Council is a formalized meeting where people are encouraged to speak about themselves and their experience honestly and to share what’s really important to them at work. We create an environment free from interrupting, arguing and talking over others and practice active listening. Major corporations, including Motorola, Xerox and 20th Century Fox, have expanded their training programs in the last several years to include this unique and valuable form of communication. Laurie Burton Training is a leader in this groundbreaking field.
While email, voice mail, texting and social media have increased the quantity of our interactions, genuine human connection has suffered. Even within in the same department, people are often isolated and disconnected. In practice and in principle, Council is a simple concept which brings people together and quickly produces dramatic results.
The Four Intentions of Council:
• Speaking authentically
• Active Listening
• Telling your story in a lean way
• Spontaneity
After only a few “rounds” in Council, the greater wisdom of the group as a whole is quickly evident and the commonality of the group’s purpose and goals becomes clear, sometimes for the first time. Power struggles and similar distractions decrease as participants discover new resources from within the group. Council may be used to solve specific problems, to brainstorm and foster creativity, or to deepen communication. Tangible progress is made instead of the perpetual impasse that may have prevailed in the past.
People crave the opportunity to express themselves at work. Companies using Council quickly begin to experience new levels of productivity and openness as people find themselves communicating and cooperating as never before. Contact us and schedule a breakthrough session for your organization.