A Self-reflection Workshop

DRAFT PAGE IN PROGRESS

• These exercises ask each individual in the workshop to focus on their self-identity and how they think others see them.
• To be conducted in as light-hearted and playful a way as possible.
  • (in order to make everyone comfortable reflecting on themselves.)

Assumptions behind these Exercises

• We believe that individual living systems sustain themselves by:
  • 1. being in touch with internal self-identity
  • 2. being aware of how they are perceived by others
  • 3. successfully managing the relationship between 1) and 2) in the context of each situation.
• They do so by languaging their equilibrium.
• In the above sense, as systems, they therefore 'create' themselves.
• This is what is meant by the idea of autopoiesis.

Relevance for Team Consciousness

• Teams operate according to the same conditions as living systems
• But they consist only of individuals, whose ability to collaborate is built upon their mood and spirit, etc.
• Teamwork can be difficult when individual participants are insufficiently aware of:
  • their effect on others
  • their skills and abilities
  • their level of self-confidence (high or low)
  • their own personal likes and dislikes
    • (e.g. unless s/he enjoys food, how can a chef learn the preferences of others?)

WORKSHOP 1

Purpose

• Prepares individuals for balancing and optimising the timeliness and level of their vocal contributions to meetings.
• It also prepares individuals for a holarchic team regime.
• It may also re-calibrate shifts in a given individual's balance between self assertiveness and self restraint.
• It also enhances a feeling of fairness and mutuality among individuals in a given team.
• It is strongly somatic, rather than a purely 'thinking' tool.
• Some teams are dominated by members who garrulous or over-assertive:
  • They may speak too long.
  • They may speak beyond their competence.
  • They offer information that is inadequate or unhelpful to the team at that moment.
• These team may, therefore, miss some of the potential contributions of more shy, modest, or self-deprecating members.

This is an example of a mis-match between (i.e. poor management of) the team's positional values at any given moment.

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