That the truth must be told in any situation, there is no doubt about this, but the way it must be communicated is what causes, in some cases, great problems. Truth can be compared to a gemstone. If we throw it against someone's face, it can hurt, but if we wrap it in delicate packaging and offer it tenderly, it will certainly be accepted with pleasure ”. (Arabic anecdote)
The change affects the very essence of truth. Of course, the term coined on many occasions to justify an advance that makes no more sense than moving forward, just because. For what? Where to? How? That is the question.
Continuing "Keeping our antennas out" supposes placing the change from a dimension of prior awareness, of transformational understanding, of commitment to the challenge and finally of demanding improvement. We assume then that the process of change and personal / professional development has to originate and produce from the inside out:
Inside out in terms of bringing to the surface and addressing differences in beliefs, feelings, attitudes and values in order to remove obstacles to effective interaction. We are talking about confronting, that is, trying to discern the real differences that are getting in the way, of bringing personal situations applied to the employment relationship to the surface and working on them in a constructive way. Positive confrontation is the foundation of most conflict resolution interventions, such as team building, conciliation, and role negotiation.
And once we're out, we have to get people to talk and interact in new constructive ways. Increased interaction and communication within the group can effect changes in attitudes and behavior. This will lead us to situations that provide motivational energy to people through visions of new possibilities and challenges or of new desired futures.
Therefore, we understand that for a Learning and Development Program to be truly effective, and not a mere circus show, it has to overcome internal resistance and external barriers. This will involve us conceiving learning environments that articulate conditions for the development of key competences in the participants, through the generation of expeditionary environments, in such a way that we can approach learning in a systemic and flexible way to allow the trend towards autonomous and intrapersonal learning., In the first instance; and create an environment conducive to dialogue and reflection, stimulating and challenging, developed with purpose and opportunity to be truly effective and creative, in the second instance. The classroom environment as a synergistic whole.
This approach highlights our sensitivity to the search for differences, and provides a framework for practical action and further emphasizes the posture of curiosity or the capacity for wonder that is indispensable as a characteristic of an attitude of Development and
transformation. In short, it is about focusing on achieving specific or direct changes in the people of the team as well as directing ourselves towards the development and use of active and experiential intervention methods to achieve specific goals and transfers.
It is fully demonstrated that the effectiveness of a Development action depends on certain characteristics of the facilitators in relation to the participant. We are talking about empathy, acceptance, and positive confrontation, which points out the positive and enhances strengths.
However, beyond the facilitator is the learning environment as an integrated and interconnected whole. This can guide the participant in their true role as the main agent of change by listening and developing their curiosity about resources and capacities, and carefully managing their empathic listening to their difficulties, with an awareness of their skills, strengths and resources involved in your personal and professional context. Listening with interest and curiosity to the participant's contributions towards a model of change does not mean that the learning environment ignores weaknesses or mental blocks. On the contrary, the facilitator and the carefully created environment listens to the whole as a systemic vision: confusion and clarity, uncertainty and handling of it, cognition and emotion,…
In this way, we understand, out of a total of 100% of the elements to take into account in learning, that the success of a change process from a learning and development program is articulated from the following pivots:
40% of success depends on Designing and Developing an ideal learning environment
We understand that what works in a Learning and Development Program has to do with the “real and desired life of the participant”, their relationship with others and the expectations that they manage to place in the relationship - environment. Of these, apparently the facilitator and the learning environment, its design and development, can influence with their active participation, in such a way that it is perceived by the participant as a warm, open, supportive and empathetic learning environment, where they find a learning environment conducive to development and thus allowing expectations to be kept alive and enhanced.
30% of success depends on the relationship or bond based on the participant's perception of the learning environment
The variable that seeks and develops differences is the strength of the link between the learning environment and the participant's perception of their relationship. This creates an alliance that is associated with better results.
15% of the success depends on the expectations of the participant
We all know that as long as the expectation of change is maintained and that the learning process meets the expectations of the participant, the latter has a better chance of success.
In fact, different studies show that it is the participant's belief that is significant and not that of the facilitator. In this way, the conditions to provoke an effective learning environment are clear:
- One must want to learn: Motivation One must overcome doubts and fears: Effort One learns by doing: Act One is sensitive to failure: Achievement One learns what has personal meaning for one: Depth One must be emotionally prepared: Change and growth
And the conditions to develop them too:
- The facilitator must believe in their learning model / scheme The facilitator must express interest in the results and guidance The guidance must be credible and persuasive The learning process must be related to successful experiences Learning must be oriented towards Future challenges. Learning should highlight the participant's sense of control over their change.
15% of success depends on specific tools and techniques
"Techniques themselves do not cause change" (Kiessler)
A certain formative structure, flexible models and techniques are necessary to provide a framework to allow the process to develop.
From my point of view, the most useful tool is the one that causes the participant to have the feeling at all times of being empathically understood in their difficulty or situation by the environment. In fact, some research confirms that participants benefit more and feel more satisfied with the Development program when facilitators are flexible and do not try to convince them of the benefits of their specific approach and are able to move in different areas and models to adjust to the needs and beliefs of the different participants.
This is the theory of archery practice and all that stuff. But this is an other history. What we cannot doubt is that in these turbulent times it is necessary to promote People and Team Development Programs in organizations. If only because of the need to reconnect with ourselves… and with others.
Onteanqui
("The one who accompanies", in Nahuatl language)
ÍTACA, Global Learning & Development
Jorge Palacios Plaza. 2003
