How to keep teams connected when change starts pulling them apart.

How to keep teams connected when change starts pulling them apart... At CIPD ACE in Manchester on 4 November? Stay for one more conversation. When Day 1 finishes, step away from the exhibition halls and join a small group of HR and People Leaders for an informal, interactive session just a short walk from Manchester Central. No lengthy presentations. No need to trek across Manchester. Just a thought-provoking conversation, practical ideas, new connections – plus a welcome drink and pizza. Why this conversation? Change can put even the strongest teams under pressure. Workloads increase. Uncertainty grows. Capacity gets stretched. Communication changes. And people who normally work well together can suddenly find themselves misunderstanding one another, becoming frustrated or disconnecting. But what looks like resistance, disengagement or difficult behaviour may tell us very little about what’s actually going on. People experience pressure and change differently. Capacity, cognitive load, communication and processing styles, individual needs and the wider experience of work can all influence how someone responds. So how do we help people stay connected when change starts pulling them apart? Join Sarah Markham, Calm In A Box, and Mel Francis, Neuroinclusive HR, as we bring together two complementary perspectives: Sarah’s work around CALM, capacity, wellbeing and connection, and Mel’s HR and neuroinclusion lens on individual difference, communication and the experience of work. Together, we’ll explore: When capacity gets stretchedWhat are the CALM Killers that reduce capacity, increase friction and get in the way of healthy connection? Looking beneath the behaviourWhat might sit beneath apparent conflict, resistance or disengagement? We’ll explore how cognitive load, uncertainty, different communication and processing styles, individual needs and reduced capacity can influence what we see – and what happens when we make assumptions about intent. Different people experience change differentlyThere isn’t one universally ‘right’ way to communicate, process information or respond to change. How can HR and leaders recognise difference without labelling people and create greater clarity, flexibility and psychological safety? From insight to actionWe’ll bring both perspectives together to identify practical things HR and People Leaders can do to protect capacity, reduce unnecessary friction, strengthen relationships and help different people navigate change successfully. You’ll leave with A better understanding of what happens to capacity and connection under pressure A different perspective on apparent conflict, resistance and disengagement Greater insight into how individual differences can shape someone’s experience of change Practical ideas for strengthening communication, relationships and psychological safety New connections with other HR and People Leaders facing similar challenges And because you’ve already spent the day at CIPD ACE... We’re deliberately not creating another conference session. We’re keeping the group to a maximum of 30 people, the format informal and the conversation interactive. Come straight from Day 1 of CIPD ACE, grab a drink and join us. We’ll explore the topic together, then continue the conversation over pizza and drinks. Wednesday 4 November 2026 5:00–6:30pm, with informal drinks and conversation afterwards The Bear, Deansgate – a short walk from Manchester Central Convention Complex £20 – including a welcome drink and pizza Limited to 30 places Stay for one more conversation after CIPD ACE. It might be the one you take back to work with you.