Flagship course
Works Council Dialogue Lab
A six-module coaching program for people who lead or support employment consultations with German works councils — managers, HR, and council members welcome in mixed or single-side cohorts.
Learning outcomes
- Design an agenda that separates information, consultation, and negotiation items
- Write briefing packs that answer foreseeable council questions without oversharing drafts
- Facilitate tone when facts are incomplete or contested
- Produce minutes and open-question logs both sides can recognise
- Plan follow-ups with owners and realistic deadlines
Who it suits
HR partners preparing first consultations, works council chairs who want cleaner process, and plant managers who inherit strained dialogue. Legal counsel may audit one module; they are not the primary audience.
Modules
Consultation map
Map your upcoming topic against information, consultation, and co-determination duties under German practice — without turning the room into a law seminar.
Briefing packs that travel
Rewrite a real one-pager: claims, annexes, and what must wait for the live session.
Open questions under pressure
Drill responses when numbers conflict or a participant escalates tone.
Joint session choreography
Roles, speaking order, parking-lot rules, and when to pause for a written answer.
Minutes that stick
Template practice so rotating attendees can still reconstruct decisions weeks later.
Capstone rehearsal
Run a full mock consultation using a case from your organisation (anonymised if needed).
Instructor
Anja Richter
Anja has facilitated employment consultations across Bavarian manufacturing and logistics sites for twelve years. She coaches both employer and council cohorts and insists on plain German and English materials — no slide theatre.
Participant notes
“Module 03 on open questions stopped our meetings from turning into parallel monologues.”
The capstone was demanding. Useful if you bring a real case; less so if you only bring hypotheticals.
FAQ
Is this legal advice?
No. Neural Connects coaches communication and process. For binding interpretation of the BetrVG or related statutes, consult qualified counsel.
Can employer and council attend together?
Yes, when both agree. Mixed cohorts require a short pre-call so we set ground rules for confidentiality.
What is a real limitation of this course?
The Lab does not repair deeply broken trust in six weeks. If parties refuse to share draft agendas or minutes, coaching improves language but not outcomes. We will say so in the fit call.
Language of delivery?
English materials with German workplace examples; bilingual facilitation available for Plant Intensive add-ons.