We are writing after two tiring days of our July event. Our trainers have made us work hard while they tried to loosen up the often sensitive topics with playful, humorous tasks. On the first day we learned to listen and pay attention, in paired exercises, and the active attention turned out to be quite tiring. Later, we changed into practicing in three-person groups, where we studied how to listen in silence to the other person in a way, that at the end, we summerize in key words the main message we understood about his/her speech. We gave each other feedbacks on how successful it was.
In connection with this task, we got to know the term ’I-statements’, the essence of which is to tell about my needs and wants something important and true and concrete enough for the other person, to deal with it. The prerequisite for this is that I am aware of my own needs – but as it turned out, it is often gets more clear in the conversation.
The exciting part started at the end of the first day and took place mostly on the second day, when we gave each other feedback about one chosen strength or weekness in relation to our previous work experience. This has already gone sharp, not as a simulation, so it has a big impact on us. At the end of the day, we got prepared to teach what we have learned here, so everyone made a short list of people he/she wants to contact.
During the two days, many thoughts and experiences have been created that will be processed and utilized in the workshops of the following days.