Catarina Dehlin and Thomas Erdös have long been dedicated to helping organizations leverage the Strength Deployment Inventory (SDI) to improve team dynamics, psychological safety, and enhance collaboration at Atoll AB in Sweden. Drawing on more than two decades of experience in SDI training and certification, they sat down with us to share insights and practical tips for practitioners aiming to maximize the SDI’s impact with their clients.

After first learning about the SDI through its use in Swedish military defense training programs, Catarina and Thomas recognized its potential for improving interpersonal relationships in the workplace. For Catarina, the SDI’s approach to understanding human behavior resonated with her training philosophy.

“The SDI provides a framework for genuinely seeing people—not just as employees but as individuals with motivations that guide their actions,” she explained.

In their work, Catarina and Thomas apply the SDI across a range of programs, from leadership development to team-building workshops, ensuring it aligns with their clients’ broader organizational goals.

“We don’t use the SDI as a standalone tool,” Thomas shared. “We see it as a framework that connects naturally with our clients’ business processes. Whether it’s a new leadership training program or ongoing team development, we integrate the SDI to support specific outcomes.”

Their approach to facilitation often adapts to the diverse cultural landscapes they work in, tailoring training to meet different learning preferences.

“In places like Sweden, there’s a preference for flexibility over rigid structure,” Thomas said.

Instead of one-size-fits-all sessions, Catarina and Thomas design customized experiences that embed SDI concepts directly into clients’ development goals.

For them, it’s also about bridging the gap between business objectives and interpersonal dynamics.

 “Clients often focus on the work process, seeing interpersonal skills as secondary,” Thomas noted. “But they’re realizing you can’t achieve results without people understanding each other.”

What makes the SDI unique, they say, is its ability to create a shared language around motivation, communication styles, and conflict resolution. By framing interpersonal challenges in terms of motivations and values, they help clients work through differences constructively.

“The SDI provides a safe, neutral language,” Thomas explained. “It’s not about judging; there’s no right or wrong. This approach helps people engage without feeling criticized, which fosters empathy and respect.”

Catarina also highlighted the “relationship loop,” a key concept of relationship intelligence that interactions happen in the moment, but relationships are built over time.

“We explore how trust is formed and sometimes needs to be rebuilt after conflict, looking at each other’s strengths and overdone strengths,” she said. “Recasting the past and reframing previous interactions through the lens of the SDI helps participants co-create the future together with empathy and understanding.”

Fostering Psychological Safety and Trust

Psychological safety is at the heart of Catarina and Thomas’s training philosophy.

“When people feel safe, they’re able to bring out the best in themselves and others,” Catarina said.

Thomas added that creating a “warm group” environment, where individuals feel valued and respected, is essential for long-term success.

“The SDI provides a roadmap to this environment,” he shared. “By helping people recognize each other’s Motivational Value Systems (MVS), it strengthens mutual understanding and trust.”

In a digital world, Catarina and Thomas deliberately favor a more analog, hands-on training approach when possible. They use flip charts, co-created visuals, and other tactile methods to encourage deeper engagement.

“Our approach is very much about slowing down to go faster,” Catarina noted. “We focus on reflection rather than rushing through information.”

Instead of handing out materials that often get filed away, they encourage participants to build visuals on the walls and take photos.

“Slowing down allows for a reflective experience that stands out against their fast-paced, digital work lives.”

Encouraging Experiential and Sustained Learning

Catarina and Thomas’s training also emphasizes experiential learning, using exercises that encourage participants to engage with SDI concepts actively.

“Make people do exercises,” Catarina suggested. “When people reflect on their strengths and challenges in real scenarios, that’s when the learning sticks. Direct engagement and self-reflection are key.”

They reinforce these lessons through repetition.

“Too often, facilitation is treated as a one-off event,” Thomas pointed out. “But real change happens when the SDI is revisited over time. Relaunching and revisiting the concepts brings fresh insights.”

Regular use of tools like the SDI mobile app helps clients integrate these insights into their daily interactions.

The SDI mobile app, they said, extends learning beyond training sessions, serving as a tool for ongoing self-reflection and relationship building.

“The app provides a sustainable learning experience,” Thomas said. “It’s a resource for clients to revisit their motivations, review others’ profiles, and apply SDI insights in real-time.”

 “Using the app during project kickoffs or team introductions helps people integrate the SDI into their routines,” Catarina added.

Embedding the SDI into Organizational Culture

To ensure these insights take root, Catarina and Thomas emphasize the importance of embedding the SDI into an organization’s culture.

“Revisiting the SDI regularly is essential,” Thomas said. “Introducing it to middle management or project leads often creates a ripple effect, as they often choose to implement it within their own teams.”

 “As more employees adopt the SDI, it becomes part of the language they use—an asset that’s hard to replace,” Catarina added.

For both Catarina and Thomas, embedding the SDI is a long-term investment that strengthens team relationships. By supporting initial rollouts and follow-up sessions, they help organizations sustain momentum, creating a lasting impact on collaboration and team success.

For SDI partners, these insights offer a roadmap to help embed the SDI within client organizations, making it a core part of organizational culture and helping to build productive, lasting relationships well beyond the initial training.