The Resistance Dojo: Live Intervention

What participants gain

• Execute real-time interventions during active, hostile, or apathetic resistance
• Regulate nervous system responses to group pressure and silence
• Integrate immediate peer feedback into subsequent facilitation rounds
• Calibrate physical presence and vocal tone to shift room energy

Materials needed

• Physical 'talking tokens' (stones or heavy objects)
• Printed 4Ls Feedback Grids on clipboards
• Resistance Archetype index cards
• Loud digital countdown timer

How to run The Resistance Dojo: Live Intervention, step by step

1. Divide the 12 participants into pods of four: 1 facilitator, 2 resisters, 1 observer/timekeeper.
2. Assign the 'resisters' specific archetypes (e.g., The Silent Skeptic, The Hostile Monopolizer) secretly using index cards.
3. Instruct the 'facilitator' to open a generic 5-minute alignment discussion on a neutral topic.
4. Start the simulation; the resisters must deploy their assigned behaviors within the first 60 seconds.
5. Force the facilitator to actively intervene, hold the silence, or redirect the resistance in real-time.
6. Stop the simulation exactly at the 5-minute mark, regardless of resolution or awkwardness.
7. Direct the observer to lead a 4-minute structured feedback round using the 4Ls feedback grid.
8. Require the facilitator to state one specific somatic behavior they will change based on the feedback.
9. Rotate roles immediately so every person in the pod acts as the facilitator once.
10. Bring the full room back together for 5 minutes to synthesize the most effective micro-interventions observed.

Facilitator tips

• Do not let the roleplay become a caricature; insist the resisters act like real, senior executives.
• If a facilitator completely freezes, pause the simulation, ask them to breathe, and rewind 30 seconds.
• Keep strict time; the pressure of the 5-minute window forces instinctual facilitation habits to surface.
• Ensure the observer focuses feedback on specific somatic behaviors (e.g., 'you stepped back'), not just words.
• Walk between groups to calibrate the intensity of the resistance, dialing it up or down as needed.

Common challenges

• Roleplayers break character and laugh - Pause and reset the tone, reminding them of the masterclass level.
• Feedback becomes generic - Force the observer to point to specific quotes or physical movements.
• Facilitators get defensive during feedback - Remind them this is a Dojo for practice, not a performance review.
• Time management slips - Use a loud, central timer that all groups must obey simultaneously.

Running it virtually

Use Zoom breakouts of four. The observer turns their camera off to remain 'invisible'. Use private direct messages to assign resistance archetypes to the roleplayers to maintain the element of surprise.

Expected results

Embodied practice of handling difficult group dynamics and highly calibrated peer feedback on individual facilitation blind spots.

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