Page 25 - Here_n_Now_Vol28__Jul2015

Participants would go for their own ‘holiday trip’ in absence I need to give pause to my life. Activities have taken over my
of any verbal intervention. Group perceives, it as a
deliberate strategy of trainer to test their patience of
seeking direction. Ultimately, many trainers fail to live up
with their own patience and step in with their sarcasm and
anger as directive intervention. The ‘silence ‘ therefore
becomes a pawn in the hand of participants to get the’ son
of the bitch ‘ .I have heard in the corridor of event
participants speaking-,’ So the guy had to come out finally
.I knew he was keeping a swollen face to test us .”
Another group member would say ,” if he is making fun of
us by doing nothing, let him carry on …there must be a
game plan by the trainer ” . Mixed perceptions and
comments have been pattern of the days evident in the
mid community session .Learners mime, skit and
reflections display strong message of what they have learnt
through silent posture and body language of trainer. I
have tried to categorise the nature of such pattern based
on what others think and assume appears a clear contrast
to what trainers assume.
See Table.
Seemingly ‘self’ does not make sound yet it does. It makes
so much noise that we stop listening to our own voice. I
recall my short community session at NTL work few years
back in Bethel, USA. An early morning session in a cross
cultural setting. “It was a great moment to examine my self
that I could not do in my normal t- group session. I was so
caught up in mundane issues that I have never located the
silent little me a great resource with an inward clarity.
life, its meaning and purpose of all that I have been engaged
in”,Henery, General Manager of a USA company shared in the
group at the end of the day. Trainers’ability to deal with silence
in a t- group session is considered to be a powerful skill in
facilitation process.
I am aware of several of my colleagues in ISABS whose ability to
convert silence into powerful learning insights have been
remarkable. Example of Late Dharni and Sujits’ style of
intervention during silence have been classical model for many.
Sujit Bhatacharjee’s ability to live with groups’ silence and move
within everyone during that process with remarkable level of
empathy and connectivity was an incredible power that he
possessed.
However, meditation, reflections and Dhyana are essentially
instruments of self analysis through a guided principle of
learning. The silence observed during small group work often
becomes a very powerful intervention and also shows
milestone for the group journey in terms of self -exploration.
“The first day of silence in small group work was so restless and
boring but second and third day such moments became so
enriching. I could see myself and go into trans to connect with
myself within and examine the feedback that others had given
to me”, Mona, a professional development group learner
shared in her group learning journal at the end of the week’s
experience. I recall a pre-breakfast session that I conducted on
“listening to you inner voice” with an intercultural group of
mostly American participants. It was an experience of closed
eyes with absolute silence in dhyan mudra (posture of
concentration) that made a humming noise on a rhythmic note.
25