Play Align Connect
Human skills training

Human skills training that gets your teams talking, trusting and working together like never before.

Practical, hands-on sessions that build the skills your compliance and wellbeing programs assume people already have: listening, self-regulation, speaking up and asking for help.

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WHY THIS MATTERS

Work life is suffering.

In the relentless hunt for productivity, profit and endless growth, people are burning out, lonely and less effective. AI and work-from-home only exacerbates the situation.

Burning out
82%
of Australian knowledge workers feel burnt out
UiPath
Lonely
48%
of workers feel lonely at work
State of Workplace Burnout 2026
Less effective
<1 in 4
Australians thrive at work
Indeed 2023
Costly
$65,400
median serious mental health claim
Safe Work Australia
The connection gap

Lonely workers burn out at twice the rate.

Team connection, trust and belonging are pathways to sustainable productivity.*

Feel lonely at work: burnt out
52%
Everyone else: burnt out
25%
*Chan 2026 · The State of Workplace Burnout 2026 · 1,815 workers, 12 countries
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OUR PROGRAM

An evidence-based program, built on four stages of psychological safety.

Our modules maps neatly into Timothy Clarke's framework on the four stages of psychological safety. Each stage here is mapped to a key business outcome.

Stage 1 · Inclusion Safety
People stay
Retention · Return to office

People feel they can be themselves, and that who they are is valued.

11 modules
Stage 2 · Learner Safety
People grow
Capability

People have the courage to ask, try, get it wrong and learn out loud.

10 modules
Stage 3 · Contributor Safety
People deliver
Productivity · Engagement

People freely use their full skills and judgement, and are heard.

6 modules
Stage 4 · Challenger Safety
People speak up
Risk mitigation · Quality · Innovation

People raise risks, disagree well and hold each other to account.

13 modules
Steady The base of everything else is the internal work: people who can notice their own stress and reset under pressure. 5 modules
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OUR APPROACH: EMBODIED LEARNING

You can't learn to build trust from a slide deck.

Skills have to be experienced to be understood. Every module explicitly facilitates the learning of a concept or the building of a skill.

Storytelling

Sharing real stories and experiences.

Improvisation

Games and role-play that put people in the moment.

Reflection

Quiet, individual mapping and self-awareness.

Practical

Frameworks and scripts practised on real scenarios.

Outside the Box

Body-based techniques, tools and rituals.

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Organisational outcomes

Safety, trust and connection is a commercial decision, not a soft one.

See what changes, and how you would measure it.

Productivity
+25%
higher productivity where mental health is prioritised
Source: HSE
From
Busy teams that don't work well together. People self-censor, tiptoe around each other, and differences in style and culture cause misreads.
To
People communicate and collaborate freely
How you would measure it
  • Engagement scores
  • Team effectiveness survey
  • Rework and escalations

Figures come from published research on engaged, connected workplaces, not from Play Align Connect client results. We run the pulse check before and after the program, so you see the change in your own team.

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Manesh Nesaratnam, founder of Play Align Connect
Your facilitator

A filmmaker walks into a boardroom.

Manesh Nesaratnam has spent 25+ years in the creative and advertising space, working with SME, corporate, government and not-for-profit organisations. Storytelling, play and reflection is the craft behind every session.

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TWO WAYS INTO PAC

Explore our fit for your organisation.

Pulse check

A short survey that shows where your team sits across the four stages of psychological safety, and which stage to work on first.

  • Free, with no obligation
  • Results mapped to the four stages
  • A suggested starting point
19 Feb Friday 2027 · 10:00am33/35 Fairholm Grove, Camberwell VIC 3124

Taste eight modules in one session

Play, reflect and apply with a room of peers. The $50 registration is fully refunded when you attend. Limited spots.

FAQ

Questions, answered.

Can't find what you need? Email hello@playalignconnect.com.au.

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What is Play Align Connect, and who is it for?

Human skills training that gets teams talking, trusting and working together. Through play, reflection and practical tools, people build skills like listening, self-regulation, speaking up and asking for help. It is for L&D, HR and wellbeing leaders, CEOs and business owners, especially for organisations experiencing dramatic change.

Is the program evidence-based?

Our modules follow Timothy Clarke's four stages of psychological safety (inclusion, learner, contributor and challenger safety), on a base of self-regulation. Each stage is mapped to a business outcome. The statistics on this page come from published research on engaged, connected workplaces, not from Play Align Connect client results.

How does it fit with our compliance and wellbeing programs?

We build on your psychosocial safety compliance and wellbeing work by adding the practical skills those policies assume people already have: listening, self-regulation, speaking up and asking for help. That way, your Employee Assistance Program becomes a last resort.

Can PAC be designed around our organisation?

Yes. We start from your goals and challenges, such as attrition, a restructure, burnout or a return to the office. Then we choose from our modules to build a program that fits. Options include half-day and full-day sessions, with ongoing support afterwards.

How many people can take part?

As few as 6 people, up to 150 at a townhall, and everything in between. We adapt the format to the size of the group, so a small team and a whole-of-organisation event each get something that works for them.

What does the full program look like?

It is tailored to your organisation. Options include a half-day program for leadership teams, a full-day program for teams, and ongoing support such as quarterly refreshers, leadership coaching and customised toolkits. Get in touch to talk through what fits.

How do you measure the impact?

We run the pulse check survey before the program and again afterwards. Comparing the two shows what has changed across the four stages of psychological safety, so you can see the impact for your own team.

Can I opt out of certain activities?

Yes. Everything is opt in and opt out, as you feel comfortable, and nobody is asked to share more than they choose or play an improvisation game they don't feel comfortable with. We set agreements at the start of every session: no photography, opt in and opt out, and be respectful and kind.

Is PAC mediation or conflict resolution?

No. PAC is skills training, not mediation. We don't resolve live disputes between people, investigate complaints or act as a neutral third party. We build the skills that make conflict less likely to escalate: listening, regulating emotions under pressure, disagreeing respectfully, and having difficult conversations.

What if our team already has a serious conflict?

A formal process is the right route for disputes between specific people: HR, your grievance procedure or a qualified mediator. PAC works alongside it, helping the wider team build trust and shared language before conflict arises, or rebuild afterwards. If you're unsure which you need, get in touch and we'll talk it through.

What happens at a taster session?

You will experience eight modules from the program, mixing play, reflection and practice. Every module closes with a short debrief, so you can see how it applies to your own team.

What is the free pulse check?

A short survey that shows where your team sits across the four stages of psychological safety, and which stage to work on first. It is free, with no obligation.

What do the pulse check results show?

They show where your team likely sits across the four stages of psychological safety (Inclusion, Learner, Contributor and Challenger) and which stage to work on first. You also get a suggested starting point. There's no obligation to go any further.

Why run the pulse check with the whole team?

Psychological safety is felt differently by different people, and leaders often see it differently from their teams. Results from the whole team show the range and the gaps, not just an average. They give you a shared baseline to talk from, and running the check again later shows what has changed.

REGISTER FOR THE NEXT TASTER

Reserve your spot

Friday 19 February 2027 · 10:00amCamberwell Community Centre · Limited spots
33/35 Fairholm Grove, Camberwell VIC 3124

Next, you'll be emailed an invoice for the $50 registration. It's fully refunded when you attend.