Power & Hierarchy in Teams

Power & Hierarchy in Teams

A game-based session to uncover unspoken expectations around authority and decision-making—and co-create healthier dynamics.

What This Session Helps With

Use this session when:

• Team members hesitate to speak up—or dominate discussions

• There’s confusion or frustration around decision-making or leadership

• Cultural differences in hierarchy, responsibility, or initiative are causing tension

• You want to develop more conscious leadership practices in a diverse team

• Psychological safety is inconsistent—and hard to talk about

What Happens

Your team plays a browser-based escape game in which collaboration is essential—but leadership is unassigned. As the group works through time-sensitive challenges, unspoken expectations about power and voice emerge:
Who takes charge? Who hesitates? Who gets heard? Who steps back?

At several points in the game, we pause to reflect on:

• How authority and initiative are showing up

• Who is driving decision-making—and who is quiet

• How these behaviors relate to deeper cultural norms

We introduce models of cultural variation around power and hierarchy, and help the team co-create a plan for leadership, voice, and participation that feels right for them.

Then the team returns to the game and tests their new agreements in action—adjusting and refining them through experience.

Cultural Models Used

• Trompenaars – Achievement vs. Ascription / Hierarchy vs. Equality

• Hofstede – Power Distance

• Optional: Concepts from psychological safety and team voice research

We choose the models that best match your team’s current dynamics and context.

Practical Info

• Format: Online or in-person

• Duration: Half day (approx. 3.5 hours) or full day (6–7 hours)

• Group size: Ideal for 4–12 participants

• Language: Available in English or Dutch

• Customization: The session can include specific leadership tensions or patterns you've observed, turned into game-based exploration points

Typical Investment

• Facilitation fee: €1,500 to €1,800

• Game license: €89 per participant

• Optional preparation or tailoring (e.g. integrating real team scenarios): approx. €600 if needed

The game license ensures access to a high-quality digital simulation, regularly updated and designed for collaboration under pressure. The facilitation process creates a safe, structured space for reflection, feedback, and honest planning.

You’ll always receive a clear, transparent quote—no surprises.

How It’s Adapted

Different teams have different needs when it comes to structure, initiative, and leadership. This session is always adapted to reflect your team’s size, style, and current challenges.

The goal isn’t to enforce a “flat” or “hierarchical” model—it’s to discover what works for your team, and to co-create that approach through experience and reflection.

Outcomes

By the end of the session, your team will have:

• Awareness of individual and cultural expectations around power

• A shared vocabulary for discussing leadership and voice

• A tested, team-generated plan for distributing leadership and decision-making

• Practical ways to improve participation, inclusion, and psychological safety

Ready to explore this session?

Let’s talk about how your team can use this session to unlock healthier power dynamics.