.

One thing that stayed with us was that sometimes the part people remember isn’t what came after the question. It’s that someone noticed enough to ask it in the first place. Just a simple... “How are you, really?”

There’s something in that simple act of being curious, being present, and making time for another person. We don’t always know what might be sitting underneath the surface, and we’re not expected to have all the answers. Sometimes it simply matters that somebody cared enough to ask.

Ngā mihi to the Auckland teams for a few days full of honesty, humour, and people willing to show up for each other.

04/08/2026

Communication Under Pressure was a good reminder that knowing what you want to say and actually saying it out loud are two very different things.

The words can sound perfectly reasonable in your head. Then another person is standing in front of you, the pressure goes up, and suddenly they do not come out quite as planned.

A lot of the work in the room was simply giving things a go. Trying the words, adjusting them, and finding a way to say what needed to be said without sounding like someone reading from a script.

One participant described the models as “such gold”, which we’ll very happily take, feedback is a gift.

Ngā mihi to everyone who joined us in Whanganui and helped support Whanganui City Mission’s Home & Hope Fundraiser.

28/07/2026

One more day until Communication Under Pressure.

If you've already booked, we're looking forward to seeing you.

If you've been sitting on the fence because work's been busy or because... life... there's still time. We still have a few spots available.

It'll be a practical morning to step back, think about how you handle conversations under pressure, and pick up a few ideas you can use straight away. We'd love to have you with us.

Book via: https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2026/communicating-under-pressure/manawatu-whanganui or [email protected]

See you tomorrow.

28/07/2026

Another great day with the current Fulton Hogan Kaiarahi o Ākengokengo cohort and this time the focus was presence.

Not the loudest person in the room kind of presence, but more the kind people notice when someone is clear, prepared, and actually paying attention to what is happening around them.

A lot of leadership sits there, really, in how you engage in a conversation, how you show up when things get uncomfortable, how well you listen, and whether people feel like you are properly present with them and not just waiting for your turn to speak.

That was the work of the day: expanding presence in a way that feels real, not performative.

Ngā mihi to the Fulton Hogan crew for another thoughtful day of kōrero and practice.

26/07/2026

Communication Under Pressure is this Thursday in Whanganui, and there’s still time to register.

We’re spending part of the morning on boundaries, because they’re one of those things that sound bigger and more dramatic than they usually are.

Most of the time it’s not a speech, it’s saying, “I can help, but not by then.” It’s naming the behaviour that’s making the room tense. It’s being clear about what can be done, what needs to wait, and what we probably shouldn’t quietly pretend is fine.

Boundaries are often just the sentences that stop work getting messier than it needs to, like less three weeks of silent annoyance or fewer weird meetings where everyone knows the problem but nobody wants to say it first.

That’s one piece of what we’ll get into at Communication Under Pressure - staying clear, respectful and steady when a conversation needs a bit of backbone.

Thursday 30 July
9am–12pm
Bayleys Whanganui

All profits support Whanganui City Mission’s Home & Hope Fundraiser

Book via Eventfinda: https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2026/communicating-under-pressure/manawatu-whanganui

Or email [email protected] if invoice or group booking is easier.

22/07/2026

One week to go until Communication Under Pressure in Whanganui.

This one is for anyone who has ever walked away from a conversation thinking... “Well, that could have gone better.”

So… most of us.

Most of us communicate pretty well when everyone is calm, clear, and behaving like they’ve had their morning coffee.

The harder bit is when there’s pressure in the room.

Feedback that needs to be given.
A boundary that needs to be set.
A frustrated customer or client.
A team conversation that’s been avoided for a bit too long. Someone who is upset, defensive, overwhelmed, or just not quite themselves.

That’s where good tools help.

In this practical half-day workshop, we’ll look at how to:

- notice when conversations are starting to go off track
- stay clearer and calmer under pressure
- give feedback and set expectations with more confidence
- work through tension without damaging relationships
- recover better after conversations that take a bit out of you

Useful for team members, people leaders, and anyone whose day involves people, pressure, and the occasional conversation that doesn’t go to plan.

Thursday 30 July
9am–12pm
Bayleys Whanganui
$250 per person
Morning tea included

All profits support Whanganui City Mission’s Home & Hope Fundraiser.

Book via Eventfinda: https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/.../commu.../manawatu-whanganui

Email [email protected] if you’d prefer to pay by invoice or for group bookings.