TUF Manger Lab
Bring the people problem you’re dealing with now
Practical, ongoing coaching for managers and team leaders who want to handle difficult workplace situations with greater clarity, confidence and calm.
You don’t have to work it all out by yourself.
NZ$150 plus GST per month
NZ$172.50 including GST. Month-to-month. Cancel anytime.
People problems don’t wait for the next training course
You can be good at your job and still be thrown by certain people.
Someone challenges your authority.
A team member repeatedly offers excuses.
A conversation becomes more emotional than you expected.
You know you need to address someone’s behaviour—but you are not sure what to say or how they will respond.
The conversation itself might only take twenty minutes, but it can occupy your head for three days.
You think about it beforehand. Replay it afterwards. Rewrite the email. Wonder whether you were too firm—or not firm enough.
The cost shows up in your time, your energy and your ability to focus on everything else that needs your attention.
This is a capability issue—and it’s fixable
Handling people well under pressure is not something most managers were ever properly taught.
It develops through practice.
You need somewhere to bring the real situation, work out what to do, try it and learn from what happens next.
That is what the TUF Manager Lab provides.
What could change for you?
As you strengthen your ability to manage difficult situations, you can:
· Address problems before they escalate
· Stay steadier under pressure
· Know what to say next
· Stop carrying problems home
· Lead with greater confidence
The aim is not to give you a clever script for every possible conversation.
It is to help you become more capable when the situation doesn’t follow the script.
What is the TUF Manager Lab?
The TUF Manager Lab is an ongoing coaching community for managers and team leaders dealing with real people problems.
It is not another large course sitting on your computer waiting to be completed.
You don’t have to work through seven modules before you can ask for help.
When something happens, bring it to the Lab.
You can learn from the situation while it is still current—before it becomes a full-blown crisis.
The process is simple:
Bring the problem.
Work out what to do.
Try it.
Come back and learn from what happened.
What your membership includes
A private Skool community
Post questions and workplace situations as they arise.
This gives you somewhere to think through the problem without having to carry it alone.
Please remove identifying details when discussing employees or workplace situations.
Practical TUF resources and recordings
Access practical tools, teaching and session recordings inside the community.
Use the resources when they are relevant and learn at a pace that fits around your
Weekly personalised responses
Each week, John responds to members’ questions.
Depending on the situation, you may receive a written response or a short video in which John explains:
· What may be happening beneath the behaviour
· What you need to pay attention to
· What you could say or do next
· How to manage your own reaction
The guidance relates to the situation you are actually facing—not a convenient case study involving people who behave themselves.
Two live coaching sessions each month
Join two 30-minute online coaching sessions each month.
Bring a difficult situation, work through your options and consider the language or approach you could use.
Sessions are currently held around Friday lunchtime.
Recordings will be available if you can't attend live.
Learning alongside other managers
Other managers are dealing with seriously curly challenges too.
You will hear how they approach difficult conversations, boundaries, performance problems, emotional reactions, and team tension.
One manager’s question can provide the answer you need two weeks later.
What managers are saying
“It was so good to hear that advice again—and to hear that everyone in the group has some seriously curly challenges. Listening to other people’s situations, I kept thinking: yep, that’s relatable.”
“That’s awesome, thank you. I was trying to separate myself—remembering it’s not my problem to carry. But focusing on them first, that’s the key.”
“I’d honestly never thought about it that way before. The moment you agree with someone’s excuse, they’ve got justification—and they’ll keep milking it. That one shift in perspective changed how I’ll respond next time.”
“That’s awesome, thank you. I was trying to separate myself—remembering it’s not my problem to carry. But focusing on them first, that’s the key.”
“I’ve been through a hard time myself lately, and I didn’t really want to talk about it. My go-to was to dodge the question. What John was advising makes much more sense to me: thank them for asking, say you’re doing okay, then get back to it. It lets you stay gracious without opening the door wider than you want to.”
The Manager Lab may be right for you if:
The Manager Lab may be right for you if:
· People problems occupy too much of your thinking
· You postpone conversations because you are unsure how they will go
· You want to be firm without becoming aggressive
· You sometimes take other people’s problems on as your own
· You want help with real situations—not more abstract theory
· You are willing to examine your own reactions and try a different approach
You don’t need to be facing a dramatic crisis.
You only need to recognise that handling people well matters—and that learning entirely through trial and error is a slow and expensive way to do it.
For organisations developing their managers
The TUF Manager Lab also provides an accessible development option for employers who want managers to receive ongoing practical support.
It can help managers:
· Address difficult behaviour earlier
· Reduce avoidable escalations
· Conduct clearer performance conversations
· Recover faster after challenging interactions
· Become less reliant on senior leaders to resolve everyday problems
Instead of removing a manager from the workplace for a large training programme, the Lab allows them to develop their capability while continuing to do the job.
If you would like to enrol several managers, book a Clarity Call to discuss what would work best.
Your Coach
John Faisandier
John is the founder of Thriving Under Fire.
He helps managers understand what is happening when people become difficult, emotional, or defensive—and how to respond without becoming reactive themselves.
His approach is practical, direct, and based on the situations managers are facing in their workplaces now.
The purpose is not to help you control everybody else.
It is to help you become steadier and more capable yourself, so you can influence what happens around you.
Founder of Thriving Under Fire
“The biggest shift for me wasn’t techniques. It was feeling in control of myself.
I’m not reacting the way I used to. My team notices the difference.”
Manager on the CFL Program
Join the TUF Manager Lab
NZ$150 plus GST per month
NZ$172.50 per month including GST
Your membership includes:
· Private access to the Skool community
· Weekly personalised written or video responses
· Two live coaching sessions each month
· TUF tools, resources and recordings
· Learning and support from other managers
There is no minimum term. Your membership continues monthly until you cancel.
If you cancel and decide to return later, you will rejoin at the membership price available at that time.
Members outside New Zealand are charged in New Zealand dollars.
Secure monthly payment through Stripe.
What happens after you join?
Once your payment has been completed, you will receive access to the private TUF Manager Lab community on Skool.
You can introduce yourself, explore the resources and begin bringing your workplace questions to the group.
Not sure this is for you?
Book a free 10-minute Clarity Call with John.
You can briefly explain what you are facing, ask your questions and decide whether the TUF Manager Lab is the right kind of support for you.
No pressure. No obligation. Just clarity.
Frequently asked questions
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Not in the traditional sense. Resources and teaching are available, but the main focus is ongoing coaching around real workplace situations.
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The live sessions total approximately one hour each month. (two half-hour sessions) You can use the community and resources when you need them and at a pace that fits around your work.
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Live sessions are recorded so that members can catch up afterwards. You can also post your own question in the community.
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No. The Manager Lab is a private group coaching community. John provides personalised responses to members’ questions, but the membership does not include private one-to-one coaching.
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Yes. An employer can pay for an individual manager’s membership. Organisations wanting to enrol several managers should book a Clarity Call.
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Yes. The Manager Lab is online, and international members are charged in New Zealand dollars.
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Yes. There is no minimum term. If you cancel and return later, the membership price available at that time will apply.
Handle the next difficult moment differently
You don’t have to keep carrying people's problems by yourself.
Bring the situation. Get practical guidance. Try a different approach.
Become the manager you know you can be.
Secure monthly payment through Stripe.