Newsletter July 2025
Welcome to our July newsletter
There’s been a lot going on in the TetraMap community this month and one of the biggest events was our first ever TetraMap of Leadership session. This is our most exciting investment in leadership development and TetraMap practice in a decade – could this be YOUR next step in personal development?
Do you use games to break the ice at your workshops? Ever meet with resistance, eye rolls and groans? We find out why Purposeful Play is so important, such an integral part of the TetraMap process and how to make it fun.
We take a flying visit around the globe for some highlights from our TetraMap community. From Hong Kong to Slovenia, Mexico and Singapore, we take a glimpse into your world and share your latest TetraMap insights.
And – drum roll – we have our fantastic 25th anniversary event coming up in London in September! You will not want to miss this one, it’s a once in a lifetime chance to mingle face to face, meet your peers and benefit from the wisdom of years of TetraMap experience from our experts. There are only 35 places, find out what you could be missing on 10 September and get your booking in – you snooze you lose!
Early adopters help shape the TetraMap of Leadership
Since TetraMap emerged 25 years ago a lot has changed in management styles, techniques and attitudes. It was time for TetraMap to evolve and prepare for the challenges of the next 25 years with a new approach – the TetraMap of Leadership.
The very first TetraMap of Leadership certification course has just completed and our team are still buzzing from the experience!
It was the very first of its kind, involving a group of early adopters from the TetraMap community who all specialise in leadership. Led by Global Head of Learning, Emma Mauger, and Global Brand Ambassador, Louise Duncan, the course delivered an entirely unique experience as well as offering an exciting opportunity to collaborate with people from the global TetraMap community on leadership.
Emma said: “The TetraMap of Leadership has interdependence at its core and offers practical ways to exercise leadership with Courage, Wisdom, Compassion and Inspiration to ultimately strengthen relationships and increase engagement.”
“We’re extremely grateful to our first group for hearing our call and joining the early adopter experience, working with us to elevate it for our wider community. Their experience was invaluable. We are very grateful for their openness to the experience and to taking a playful and agile approach to this new certification experience.”
The decision to engage a group of early adopters for the inaugural course proved to be vital to the development of the course and illustrated the value of practicing interdependence, enhancing the experience even further than Emma and Louise had anticipated.
Emma added: “The success of this learning experience depends on the success of our facilitators in working with it. We experienced synergy through taking opportunities to co-create, to build, to question and to reflect together. As well as experiencing the learning, the group shared their feedback and insights generously to help us to elevate this experience for future cohorts. We look forward to bringing this experience to our November early adopters and to growing this new leadership community within TetraMap as it takes shape.”
Congratulations to Madelize Bekker, Jack Wong, Ruhia King, Anja Doil, Esther Bukholt, Belinda Hayes, Raymond Yap, Sarah Leberman, Stuart Fleming, Susan Handisidess, Lyndsay Fortune and Brent Westein on being the first Certified Facilitators in the TetraMap of Leadership!
There are just two places left for the second Early Adopter which is taking place in November. Certification dates for 2026 will be published in September – contact Ruth Robinson for more information or to join the waiting list.
Purposeful activities or eye-rolling games?
Why do we include activities in our TetraMap sessions? We all love an ‘ice-breaker’ – an activity designed to help people get to know each other and build rapport – but does it really make that much difference? Wouldn’t a simple introduction be sufficient rather than more involved team-building exercises?
Isn’t it all just a bit awkward?
There is a science to adult purposeful play and is all part of the TetraMap process. It can boost creativity, sharpen your sense of humour, and help you cope better with stress and is just as important for adults as it is for children.
TetraMap Global Brand Ambassador, Louise Duncan, believes it’s not the activities that make people cringe, it’s how they are introduced and the state of the environment they are introduced to that make the difference.
Louise recalls: “I remember back to my early days as a ‘trainer’, where I introduced the session on ‘role plays’. I heard lots of groans and for some, raised anxiety – literally eyes were rolling. My bad.
“How you introduce an activity is really important. Activities need a purpose and must be designed and used with a clearly stated purpose. And every step is valuable – what you observe is gold. How you debrief the activity is what makes it so worthwhile.
“Above all they should be fun, laughter and learning are deeply connected. The activities may not always go to plan – but there’s always a plan to have some fun!”
Louise’s top tips:
Set the tone
- Activities are interactive and often involve whole-body learning. You set the tone and embrace it wholeheartedly. Your energy speaks louder than your words – both online and in the physical environment.
Interaction requires safety
- Introduce activities slowly so each one builds on the last one. Scaffolding is key – a useful metaphor!
- Gradually increase the stretch and make sure the safety net is always in place.
Debriefing
This builds the value of the activity to learning from experience. Spend at least the same time on the de-brief as you do on the activity. This final part provides the motivation to make the change.
- Make sure your debrief questions dig nice and deep. Allow space for reflections to surface. Allow time for notes to be written
- Encourage questions and insights that are relevant to participants work, and to wider situations where the lessons also have relevance
- Check out your WAYLT TetraMap leader guide (p18 and 19) for the TetraPath of Learning, a useful four step process to help you prepare the debrief. Your facilitation skills (EARTH -experience) draw out learnings from the experience (WATER – reflection), helps participants to apply in different and relevant contexts (AIR – generalisation). Always ask participants to see, share and verbalise how they can do things differently to create positive change (FIRE – envisioning).
In next month’s newsletter, we’ll introduce you to a learning activity known as ‘Beep’. We shared it recently at our 25-year anniversary celebrations in Berlin!
“The only source of knowledge is experience.”
Albert Einstein
Inspiring stories from our TetraMap community.
We love your stories of how you are all using TetraMap, how it makes a difference and what it means to you. With so much to celebrate, Global Brand Ambassador, Louise Duncan, has been sharing some of your stories on LinkedIn and we take a look at some of your highlights and ‘aha’s.
Barbara Golja is a fantastic TetraMap Facilitator who’s taking a brave step by bringing it to her country Slovenia. Barbara reflects on the role of empathy – something we all express very differently.
Barbara said: “Empathy is the bridge between difference and understanding. Empathy is often seen as optional — or even inappropriate in the workplace. But what if it’s actually the foundation of trust, collaboration, and real results? Empathy doesn’t mean we accept every excuse. It means we care enough to be honest, to hold each other accountable, and to stay human while doing it.”
In Mexico, José Manuel Villalobos has a big focus on leading teams to ensure high performance. He has seen diverse teams, with different trajectories, opposing views and different styles, achieve extraordinary results thanks to TetraMap. Understanding that difference is not a threat, but a strength, and a competitive advantage.
“The real impact is generated by a team that truly connects, and this is achieved by providing tools and frameworks that allow us to elevate our ability to understand the nature of human behavior, as well as to appreciate, connect, embrace and take advantage of what makes us different as people, that is the magic and power of the TetraMap model.”
In Singapore Dr Brandon Tan HL has adopted TetraMap‘s principle of ‘seeing people as different, not difficult’. We love his metaphor of the morning skyline, glancing through the lens of TetraMap, reminding him that diversity — of nature, thought, and culture — is not just beautiful, it’s also essential.
“As I stood taking in this view, Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, the Singapore Flyer coming in together, I was reminded how our environment often mirrors our inner landscape and the ways we work with others. TetraMap continues to shape how I facilitate, lead, and learn. And today, this skyline reminded me that diversity — of nature, thought, and culture — is not just beautiful, it’s also essential.”
Huge appreciation to Raymond Yap Pik Hwee, who has been taking an incredible Connexions tour this year around many countries in Asia to celebrate 25 years of TetraMap International. His latest tour has taken him to Hong Kong tocelebrate with Vivien Hui in an ‘incredible’ two days of learning and exploring Hong Kong’s hidden gems.
Vivien said: “Raymond’s wisdom reminds us to stay curious, keep learning, and approach every challenge with passion and positivity. A heartfelt thank you to TetraMap for bringing us together, creating meaningful dialogues about nature, in nature. Looking forward to many more years of learning, growth, and enriching connections!”
London event promises an unforgettable experience
It’s a one day only event but it’s already destined to pack a punch. Plans for the day include a fabulous line up and time to connect and network. Created FOR our community FROM our community. Book today!
We’ve got your day covered – you will be exploring the real value of TetraMap with Mark Doughty, founder of the Global Kindness Institute. Mark will share how he has used TetraMap with over 12,000 leaders in global organisations to shift culture, unlock performance, and turn around struggling teams.
Mark said: “I’ve been part of the TetraMap family for over 15 years and for me, TetraMap remains one of the best individual and team development frameworks out there. No other tool I’ve encountered shifts hearts and minds faster or more effectively. It’s a true game-changer for leadership, team dynamics, and problem-solving. I’d love for you to join me at this event!”
And Mark is just one of our great speakers and educators for the day …
Join us for a deep dive into one of the hottest topics in the workplace – neurodiversity. We are joined by Kate Jenkinson PhD, FCIPD. Kate coaches neurodivergent leaders who have been described as quirky or original, as well as supporting businesses to build a culture of affirmation and acceptance with their neurodivergent employees. Not only that, she is our very first ‘business poet’ and is guaranteed to surprise, engage and enlighten you with her unique style.
Would you like to unearth your inner hero? Storyteller and learning architect, Lex McKee, exercises his superpower and will help us turn complex ideas into engaging experiences. He is a must for visual learners, and promises to activate your curiosity with countless ideas that you can take away, learn and use. Fun, practical and simple
How do we work together to appreciate nature more? TetraMap Master Facilitator and pioneer of nature-based learning, Nicki Davey shares a deeper understanding of how nature’s elements make us better TetraMap facilitators. More than a metaphor, nature serves our wellbeing and ability to explore, stimulate and generate.
As TetraMap facilitators we help people discover their full leadership potential – but what can we learn about our own leadership approach? How do you create the right balance between Courage, Wisdom, Compassion and Inspiration? We share the ‘aha’ moments from the very first TetraMap of Leadership with TetraMap Master Facilitator and Global Head of Learning, Emma Mauger.