Often management seminars take place in a closed space where power plays and underlying tensions prevent open discussion. Our own biases modify our listening and questioning abilities, influencing our decisions.
This summer I led a seminar between 3 partners whose aim was to define the strategic roadmap and the evolution of the company's governance.
The introduction of a half-day Woaching session (walking coaching) at the start allowed me to avoid these pitfalls by making it easier for everyone to express their expectations and listen to each other.
After a meditative walk to disconnect from the daily hustle and bustle and connect to nature, I invited them to reflect together on 5 questions:
- What is important for me to flourish personally and professionally?
- What do I need?
- What do I like to do and not do?
- How do I see myself in the company in the medium and long term?
- How should the activity evolve?
To do this, I took turns practicing empathetic mirror listening while walking. One speaks to express his thoughts, his choices, his concerns and the others listen without speaking and this for a fixed time of 20 to 30 minutes. And too bad if there are silences.
Or rather, so much the better if there are silences! Because if silence is respected by listening to everyone, it is often when people speak again that unexpected things are said. And it was the case.
This exercise may seem confusing at first, however, they engaged in it with desire and interest.
This allowed everyone to express themselves freely, to deepen and detail their thoughts and for others to be completely attentive and receptive.
without this Woaching session, we would not have managed to align ourselves in such a short time!
This moment of truth, knowledge and mutual understanding fostered the conditions for rapid alignment of all on the strategic trajectory, the management mode and governance, during the seminar day that followed.
The feedback from the participants reinforced my choice to use the contribution of Woaching in the conduct of this type of seminar. Tanguy Delamare Executive coach https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanguydelamare/