HOW TO MAKE COMMUNICATION WORK

Conflicts – are they energy sapping or a chance for growth?

Starting position

Middle-sized manufacturer of machinery, part of a bigger industrial group.

Goal

The indent of frequently held management workshops, for ca.35 participating managers, with themes of current strategic and operational content, is to get a ‘shake up’ response.

Process and content

• Interactive impulsive lecture “how communication works”: The essential basics of communication are presented in a memorable and humorous way. They are:(a sender- receiver-model, the four sides of expression, trans-active analysis, criticising without being hurtful).
• Interactive impulsive lecture “conflicts – energy sapping or a chance for growth?”: As an experiment, participants are initially being involved in a personal followed by a social conflict. Following on from that instantaneous experience, the basics of conflict management get developed: ways of conflict, dynamics in conflicts, victim-offender-thinking, stages of escalation, personal ‘favourite conflict style’, options to exit conflicts.

Result

Everybody in the company realises the possibilities for development in communication and how to deal with conflicts, through short but intense given impulses.  In discussions, concrete tips on latest issues, can be passed on.

Magic

As the participants recognise themselves, in the prototypical presentation, of weak points in communication and conflict management, they are from beginning to end, ‘fully engaged’. The managers are ‘brought up to speed’ with very specific topics, in no time. Despite the short time, and because the inter-active exercises and experiments cause consternation, those themes stay well rooted, in all participants. UP