Taking time to reflect and reconnect. This can be done in many different ways, including journaling, regular meditation, going into nature (e.g. vision quest). It is also helpful to create embodied experiences or “rituals” that honour our roots. References: ● Hillman, James. The Soul’s Code: In Search of Character and Calling. New York: Warner Books, 1997. ● Vision Quest: Retrieved March … Read more
Attunement Bringing a group together consciously at the beginning and end of meetings, aligned to the highest purpose.
Taking a minute or two at the beginning of the meeting, either in silence with a few words of guidance offered by the facilitator, to pause and notice that we are in a new space; to consciously connect with the others with whom we are meeting; and to clearly connect with the overarching purpose of the meeting, can radically transform the experience of the meeting. A similar process can be undertaken at the end of the meeting, to bring it to conscious … Read more
The Art of Pitching Presenting in an essential way to make people curious for more
Practice the “art of pitching” craft a short pitch and try it out. Learn through the feedback of peers or members of your audience. Film it and look at the videos together. Learn from the pitches of others, learn from online ressources. When crafting your elevator pitch, you first need to think about who is the audience you're trying to reach. Lead with the information that the recipient / the audience will care most about. It is always good to start with a “hook” a statement or … Read more
Political Influencing Engaging in political reality so that what we think is right and needs to be done actually happens.
To become effective we need to understand how power operates, e.g. how decisions are actually made, how to build alliances and coalitions and how to sense the right moment to act. We need to give up the wish to be popular and understood by everyone. We need to surrender our naivety and be willing to take difficult decisions. In essence, to act ‘politically’. References: ● Exercise: Political Influencing (to be linked) ● … Read more
Negotiation Skills Win Win Win for Everyone
This is a metaskill and used in nearly every human situation where people have to share resources. Some people treat human relations as a war and so negotiation is a war. For others, where ensuring the best possible outcome for everyone is at the heart of the negotiation process, a very different approach is used. You need to listen attentively to what the other person wants. In some negotiation approaches, teachers or trainers suggest you learn as much about the other person before you … Read more
Appreciative Inquiry Solving problems by building on success
the Appreciative Inquiry process involves people telling stories about positive experiences they have had at work or in groups and distilling the common values and processes that underpin these (Discover); daring to be bold and developing a ‘Provocative Proposition’ that embodies the highest potential of the group (Dream); then designing pathways towards its achievement (Design) and, finally, ... doing it (Deliver)! It is a high energy, generative process that builds on positive prior … Read more
Transforming Enemy Images Taking back ones own projections
There may be a good reason why people have built up their enemy pictures. Honoring these reasons while also investigating this enemy image helps to open oneself to interaction and also to integrate and investigate the positive qualities that hide behind the initial appearance and behaviour of people. references: Mindell, Arnold (1997): Sitting in the Fire: Large Group Transformation Using Conflict and Diversity; Lao Tse Press, Portland Submitted by Pioneers of Change … Read more
Systemic Constellation Work An approach to revealing and unravelling hidden and unexpected dynamics operating within systems aiming to find a healthy and respectful place for all members of the system in question.
Systemic constellations create a living dynamic map of an issue within a certain system and are a practical, respectful and often profound way of illuminating the dynamics in coaching, organisational and other relational systems. The map (made up of ‘representatives’ – people in workshops, or objects in onetoone coaching) which a constellation creates, allows coach and client to access the wider system, see the hidden forces at play and identify new paths to lasting resolution. The … Read more
Inner Team Aligning the voices inside yourself
In order to grow authentically and spiritually especially if you uncover uncomfortable truths about yourself it is essential to discern the different voices within yourself, to understand their nature and their deeper message. Then we can begin to learn about how to let them work as a team and integrate them into our personality and viewpoints. And if we learn how to integrate conflicting voices inside ourselves then our ability to do this in outer relationships and situations is likely … Read more
The Practice of Forum Building transparency and authenticity in community
In the practice of Forum, we come together in ongoing groups to share deeply and authentically what is alive in us. With skillful facilitation, an atmosphere of safety is created, which enables us to step out of our comfort zone and into deeper levels of vulnerability and creativity. We also start to see ourselves as an integral part of the whole and not an isolated fragment. As witnesses, we build the capacity to hold more of the richness and diversity of human experience without being … Read more
