🥊 Power Moves in the Workplace - Afternoon Session

1. Warm-Up = Self-Awareness & Preparation

1. Boxing: You don’t skip warm-up, because it prevents injury and primes your body.
2. Workplace parallel: In tough conversations, preparation (knowing your triggers, clarifying your goals) prevents “emotional injury” and sets you up for success.
3. Post-prog takeaway: Youths shared that they gained awareness of stress responses (fight/flight/freeze) and the value of preparing mentally before conflicts.

2. Footwork & Stance = Finding Your Grounding

1. Boxing: Good stance keeps you balanced, mobile, and ready.
2. Workplace parallel: In communication, your “stance” is your mindset — being grounded in your values helps you respond calmly under pressure.
3. Post-prog takeaway: Participants practised linking physical stances with workplace scenarios (e.g., being unfairly blamed). They learned that balance = composure.

3. Jab & Straight = Speaking Up Clearly

1. Boxing: Jab is about clarity, reach, and timing — not force.
2. Workplace parallel: Sometimes, you need to “throw the first punch” by initiating a hard conversation early, with clarity, before issues escalate.
3. Post-prog takeaway: Youths linked jab practice with learning to voice disagreement, set boundaries, or give feedback to supervisors.

4. Defence (Slip, Parry, Roll) = Choosing Your Battles

1. Boxing: Defence isn’t weakness — it’s strategy. You avoid unnecessary hits to conserve energy.
2. Workplace parallel: Not every workplace conflict deserves a direct confrontation. Sometimes you dodge, sometimes you absorb, sometimes you counter.
3. Post-prog takeaway: Participants reflected on when to avoid vs when to protect peace vs when to confront directly.

5. Shadowboxing = Practicing Conversations

1. Boxing: Visualising an opponent helps you anticipate moves.
2. Workplace parallel: Roleplaying tough conversations helps you anticipate responses and practice calm delivery.
3. Post-prog takeaway: Through shadow conversations (resigning gracefully, dealing with micromanagement), youths built confidence to express themselves even when uncomfortable and learning how to read the other party to respond appropriately.

6. Cooldown = Reflection & Integration

1. Boxing: Stretching + breathing = recovery and growth.
2. Workplace parallel: Reflection after a hard conversation helps you integrate learning and reset.
3. Post-prog takeaway: The Tap Out Pledges allowed us to articulate personal commitments (“After today, I will…”), grounding their new skills in daily life. Youths shared about voicing their opinions more in the workplace, delivering feedback, and engaging in conflict management with a clear framework in mind.