My question is do traditional contexts have a pre-established and subconscious expectations/protocols for participation and would changing the context change the nature of the discussion thus fostering different kinds of thinking?
Monday, March 22, 2010
conversations and listening
Listening is a fascinating discovery process. What I find fascinating is listening to the same person speak in different contexts. One observation I had the other day was listening to a passionate teacher in a traditional sharing session. Out of the traditional zone, she expressed what she loves about her teaching and when asked to explain her teaching in front of a group of educators in a traditional context, she immediately went to a traditional way to respond. It was politically safe and her summary was very articulate, but I didn't hear her passion come out like I had earlier - I didn't hear "I love...!"
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Yes, there are. And yes, it would. There are unspoken norms in most environments. There is a need for people to 'know their environment' in order to feel comfortable to go outside boundaries of norms.
ReplyDeleteNew settings, a lack of understanding of group and/or individual purpose(s), changes the dynamics of how one expresses him or herself. In order to take a risk, even for simply sharing ideas or thoughts, the majority of people either need some sense of safety, connection, and/or purpose to be able to be themselves and share their passions from their heart.
That same discussion was had in a classroom with some of the same "audience" and the context changed the sharing immensely. Traditional sharing was out and passion was in. Knowing others came to seek the information led to knowing their purpose, which led to a connection, which led to safety, which ultimately led to being able to speak from the heart without fear of rejection, cynicism, or condemnation.
If the context of staff meetings, professional development programs, or other meetings stay the same, I foresee the traditional format will remain a safety net for most.