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Introduction
Why this program
About this program
Practical Information

Start date
2 november 2026
Duration
3 days
Language
Dutch
Costs
€ 3900
Modular
Schedule
Online kick-off and 3 on-campus days

Introduction

Tension in change processes, conflicts that flare up, misunderstandings in hybrid collaboration: often it is not about the content, but about emotion and difference. Under pressure, people do not react “rationally,” but defensively: attacking, avoiding, pleasing, shutting down. And what works for one person (directness, speed) feels unsafe or careless to another.

In this module, you will learn to read and regulate emotions - both your own and those of others. You will recognize triggers and stress responses, choose responses that de-escalate and restore connection, and increase your emotional intelligence in conversations, feedback, and leadership. At the same time, you will identify personality differences and preferences and learn to use those differences as strengths in role distribution, decision-making, and collaboration. The result: less noise, more understanding, and teams that perform better even under pressure.

Participant profile

For professionals who notice that emotions and differences in style affect collaboration and who want to get a handle on this in a structural, not incidental, way.

You recognize stress behavior, withdrawal behavior, or dominant voices and are looking for proven ways to increase safety, focus, and progress.

You want to make emotional intelligence practical in your leadership and collaboration: listening better without losing energy, setting clearer boundaries, normalizing tensions, and utilizing differences instead of brushing them aside.

Why this program

What makes this program unique?

Mapping the emotional landscape: from triggers and stress responses to regulation and responses that enable collaboration.
Differences as strengths: utilizing personality traits and preferences for role allocation, feedback, and decision-making.
Emotional intelligence that works: concrete conversation techniques, micro-interventions, and team rituals—testable in your practice.
From individual to team level: applicable in one-on-one meetings, team meetings, and organization-wide changes.
Small-scale and practice-oriented: cases from both the business world and the public sector, with peer review and sharp reflection.

What will the program bring you?

Analyzing emotional processes and personality traits as explanations for behavior and cooperation.

Integrating emotional intelligence into leadership, team development, and talent management.

Recognize tension and stressful behavior in a timely manner and transform it into constructive interaction.

Designing workable interventions with measurable effects on safety, motivation, and performance.

About this program

From emotion and differences to resilient leadership and collaboration.

Emotions drive behavior - visible in conflict, but also in silence, withdrawal, or cynicism. In this module, you will discover how emotions arise, what function they serve in organizations, and how to recognize stress and tension before it escalates. You will practice regulation and conversation techniques that help make difficult situations workable: setting boundaries, de-escalating, restoring, and moving forward again.

You will also explore why people react so differently. You will learn to translate personality traits and preferences into collaboration: what does someone need, what triggers resistance, and how do you design workable agreements and team rituals that reinforce safety and performance?

You will analyze emotional processes and personality traits as explanatory factors of individual and collective behavior.
You will integrate emotional intelligence and diversity into leadership, team development, and talent management.
You will translate differences and group processes into practical interventions for better collaboration under pressure.

Module structure

This module begins with an online kick-off session, followed by three consecutive days of classes on location.

Part of the Advanced Program Psychology of People and Organizations

This module can be taken separately or as part of the Advanced Program Psychology of People and Organizations (PMO). The Advanced Program offers a compact, practice-oriented framework for translating psychological insights into better collaboration, decision-making, and change.
You will learn to recognize patterns based on experience, examine your own contribution, and apply substantiated interventions to your own case.

The program was developed in close collaboration with Tilburg University and is aimed at professionals who drive or guide change (managers, project and change managers, HR, public/non-profit).

Other modules from the Advanced Program in Psychology of People and Organizations are:

PMO 1 - Future of People, Organizations, and Society
PMO 2 - Psychology in Organizational Change
PMO 3 - Psychology in Marketing and Consumer Behavior
PMO 4 - Cognitive and Social Psychology
PMO 5 - Emotion and Differential Psychology

Emotion and Differential Psychology - PMO