During our twice yearly offering of the Journey of Facilitation and Collaboration Workshop it’s always exciting to watch each new group of facilitators unfold as a high-functioning team. While many beautiful insights and opportunities emerge, there is one I want to speak about in this issue as I believe it’s a topic that deserves discussion. That is, the concept of psychological projection, which we explore in this week’s article, What Are You Projecting?
What Are You Projecting? Click here to read full article.
What Are You Projecting?
June 14, 2010 By 5 Comments
I have found Byron Katie’s work very helpful with projections. As I master my own projections, as a facilitator, I have found I can more skillfully help others.
http://www.thework.com/thework.php
Equally true is positive projection. We see in others what is true of ourselves. For example, I have often marveled at a friend’s gracious and generous hospitality. Gradually it dawned on me I was like her.
While I agree that as a facilitator, you must be aware of this circumstance so that you can better process the responses that you are getting, one has to be very careful not to venture into the realm of psychology unless you are trained. It is a delicate balance to be sure. It is one thing to make the individual aware that it is happening and ask them to reflect on and possibly reconsider their response, but quite another to offer the opportunity to explore it more deeply with them. These can be “hot buttons” for many people so it is good to be clear about your boundaries. If, as a facilitator, you encounter this frequently it may be more appropriate to refer them than treat them.
Steve, I am glad you are exploring this topic of projections. I think that we as facilitators who take responsibility for a group process have an added burden to be aware of our own projections. Since they are subconcious, it’s tricky, but the questions you posed can just as appropriately asked of ourselves when we notice that we are upset or thinking that something “always happens that way.” Thanks!
Steve,
All the comments posted are very valid.Geoff makes a really good point about trained psychology. You can only really get into the issues if you are prepared to find the time to reach a better outcome. Often, when facilitating, the contractor determines the time spent on reaching solutions and this is often a monetary decision. “We can’t afford to give the group any more time…we need outcomes and solutions.” These decision makers are not interested in the value of debate/conversation, only in reaching speedy conclusions.
With projections, it is all about supporting the individual to change their self talk for keeps so that they can at least rationalise the thought process. There are solutions out there in the market place to help with this (I personally use a method developed by well known psychologists and teachers)however I find that others see it as mumbo jumbo, fluffy or cranky … and these are often influencers who discount its value without evidence. Best wishes.