There's an ethical side to touchy-feely exercises that I haven't seen
addressed yet. In the workplace, how intrusive can a group facilitator
be?
There has been some discussion of the allowances that should perhaps be
made for the introverts among us. But the working assumption seems to be
that we should all be open to examinations of process and interpersonal
dynamics.
I would never deny the importance of the human equation; that's half the
fun of working. But I would deny the legitimacy of facilitators poking
about in other people's psyches in a work setting. I don't see anything
in the work contract that grants a license to amateurs to practice therapy
on employees.
It also seems to me that touchy-feely acquired a bad name over the years
because it was so often a covert power trip for the facilitators. What
was once "holier than thou" became "opener than though" in these more
secular times.
Consider what one posting listed as the motivations of those who resist
touchy-feely exercises:
>-- to avoid revealing one's personal vision;
>-- to disparage others, especially women, in order to preserve an "old boy"
>mentality;
>-- to prevent the erosion of hidden agendas;
>-- to avoid change;
>-- to discount process work done in meetings;
>-- to say "I'm from Mars* and don't you forget it" ...
>
>... the underlying motivation is fear of one's own humanity.
I intend no flames here, but arguments like these can easily make
touchy-feely interventions pretty coercive affairs. If you resist, there
must be something wrong with you.
Well, I disagree. If you resist, you're exercising your right to privacy,
a right you don't forfeit by accepting a paycheck. I may not understand
how your head works, and some of your defense mechanisms may seem
dysfunctional from the outside, but unless you've asked for therapeutic
help, none of us has the right to mess with them.
As open as I choose to be ...
Bill Buxton
--"William Buxton" <wbuxton@hns.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>