| Event Profile | |
| Class/ Online | Classroom |
| Date | 4 December 2026 |
| Time | 9am to 5pm |
| Venue | Holiday Inn Atrium Singapore (Halal Certified) 317 Outram Road Singapore 169075 |
| Fee | 9% GST will apply SGD 550.003 & above: SGD530.00 each For Member SGD 522.5 3 & above: SGD503.5 each |
| Note | Two tea breaks and buffet lunch will be served. Limited complimentary car parking coupons are available upon request. |
| Other Date(s) | 1) 10 Apr 2026 2) 31 Jul 2026 3) 9 Oct 2026 |
| Trainer | |
| Activity | |
| You may reach us via T: 6204 6214 E: info@ccisg.com Alternatively, you may send below details to register Contact Person Company (optional), Name, Job Title, Mailing Address, Tel, Email Participant(s) Name, Job Title, Email | |
In today’s fast-paced and diverse workplaces, leaders and managers are constantly navigating a wide range of personalities, communication styles, and behavioural responses — often under pressure, ambiguity, and performance demands.
The Workplace Human Zoo is a practical, engaging, and professionally framed leadership foundations workshop designed for executives and middle managers who want to strengthen their ability to manage challenging personalities, communicate with clarity, and build productive working relationships across teams and functions. Using the “Human Zoo” term as metaphor, participants learn to recognise common behaviour patterns, understand emotional triggers, and adapt their communication approach to different personality types and workplace situations.
The program emphasises self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and constructive response strategies, helping leaders move from reactive interactions to intentional leadership behaviour.
This program serves as a conceptual bridge into the advanced Riding the Executive S.A.F.A.R.I. framework, where leadership development expands from managing people to navigating power, culture, and influence across the human ecosystem.
The Workplace Human Zoo is a practical, engaging, and professionally framed leadership foundations workshop designed for executives and middle managers who want to strengthen their ability to manage challenging personalities, communicate with clarity, and build productive working relationships across teams and functions. Using the “Human Zoo” term as metaphor, participants learn to recognise common behaviour patterns, understand emotional triggers, and adapt their communication approach to different personality types and workplace situations.
The program emphasises self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and constructive response strategies, helping leaders move from reactive interactions to intentional leadership behaviour.
This program serves as a conceptual bridge into the advanced Riding the Executive S.A.F.A.R.I. framework, where leadership development expands from managing people to navigating power, culture, and influence across the human ecosystem.
Objective
Participants will be able to:
- Recognise common behaviour and personality patterns that create workplace friction
- Apply emotional intelligence techniques to manage personal triggers and reactions
- Adapt communication style to improve clarity, trust, and collaboration
- Respond constructively to challenging colleagues, managers, and stakeholders
- Develop early stakeholder awareness and influence thinking in everyday leadership situations
Outline
Opening Exhibit — Welcome to the Workplace Human Zoo™
From Personalities to Everyday Leadership Behaviour
Interactive Activity: Zoo Map of the Workplace - Participants identify their industry, leadership role, and most frequent challenging interactions
Exhibit 1 — The Species Catalogue Understanding Behaviour Under Pressure
Recognising personal stress responses
Interactive Activity: Boardroom Safari - Small groups map anonymised workplace scenarios to behaviour profiles and discuss Business impact and Relationship risks.
Exhibit 2 — Face, Culture & Communication in Diverse Environments
Speaking to Different Personalities and Working Preferences
Interactive Activity: Same Message, Three Cultures - Participants practise delivering the same leadership message to different cultural and organisational contexts.
Exhibit 3 — Feeding Strategies for Influence: Managing Up, Across, and Beyond
Introduction to Power and Stakeholder Awareness
Interactive Activity: The Executive Chessboard - Participants map a simple stakeholder ecosystem around a real workplace challenge:
Exhibit 4 — Managing Conflict with Professional Authority
From Reaction to Constructive Leadership Response
Interactive Activity: The Boardroom Simulation - Participants rotate through roles and practise managing challenging interactions while maintaining authority and professionalism.
Exhibit 5 — The Leadership Playbook
Personal Development & Influence Readiness
Interactive Activity: My Leadership Response System - Participants design a simple, practical response framework for recurring workplace challenges.
Learning and Development Tools
This program introduces practical, easy-to-apply tools that build the behavioural and communication foundation.
1. Human Zoo Behaviour Profiles
2. Response vs Reaction Model
3. Communication Adaptation Grid
4. Basic Stakeholder Awareness Map
5. Personal Leadership Reflection Sheet™
From Personalities to Everyday Leadership Behaviour
- Leadership challenges as behavioural patterns, not personal flaws
- Common Asian workplace realities: hierarchy, face-saving, multicultural teams, and performance pressure
- Introduction to “People Systems”
- Emotional triggers and leadership blind spots
Interactive Activity: Zoo Map of the Workplace - Participants identify their industry, leadership role, and most frequent challenging interactions
Exhibit 1 — The Species Catalogue Understanding Behaviour Under Pressure
Recognising personal stress responses
- Behaviour Under Pressure Profiles (professionally framed archetypes)
- How stress, incentives, and organisational culture shape behaviour
- De-escalating tension and misunderstanding
- Choosing leadership language that builds trust
Interactive Activity: Boardroom Safari - Small groups map anonymised workplace scenarios to behaviour profiles and discuss Business impact and Relationship risks.
Exhibit 2 — Face, Culture & Communication in Diverse Environments
Speaking to Different Personalities and Working Preferences
- Why direct communication works in some cultures and fails in others
- Listening beyond words: non-verbal and emotional cues
- Managing misunderstandings across functions and cultures
- Introduction to the FACE Risk Lens: Form, Audience, Context, Emotion
Interactive Activity: Same Message, Three Cultures - Participants practise delivering the same leadership message to different cultural and organisational contexts.
Exhibit 3 — Feeding Strategies for Influence: Managing Up, Across, and Beyond
Introduction to Power and Stakeholder Awareness
- Introduction to the 4 Currencies of Influence: Position, Expertise, Relationships, Information
- Informal influencers and silent blockers
- Why good communication sometimes fails to move decisions
- Working with challenging managers and peers
Interactive Activity: The Executive Chessboard - Participants map a simple stakeholder ecosystem around a real workplace challenge:
Exhibit 4 — Managing Conflict with Professional Authority
From Reaction to Constructive Leadership Response
- Common workplace conflict patterns
- Emotional triggers and escalation risks
- Introduction to the CALM Response Model: Clarify Intent, Acknowledge Face, Lead with Impact, Move to Mutual Gain
Interactive Activity: The Boardroom Simulation - Participants rotate through roles and practise managing challenging interactions while maintaining authority and professionalism.
Exhibit 5 — The Leadership Playbook
Personal Development & Influence Readiness
- Personal behavioural patterns and emotional triggers
- Strengths and development areas in managing others
- Identifying leadership situations that require influence, not just communication
Interactive Activity: My Leadership Response System - Participants design a simple, practical response framework for recurring workplace challenges.
Learning and Development Tools
This program introduces practical, easy-to-apply tools that build the behavioural and communication foundation.
1. Human Zoo Behaviour Profiles
2. Response vs Reaction Model
3. Communication Adaptation Grid
4. Basic Stakeholder Awareness Map
5. Personal Leadership Reflection Sheet™
Who should attend
- Executives seeking to strengthen interpersonal leadership effectiveness
- Middle Managers, Department Heads, and Team Leaders
- Senior Professionals and Individual Contributors with cross-functional responsibilities
- Emerging Leaders and High-Potential Managers
- Public and Private Sector Leaders managing diverse, multi-disciplinary teams
Testimonial
• Very useful — applicable both at work and in personal life.
• Highly engaging session with a friendly, approachable trainer who demonstrates strong facilitation and management skills.
• Gained new methods and ways of thinking, including solution-focused and creative thinking approaches.
• Learned alternative and more effective ways to organise thoughts and align people toward common goals.
• Practical techniques that are easy to grasp and apply. The trainer is supportive, approachable, and helpful.
• Clear guidance and sound principles shared throughout the workshop.
• The learning is immediately applicable to both professional and personal situations.
• Particularly helpful for improving minutes-taking and decision-making. Overall, an excellent workshop delivered by an excellent trainer.
• Highly engaging session with a friendly, approachable trainer who demonstrates strong facilitation and management skills.
• Gained new methods and ways of thinking, including solution-focused and creative thinking approaches.
• Learned alternative and more effective ways to organise thoughts and align people toward common goals.
• Practical techniques that are easy to grasp and apply. The trainer is supportive, approachable, and helpful.
• Clear guidance and sound principles shared throughout the workshop.
• The learning is immediately applicable to both professional and personal situations.
• Particularly helpful for improving minutes-taking and decision-making. Overall, an excellent workshop delivered by an excellent trainer.
Eric Cheong's Profile
BSc(Hons) MSc (HRM)
Accredited ACTA Trainer, Developer & Assessor (SG)
Master Trainer, Buzan iMindMap & AYOA (ThinkBuzan UK)
Certified Trainer, Guerrilla Marketing® (USA)
Certified Trainer & Coach, Identi3® Personality Profiling (SG)
Master Trainer, Click Colours International (AU)
Certified Trainer, Inquiry Institute (US)
Design Thinking Certificate – MITx and DesignThinkers Academy (SG)
Adult Educator Network and Institute for Adult Learning (SG)
Eric Cheong is a corporate trainer and thinking-skills specialist who helps organisations improve critical thinking, decision-making, and collaborative problem solving. With 25+ years across telecommunications, technology, and education, he equips leaders with questioning and mindset tools to navigate complexity and ambiguity.
Previously with SingTel, Pacific Internet, and the National Library Board, Eric understands matrix organisations, public sector systems, and corporate transformation. His experience spans governance, entrepreneurship, and executive education, linking thinking frameworks to real workplace challenges.
As former Managing Director of Buzan Asia, he expanded creative thinking and Mind Mapping programmes across Asia. An Accredited Master Trainer in Click! Colours® EQ Profiling (Click! Colours International), he has trained over 10,000 professionals from organisations including Intel, HP, HSBC, Sony, Far East Organization, Singapore Airlines, and the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Eric holds a Master’s in Human Resource Management and is pursuing a DBA focused on leadership influence and cognition in complex organisations. Having lived and worked in Hong Kong, Belgium, and the United States, he brings strong cross-cultural leadership insight.
Global Training & Thought Leadership Credentials
Eric’s expertise in critical and creative thinking is shaped by training with leading global pioneers:
Speaking Engagements & Media
Testimonials
“I have not come across a Trainer like Eric who takes great lengths to engage his participants, address their inner motivations and going the extensive way to build up his trainees. He is not just a Trainer, but a unique educator who cares for his Learners and stays true to his purpose of educating minds.”
Christie Khoo, Manager, SG Professionals' and Executives' Co-operatives
“Eric makes me understand the importance of being open, flexible and adaptable. If the trainer is rigid and unimaginative, then so will the learners, and they will participate in the training in a dull and unmotivated manner.”
Vinay Rai, Business Owner, Writer and Editor
“Eric has diligently put together this all-in-one programme, making it simple and easy for anyone - even for a beginner to be equipped as a Corporate Trainer very quickly.”
Lui Ng, Senior Vice-President in a technology firm
Accredited ACTA Trainer, Developer & Assessor (SG)
Master Trainer, Buzan iMindMap & AYOA (ThinkBuzan UK)
Certified Trainer, Guerrilla Marketing® (USA)
Certified Trainer & Coach, Identi3® Personality Profiling (SG)
Master Trainer, Click Colours International (AU)
Certified Trainer, Inquiry Institute (US)
Design Thinking Certificate – MITx and DesignThinkers Academy (SG)
Adult Educator Network and Institute for Adult Learning (SG)
Eric Cheong is a corporate trainer and thinking-skills specialist who helps organisations improve critical thinking, decision-making, and collaborative problem solving. With 25+ years across telecommunications, technology, and education, he equips leaders with questioning and mindset tools to navigate complexity and ambiguity.
Previously with SingTel, Pacific Internet, and the National Library Board, Eric understands matrix organisations, public sector systems, and corporate transformation. His experience spans governance, entrepreneurship, and executive education, linking thinking frameworks to real workplace challenges.
As former Managing Director of Buzan Asia, he expanded creative thinking and Mind Mapping programmes across Asia. An Accredited Master Trainer in Click! Colours® EQ Profiling (Click! Colours International), he has trained over 10,000 professionals from organisations including Intel, HP, HSBC, Sony, Far East Organization, Singapore Airlines, and the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Eric holds a Master’s in Human Resource Management and is pursuing a DBA focused on leadership influence and cognition in complex organisations. Having lived and worked in Hong Kong, Belgium, and the United States, he brings strong cross-cultural leadership insight.
Global Training & Thought Leadership Credentials
Eric’s expertise in critical and creative thinking is shaped by training with leading global pioneers:
- Certified Master Trainer in Mind Mapping, trained under Tony Buzan and co-trained with him.
- Master Trainer, Click! Colours® International, trained by founders Greg Barnes and David Koutsoukis (emotional intelligence and behavioural profiling).
- Trained by Michael Gelb, author of How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci (creativity and whole-brain thinking).
- Graduate of the Chief Questions Officer Programme by Marilee Adams, creator of Question Thinking (Learner mindset and decision-making).
Speaking Engagements & Media
- Guest speaker, Smart Nation 2021 — Prime Minister's Office webinar on Applied Creativity
- Featured expert, BrainTalk 2021 — MM2 Studios parenting series
- Guest speaker, SPH MONEY FM 89.3 — Thinking & Innovation at Work
- Corporate talks for Sony Singapore, UPS, Singtel, Hewlett Packard, and others
- International speaker, 14th International Conference on Thinking (Malaysia)
Testimonials
“I have not come across a Trainer like Eric who takes great lengths to engage his participants, address their inner motivations and going the extensive way to build up his trainees. He is not just a Trainer, but a unique educator who cares for his Learners and stays true to his purpose of educating minds.”
Christie Khoo, Manager, SG Professionals' and Executives' Co-operatives
“Eric makes me understand the importance of being open, flexible and adaptable. If the trainer is rigid and unimaginative, then so will the learners, and they will participate in the training in a dull and unmotivated manner.”
Vinay Rai, Business Owner, Writer and Editor
“Eric has diligently put together this all-in-one programme, making it simple and easy for anyone - even for a beginner to be equipped as a Corporate Trainer very quickly.”
Lui Ng, Senior Vice-President in a technology firm
