Visionautikum
The Visionautikum is currently transforming into an international facilitator training for transformational accompaniment.
The annual programme will be online and in English and is possible on a part-time basis. Complementary to this, there will be an intensive leadership presence week once a year, which we will start in September 2023.
The prerequisite for admission to the annual programme is participation in one of the 6-week visionary basic courses.
The challenge
Once you enter the field of change, you see how many social innovations, movements, social businesses and ecological innovations are working every day to create a more sustainable or liveable world. And this despite the fact that the political framework conditions are often difficult, budgets are tight and there is strong resistance from preservers of the status quo. Many people do this work because they find it important, but have never really learned
- what to look for in transformation processes,
- how to motivate fellow activists,
- how to facilitate groups with different stakeholders and lead them to good results supported by all,
- how to effectively lead a project group,
- how to think beyond what is already there,
- how to find sources of funding, and how to stay strong, healthy and happy in the process.
The list could go on for a long time.
What then happens quickly? Groups that sit together endlessly in plenary sessions, discussing their heads off without achieving anything significant, initiatives that peter out at the very beginning, ineffective, uncoordinated action within the organisation because individuals are pursuing different goals, unnecessary conflicts between stakeholders, employees on the verge of exhaustion, regurgitation of old procedures, and so on. This is a pity, because all this is at the expense of the joy of doing and working together and means much less impact than would be possible.
Our answer: The Visionautikum
From 2023 onwards, there will be a training to become a Visionaut, who can support purpose organisations, social innovation teams and changemakers as a professional encourager, process facilitator or changemaker – either in the role of a leader from the inside or as a process facilitator from the outside.
The one-year training is online and in English and is available on a part-time basis. In this way, we succeed in bringing together a variety of personalities and fields of activity that can cross-fertilise each other. We are planning 3 annual cycles from October to June, each with a different focus – Impact, Co-Creation and Mental Power – which can be booked separately, as well as an additional year for a final thesis. We are aiming for accreditation as a Master’s, but cannot promise this at this point.
Complementary to this, there is an intensive leadership presence week once a year to meet each other in real life and to work with methods that are not possible online. We will start with this in September 2023.
In addition to a letter of motivation, the prerequisite for admission to the annual programme is participation in one of the Visionautic basic courses.
The basic course
The basic course can be attended independently of the Visionautikum. It is aimed at all those who want to use facilitation to make the world a more liveable and sustainable place or who lead through transformations as leaders and is suitable for both beginners and professionals in the field. It is suitable for both beginners and professionals in the field and will be available from 200€ for early bookers.
Until the start of the annual programme in autumn 2023, we will offer the basic course three times:
4.11. to 16.12.22,
27.1. to 10.3.23 and
14.4. to 26.5.23.
The exact course programme will be published at the end of April and booking will be possible from mid-May. However, you can make a non-binding reservation here and you will be kept up to date with the latest news.
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Visionautikum
The Visionautikum is currently transforming into an international facilitator training for transformational accompaniment.
The annual programme will be online and in English and is possible on a part-time basis. Complementary to this, there will be an intensive leadership presence week once a year, which we will start in September 2023.
The prerequisite for admission to the annual programme is participation in one of the 6-week visionary basic courses.
The challenge
Once you enter the field of change, you see how many social innovations, movements, social businesses and ecological innovations are working every day to create a more sustainable or liveable world. And this despite the fact that the political framework conditions are often difficult, budgets are tight and there is strong resistance from preservers of the status quo. Many people do this work because they find it important, but have never really learned
- what to look for in transformation processes,
- how to motivate fellow activists,
- how to facilitate groups with different stakeholders and lead them to good results supported by all,
- how to effectively lead a project group,
- how to think beyond what is already there,
- how to find sources of funding, and how to stay strong, healthy and happy in the process.
The list could go on for a long time.
What then happens quickly? Groups that sit together endlessly in plenary sessions, discussing their heads off without achieving anything significant, initiatives that peter out at the very beginning, ineffective, uncoordinated action within the organisation because individuals are pursuing different goals, unnecessary conflicts between stakeholders, employees on the verge of exhaustion, regurgitation of old procedures, and so on. This is a pity, because all this is at the expense of the joy of doing and working together and means much less impact than would be possible.
Our answer: The Visionautikum
From 2023 onwards, there will be a training to become a Visionaut, who can support purpose organisations, social innovation teams and changemakers as a professional encourager, process facilitator or changemaker – either in the role of a leader from the inside or as a process facilitator from the outside.
The one-year training is online and in English and is available on a part-time basis. In this way, we succeed in bringing together a variety of personalities and fields of activity that can cross-fertilise each other. We are planning 3 annual cycles from October to June, each with a different focus – Impact, Co-Creation and Mental Power – which can be booked separately, as well as an additional year for a final thesis. We are aiming for accreditation as a Master’s, but cannot promise this at this point.
Complementary to this, there is an intensive leadership presence week once a year to meet each other in real life and to work with methods that are not possible online. We will start with this in September 2023.
In addition to a letter of motivation, the prerequisite for admission to the annual programme is participation in one of the Visionautic basic courses.
The basic course
The basic course can be attended independently of the Visionautikum. It is aimed at all those who want to use facilitation to make the world a more liveable and sustainable place or who lead through transformations as leaders and is suitable for both beginners and professionals in the field. It is suitable for both beginners and professionals in the field and will be available from 200€ for early bookers.
Until the start of the annual programme in autumn 2023, we will offer the basic course three times:
4.11. to 16.12.22,
27.1. to 10.3.23 and
14.4. to 26.5.23.
The exact course programme will be published at the end of April and booking will be possible from mid-May. However, you can make a non-binding reservation here and you will be kept up to date with the latest news.
[hubspot type=form portal=25634536 id=abf3aeed-fc9d-49ff-b470-4bb579adfd98]
Photo Review of 2021
Quite unexpectedly, despite all Corona restrictions and rescheduling, our past year was colorful and joyous – a wonderful mix of focused thinking and writing in the secluded study room, collaborative research and development with our virtual project partners, and a multitude of delightful face-to-face encounters in EU project meetings and workshops. Here is our review of the year in pictures
Are you currently considering submitting an EU application for mobilities or Strategic Partnerships under the Erasmus+ program? You are not alone. Let’s synchronize our efforts so that the individual applications can stand well on their own but still play together a concert of socio-environmental transformation. Just come to our online meeting:
9.2. 10:00 – 12:00 CET Zoom: 5776776777 Password: erasmus
Co-initiated by us in 2012, the Transformation Hosts International network supports change agents and transformative educational institutions with collegial exchange, conferences, research projects, visibility and practical tips. In addition to theory and practice talks and Erasmus+ synchronization, we cordially invite you to the online anniversary party, where we also celebrate the relaunch of the Hosting Transformation website. Look forward to multi-sensory, interactive delights and opportunities to meet other awake friends of Transformation.
Friday 21.1. 18.00-20.00 CET in our Zoom-room 5776776777 Password: launch
Ingredients for Successful Transformation Processes – online and offline
Even though alchemy is said to have the power to turn lead into gold and to perform other outstanding refining processes, the choice of basic ingredients is of paramount importance. In this series “Alchemy of Transformation – how to boost transformation processes online and offline” we will share our insights from 65 online experiments and interviews and 10 practitioner exchange sessions carried out in our European research project “Online Transformative Learning” as well as our long experience of impactful offline transformation processes.
We first present some significant basic ingredients of successful transformation processes. In later episodes we will look at the more complex interplay and the right mix ratios in process facilitation, programme design, choice of methods, software and evaluation.
Alchemy of Transfromation #1 – Cohesion
Every major social challenge has the potential to unite or divide. Every really big challenge needs cooperation, relying on each other, standing up for each other in order to be able to overcome it, especially if the challenges involve transformation, because the desired state is still unknown and associated with uncertainty. Then it needs both the emotional support for the key players and a thorough understanding of what a new desirable state should look like.
But there are those pesky people who have completely different opinions. If only they thought or acted like us, we would have a whole lot less problems! So? Have you ever caught yourself thinking this way? As a vaccination supporter, as a vaccination opponent, as a climate activist, or, or, or? I have and I am not proud of it.
For some months now I have been noticing how impulses of separation and division in and through media, different social groups, families and friendships create discord and make common action more difficult.
I invite you to join me on a journey of exploration to find out where and how we can strengthen cohesion and promote constructive togetherness in these wild times – as a family member, as a citizen of our country, our municipality, as an inhabitant of this planet.
In this first part of the series “Alchemy of Transformation”, I want to share with you ideas about how to build bridges and promote cohesion. They are a mix of self-experiments, experiences from the Visionautik Akademie, insights from interviews, discoveries from people who inspire me and curiously explorative claims. Try out what inspires you and help strengthen connections, nurture a culture of cohesion and overcome mental gaps in your surroundings. Any suggestions that don’t seem plausible or appropriate for you, just feel free to throw them overboard!
Building bridges with curiosity
Curiosity helps build bridges and overcome barriers. Photo: Carl Newton
Curiosity is a miracle elixir. Curiosity helps to venture into unknown territory, even if it scares you. Curiosity, or let’s say: genuine interest in what the other person has to say, opens doors and hearts, even of people who are completely different from us. What helps is to park one’s own concepts for a while and to be benevolently amazed at how the other person comes to completely different perceptions and conclusions through his or her own personal mix of experiences and situation. What also helps is not to judge – neither the other person, nor oneself and one’s possibly unpleasant feelings that arise. Both sometimes really cost a lot of overcoming, especially when the other triggers your own pain points or questions your world view. You can be proud if you succeed anyway. Give the people around you the gift of turning towards them with honest interest and listening to their ideas, views, concerns and hopes. You will be surprised how a personal closeness can develop in this way, even if you have completely different opinions.
Filling the world with benevolence
Kindness is a Superpower. Photo: Andrew Thornebrooke
We live in a time of massive uncertainty and it is not surprising that many people are overwhelmed by it and cling to straws and scapegoats. The social practices of yesterday are being radically called into question in many fields right now. What was considered secure yesterday no longer counts – who doesn’t get stressed about that!
What would it be like to look at people who are acting narrow-minded and incomprehensible right now with a gentle, loving, benevolent eye, as we do with someone who has had a rough day, and instead of accusing them or proselytizing, consider how we might relieve their stress and insecurity? What specifically might help bring that benevolence into everyday life, professional life, learning spaces?
Creating spaces of safety
Safe. Photo: Igordoon Primus
One of the most important tools that has emerged in guiding our visionautic participants through uncertainties is to create an atmosphere in which everyone is allowed to be who they are and everyone is welcomed, seen and heard. How powerful the so-called “Psychological Safety” is, has been found out by Google in their research project “Aristotle”. You can read more about this in the next part “Alchemy of Transformation” about trust. This also includes allowing ourselves and others to express feelings – even unpleasant feelings that scare us and that we would like to remove as quickly as possible. There is no need to happen much with those feelings – just allowing ourselves to really feel them often works wonders. There are a number of helpful tools and settings for such emotional hygiene, such as Conscious Discharge, as explained here by emotion expert and author Vivian Dittmar (in german). If you don’t yet have an environment that accommodates such a practice, you can use the online discharge platform here. You can also get inspired by our photo series “10 tips for more stability in your life”, to find out what can ground you and make you feel safe.
Providing places of half-bakedness
Experimental Spirit in Jean Tinguely “Le Transport”, 1963. Photo by Jmersina
Let’s admit it openly – to many problems of our times we still have no satisfactory solution. How could we? In the complexity in which health, ecosystems, the behavior of humans and other living beings are interwoven and in which consequences of actions are reflected only far into the future, groping, experimentation and trial and error are needed. Instead, there is often an obvious or unspoken pressure hanging in the air expecting to take clear positions, to hold the most mature, well-reasoned opinions possible, and to be totally sure about them – in political shows, in schools, universities, or private discussion groups. The consequence? Gaps in knowledge are concealed, insecurities are covered up, and once opinions have been formed, it is difficult to back away from them without losing countenance. How wonderful would it be if there were more of these places, where half-baked things can be discussed and moved on together, where people are allowed to approach a topic without already having an opinion on it, spaces for searching, groping, researching, an explicit culture of trial and error and not knowing, of which failure, dead ends and misconceptions are an inevitable part.
Making peace with uncertainty
Groping through uncertain terrain. Photo: Lorenz Kerscher
A good foundation for such places is a friendly and relaxed approach to uncertainty. Uncertainty has become an integral part of our lives. We have outgrown the doubtful paradise of a society with fixed statuses, inherited professions and firmly established role patterns, and of course we don’t want to go back there. The flip side, however, is that we have endless choices and thus endless opportunities to make decisions that we later regret. It is much more challenging to navigate the vast sea of possibilities than it is to ride a streetcar that follows the rails of ancestors or authorities.
Unlike fear, which speeds up action and blocks thorough thinking, uncertainty is a warning signal, which invites us to go slowly and carefully: “Watch out, here comes something unknown, something new, here you won’t get anywhere with routines.” Uncertainty thus invites us to go our way in an alert and conscious manner. This is a quality that promotes innovation and is an appropriate state in times of not knowing. Highly recommended on this topic are books and lectures by philosopher Natalie Knapp, well summarized e.g. in this video “Why our uncertainty is helpful” . In addition, it is helpful to strengthen your own foothold. Helpful questions might be: What can I rely on? What holds me together at the core and where do I fall apart? What is still valid for me when everything falls away? What gives me strength and support? What makes me feel safe?
Rituals of letting go the old and welcoming the new
Welcoming the New Year. Photo: Noah Eleazar
You probably just celebrated New Year’s Eve in one way or another, one of many rituals from the old to the new that help charge change with dignity, gratitude and anticipation. At Visionautik Academy, we are big fans of rituals, whether they are rites of passage such as firewalking and arrow breaking or forgiveness rituals such as ho’o pono pono. They provide clarity and strengthen the bond between those involved. How can such rituals build bridges and strengthen cohesion? Well, forgiveness rituals break down dividing walls and reopen for a new encounter, even when they are one-sided. Rituals of letting go and welcoming the new can enrich our communication culture in many ways, e.g. in a controversial discussion everyone could sacrifice an old thought and celebrate a new one, thus helping to make it easier to engage with each other’s thoughts and mature together in the discussion. I’m sure you can think of many other ways how letting go and welcoming the new can make your work or learning spaces freer and easier.
Conscious use of words and images
Consciously choose words and images. Photo: Glen Carrie
Many images used in everyday life, in politics and in the media emphasize the divisive, reinforce an “us and them”, sometimes downright incite groups against each other and feed fears and blame. In his article “Genug gespalten (divided enough)” in the Frankfurter Rundschau, author Fabian Scheidler vividly describes the mechanisms that are triggered by this and how important it is to address issues that we can only tackle together instead of engaging in trench warfare. It is worthwhile both to listen very carefully and to examine what is conveyed to us consciously or unconsciously between the lines through these images. And it is also worthwhile to observe ourselves: When do I use terms and images that divide and sow discord, and when do I ensure that reconciliation and togetherness can arise through the way I think or speak? Perhaps you find the following time-tested concept helpful for this self-observation: It is attributed to Socrates, but also appears among the Sufis and the Quakers – with different names: the 3 questions, the 3 sieves, or the 3 gates that the information must pass through in order to proof valuable to be spoken out: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
Connecting through a change of perspective
Change of perspective. Photo: Meriç Tuna
The classic change of perspective that helps to create connections is empathizing with one’s counterpart, thereby dealing more gently and lovingly with what bothers us about the other. Especially helpful in our work at Visionautik Akademie, but also in private conflicts, has been jumping to a kind of bird’s eye view, such as with the Harvard concept, which breaks away from positions and asks about the interest behind them, e.g. what is the need behind the desire not to wear a mask, drive an SUV, gossip about others, etc.? Most of the time it is much easier than the position to understand the need behind it and moreover it opens up manifold possibilities to satisfy these needs in different ways that might cause less conflict or disturbance.
Try it out
Reject Division. Photo: Sarah Ardin
I’d love you to join in the effort to overcome division and weld us inhabitants of this planet together to celebrate our existence and collectively meet our challenges ahead. I am curious to hear about your experiences!
Zutaten für erfolgreiche Transformationsprozesse – online und offline
Auch wenn Alchemie die Macht hat, Blei in Gold zu verwandeln und andere herausragende Veredelungsprozesse durchzuführen, ist die Wahl der Grundzutaten von größter Bedeutung. In dieser Serie “Alchemie der Transformation – wie man Transformationsprozesse online und offline befeuert” teilen wir unsere Erkenntnisse aus 65 Online-Experimenten und Interviews und 10 Austauschveranstaltungen mit Praktikern, die im Rahmen unseres europäischen Forschungsprojekts “Online Transformative Learning” durchgeführt wurden, sowie unsere langjährige Erfahrung mit wirkungsvollen Offline-Transformationsprozessen.
Zunächst stellen wir einige wichtige Grundzutaten für erfolgreiche Transformationsprozesse vor. In späteren Folgen werden wir uns mit dem komplexeren Zusammenspiel und den richtigen Mischungsverhältnissen in der Prozessmoderation, der Programmgestaltung, der Wahl der Methoden, der Software und Evaluation beschäftigen.
Mehr Infos über das Projekt Online Transformative Learning findest du hier.
Alchemie der Transformation #1 – Zusammenhalt
Von Jutta Goldammer
Jede große gesellschaftliche Herausforderung hat das Potenzial, zusammenzuschweißen oder zu spalten. Jede richtig große Herausforderung braucht das Zusammenwirken, Sich-Aufeinander Verlassen, Füreinander-Einstehen, um sie bewältigen zu können, insbesondere, wenn die Herausforderungen Transformationen beinhalten, weil der angestrebte Zustand noch unbekannt und mit Unsicherheit verbunden ist. Dann braucht es sowohl den emotionalen Rückhalt für die Hauptakteure als auch eine gründliche Verständigung darüber, wie ein neuer wünschenswerter Zustand aussehen soll. Doch da sind die lästigen Menschen, die ganz anderer Meinung sind. Wenn sie doch nur so dächten oder handelten wie wir, dann hätten wir einen ganzen Haufen weniger Probleme! Und? Hast du dich schonmal bei einem Gedanken dieser Art ertappt? Als Impfbefürworter:in, als Impfgegner:in als Klimaaktivist:in oder oder oder? Ich schon und ich bin nicht stolz darauf.
Seit einigen Monaten nehme ich wahr, wie Impulse der Trennung und Spaltung in und durch Medien, unterschiedlichste gesellschaftliche Gruppen, Familien und Freundschaften Unfrieden stiften und gemeinsames Handeln erschweren.
Ich lade dich ein, mit mir auf die Erkundungsreise zu gehen, um herauszufinden, wo und wie wir in diesen wilden Zeiten den Zusammenhalt stärken und ein konstruktives Miteinander fördern können – als Familienmitglied, als Bürger:in unseres Landes, unserer Kommune, als Bewohner:in dieses Planeten.
In diesem ersten Teil der Serie “Alchemie der Transformation” möchte ich mit dir Ideen teilen, die Brücken bauen und den Zusammenhalt fördern. Sie sind eine Mischung aus Selbstexperimenten, Erfahrungen der Visionautik Akademie, Erkenntnissen aus Interviews, Entdeckungen bei Menschen, die mich inspirieren sowie neugierig forschenden Behauptungen. Probier aus, was dich inspiriert und wirke in deinem Umfeld dabei mit, Verbindungen zu stärken, eine Kultur des Zusammenhalts zu nähren und geistige Gräben zu überwinden. Alle Anregungen, die dir nicht plausibel oder für dich nicht passend erscheinen, wirf getrost über Bord!
1 Mit Neugier Brücken bauen
Neugier hilft Brücken bauen und Gräben überwinden.Photo: Carl Newton
Neugier ist ein Wunderelixir. Neugier hilft, sich in unbekanntes Terrain zu wagen, auch wenn es einem Angst macht. Neugier, oder sagen wir: echtes Interesse an dem, was der andere zu sagen hat, öffnet Türen und Herzen, auch von Menschen, die ganz anders sind als wir. Was dabei hilft: Für eine Weile mal die eigenen Vorstellungen parken und wohlwollend zu staunen, wie der andere durch seinen ganz persönlichen Mix an Erfahrungen und seiner Situation zu ganz anderen Wahrnehmungen und Schlüssen kommt. Was auch hilft, ist nicht zu verurteilen – weder den anderen, noch sich selbst mit den möglicherweise unangenehmen aufkommenden Gefühlen. Beides kostet manchmal richtig viel Überwindung, vor allem dann, wenn die andere deine eigenen Schmerzpunkte berührt oder deine Weltsicht in Frage stellt. Du kannst stolz sein, wenn es dir trotzdem gelingt. Mach den Menschen um dich herum einmal dieses Geschenk, sich ihnen voll ehrlichen Interesses zuzuwenden und ihre Ideen, Ansichten, Sorgen und Hoffnungen zu hören. Du wirst überrascht sein, wie auf diese Weise eine persönliche Nähe entstehen kann, auch dann, wenn ihr ganz unterschiedlicher Meinung seid.
Die Welt mit Wohlwollen anfüllen
Kindness is a Superpower. Photo: Andrew Thornebrooke
Wir leben in einer Zeit massiver Verunsicherungen und es ist nicht verwunderlich, dass viele Menschen davon überfordert sind und sich an Strohhalme, davonschwimmende Felle und Sündenböcke klammern. Die gesellschaftliche Praxis von gestern wird gerade in vielen Bereichen radikal in Frage gestellt. Was gestern noch als gesichert galt, zählt nicht mehr – wem macht das keinen Stress?
Wie wäre es, auf Menschen, die gerade engstirnig und unverständlich handeln mit einem sanften, liebevollen, wohlwollenden Blick zu schauen, wie wir das mit jemandem tun, der einen harten Tag hatte und statt sie anzuklagen oder zu bekehren zu überlegen, wie wir ihnen den Stress und die Verunsicherung lindern könnten? Was könnte konkret dabei helfen, dieses Wohlwollen in den Alltag, das Berufsleben, die Lernräume zu bringen?
Räume der Sicherheit schaffen
Geborgen. Photo: Igordoon Primus
Eines der wichtigsten Hilfsmittel, das sich beim Begleiten unserer Visionautikteilnehmer:innen durch Unsicherheiten herauskristallisiert hat, ist eine Atmosphäre zu schaffen, in der jeder so sein darf wie er bzw. sie ist und jede:r willkommen ist, gehört und gesehen wird. Wie kraftvoll die sogenannte “Psychological Safety” ist, hat u.a. Google in seinem Forschungsprojekt Aristotle herausgefunden. Mehr dazu kannst du im nächsten Teil “Alchemie der Transformation” über Vertrauen lesen. Dazu gehört auch, sich selbst und anderen Gefühle zu erlauben – auch unangenehme Gefühle, die uns erschrecken, und die wir am liebsten sofort wieder weg hätten. Es muss nicht unbedingt etwas mit diesen Gefühlen passieren, alleine die Erlaubnis, sie wirklich zu fühlen, wirkt oft Wunder. Es gibt eine Reihe hilfreicher Tools und Settings für solch eine emotionale Hygiene, z.B. Bewusste Entladung, wie sie hier die Emotionsexpertin und Autorin Vivian Dittmar erklärt. Wenn du noch kein Umfeld hast, in dem so eine Praxis Platz hat, kannst du auch hier den Online-Entladungsraum nutzen. Außerdem kannst du dich von unserer Fotostrecke “10 Tipps für mehr Stabilität in deinem Leben” inspirieren lassen, was alles erdet und Sicherheit gibt.
Orte des Unausgegorenen bereitstellen
Experimentierfreude in Jean Tinguely “Le Transport”, 1963. Photo by Jmersina
Gestehen wir es uns doch offen zu – auf viele Probleme unserer Zeit haben wir noch keine befriedigende Lösung. Wie sollten wir? In der Komplexität, in der Gesundheit, Ökosysteme, das Verhalten von Menschen und anderen Lebewesen verwoben sind und in der Folgen des Handelns erst weit in der Zukunkt widergespiegelt werden, braucht es ein Tasten, Experimentieren und Ausprobieren. Stattdessen hängt oft ein ausgesprochener oder unausgesprochener Druck in der Luft, klare Positionen zu beziehen und möglichst ausgereifte, gut begründete Meinungen zu vertreten und sich damit ganz sicher zu sein – in Politshows, in Schulen, Unis oder privaten Diskussionsrunden. Die Folge? Wissenslücken werden kaschiert, Unsicherheiten überspielt, von einmal gefassten Meinungen lässt sich nur schwer abrücken, ohne das Gesicht zu verlieren. Wie schön wäre es, wenn es mehr von diesen Orten gäbe, an denen unausgegorene Dinge ausgesprochen und gemeinsam bewegt werden können, an denen man sich einem Thema nähern darf, ohne schon eine Meinung dazu zu haben, Räume des Suchens, Tastens, Forschens, eine explizite Kultur von Versuch und Irrtum und Nichtwissen, zu der Scheitern, Sackgassen und Fehlannahmen zwingend dazugehören.
Frieden schließen mit der Unsicherheit
Tastend durch unsicheres Gelände. Photo: Lorenz Kerscher
Eine gute Grundlage für solche Orte ist ein freundlicher und gelassener Umgang mit Unsicherheit. Unsicherheit ist nicht mehr aus unserem Leben wegzudenken. Wir sind aus
dem zweifelhaften Paradies einer Gesellschaft mit festen Ständen, vererbten Berufen und festgefügten Rollenmustern entwachsen und natürlich wollen wir da auch nicht wieder zurück. Die Kehrseite ist aber, dass wir endlose Wahlmöglichkeiten und damit endlose Möglichkeiten haben, Entscheidungen zu treffen, die wir später bereuen. Es ist sehr viel anspruchsvoller, im weiten Meer der Möglichkeiten zu navigieren als eine Straßenbahn zu fahren, die den Schienen von Vorfahren oder Autoritäten folgt. Anders als Angst, die das Handeln beschleunigt und das gründliche Denken blockiert, ist Unsicherheit ein Warnsignal, was uns dazu auffordert, langsam und vorsichtig zu gehen: “Achtung, hier kommt etwas Unbekanntes, etwas Neues, hier komme ich mit Routinen und Schema f nicht weiter”. Unsicherheit lädt uns also dazu ein, ganz wach und bewusst unseren Weg zu gehen. Eine Qualität, die Innovation befördert und ein angemessener Zustand in Zeiten des Nichtwissens ist. Sehr empfehlenswert zu diesem Thema sind Bücher und Vorträge von der Philosophin Natalie Knapp, gut zusammengefasst z.B. in diesem Video “Warum unsere Unsicherheit hilfreich ist”. Darüber hinaus ist es hilfreich, das eigene Standbein zu stärken. Hilfreiche Fragen könnten sein: Worauf kann ich bauen? Was hält mich selbst im Innersten zusammen und wo falle ich auseinander? Was hat auch dann noch Gültigkeit für mich, wenn alles wegbricht? Was gibt mir Kraft und Halt? Was lässt mich sicher fühlen?
Rituale des Loslassens und Neubegrüßens
Begrüßung des Neuen Jahres. Photo: Noah Eleazar
Vermutlich hast du gerade in der ein oder anderen Form Silvester gefeiert, eines von vielen Übergangsritualen vom Alten ins Neue, die dabei helfen, Veränderungen mit Würde, Dankbarkeit, Freiwilligkeit und Vorfreude aufzuladen. Wir bei der Visionautik Akademie sind große Fans von Ritualen, seien es Übergangrituale wie z.B. Feuerlaufen und Pfeilebrechen oder Vergebungsrituale wie z.B. Ho’o pono pono. Sie geben Klarheit und stärken die Verbundenheit zwischen den Beteiligten. Wie können solche Rituale Brücken bauen und den Zusammenhalt stärken? Nun, Vergebungsrituale bauen trennende Mauern ab und öffnen wieder für eine Neubegegnung, selbst dann, wenn sie nur einseitig geschehen. Rituale des Loslassens und Neubegrüßens können in vielfältiger Weise unsere Kommunikationskultur bereichern, z.B. könnte jeder in einer kontroversen Diskussion einen alten Gedanken opfern und einen neuen feiern und damit dazu beitragen, dass es leichter fällt, sich auf die Gedanken der anderen einzulassen. Sicherlich fallen dir noch ganz andere Möglichkeiten ein, wie Loslassen und Neubegrüßen deinen Arbeitsalltag oder deine Lernräume freier und leichter macht.
Bewusster Umgang mit Bildern und Wörtern
Wörter und Bilder bewusst wählen. Photo: Glen Carrie
Viele Bilder, die im Alltag, in der Politik und in den Medien benutzt werden, betonen das Trennende, verstärken ein “wir und die anderen”, hetzen manchmal regelrecht Gruppen gegeneinander auf und nähren Ängste und Schuldzuweisungen. Der Autor Fabian Scheidler beschreibt in seinem Artikel “Genug gespalten” in der Frankfurter Rundschau sehr anschaulich, welche Mechanismen dadurch anspringen und wie wichtig es ist, sich statt Grabenkämpfe zu führen um Themen zu kümmern, die wir nur gemeinsam angehen können. Es lohnt sich, sowohl sehr sorgfältig hinzuhören und zu prüfen, was durch diese Bilder bewusst oder unbewusst zwischen den Zeilen ankommt. Und es lohnt sich auch, sich selbst zu beobachten: Wo benutze ich Begriffe und Bilder, die spalten und Zwietracht säen und wo sorge ich durch die Art meines Denkens oder meiner Sprache, dass Versöhnung und Miteinander entstehen kann? Vielleicht unterstützt dich bei diesem Prüfungsprozess das bewährte Konzept, das Sokrates zugeschrieben wird, aber auch bei den Sufis, den Quäkern auftaucht – mit unterschiedlichen Namen: die drei Fragen, die drei Siebe oder die 3 Tore, die die Informationen passieren müssen, um Wert zu sein ausgesprochen zu werden: Ist es wahr? Ist es freundlich? Ist es notwendig?
Verbinden durch Perspektivwechsel
Perspektiven wechseln. Photo: Meriç Tuna
Der klassische Perspektivwechsel, der hilft, Verbindungen schaffen, ist das Einfühlen in sein Gegenüber, um dadurch sanfter und liebevoller mit dem umzugehen, was uns am anderen stört. Besonders hilfreich hat sich in unserer Arbeit, aber auch in privaten Konflikten das Springen auf eine Art Vogelperspektive gezeigt, wie z.B. bei dem Harvard Konzept, das sich löst von Positionen und nach dem Interesse dahinter fragt, also z.B. welches Bedürfnis steckt hinter dem Wunsch, keine Maske zu tragen, SUV zu fahren, über andere zu lästern etc. Meist ist es viel leichter als die Position das Bedürfnis dahinter zu verstehen und überdies eröffnen sich dadurch wieder mannigfaltige Möglichkeiten, diese Bedürfnisse auf andere Weise zu befriedigen.
Ausprobieren
Lehne die Trennung ab. Photo: Sarah Ardin
Ich freue mich, wenn du einstimmst in die Bemühungen, Spaltung zu überwinden und uns Bewohner dieses Planeten zusammenzuschweißen, um gemeinsam unser Dasein zu feiern und unsere anstehenden Herausforderungen zu meistern. Lass uns gerne wissen, welche Erfahrungen du damit machst!
How can we shape our future with conscious transformation? How can it happen with joy? What stories of transformation can we tell each other to strengthen and encourage us? Read more…
Join us online or on an island near Berlin to explore with other curious and committed facilitators, teachers, artists, and coaches how we can host transformation.
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Looking back at 2020
2020 has been gentle on us. Of course, there was a lot that we, like others, missed. What hurt us most was postponing our long-term leadership and incubator program ‘Visionautikum’. We love working in direct contact with people and we were really missing this. We have also suspended or redesigned our salons of courage and a few other events. In return, we had the time to develop some new online formats that would otherwise not have existed, such as the Future Forges. These are short collaborative innovation sprints that allowed us able to give a number of future projects a boost, such as the social business “Foodprint” from an international group of students.
But above all, we have experienced – without having planned it beforehand or suspecting it – that many parts of our work have proven to be extremely crisis-proof and pandemic-compatible. We have been working on international projects for years, with partners across Europe and the USA. Therefore, we were already well-practiced in dealing with video conferencing, creative remote work, using real-time collaboration tools, building trust online and leading virtual teams, dealing with time differences, and a lot more, so that the switch to online activities was very easy for us. Some of our projects could simply continue as planned, such as the EU project “Building Capacity for Transformative Learning”, in which the book “A transformative Edge” was created, a joint effort by over 40 authors from all over the world. Or the project “Blended Adult Learning for the Social-Ecological Transition”, which will still continue this year.
Nonetheless, we too made a huge leap in running online workshops that went way beyond how we have been working in recent years. We have greatly expanded our repertoire on how to conduct online workshops in a creative and varied way, how to enable deep encounters and meaningful conversations, and how to ensure that the participants can contribute even to multi-day conferences full of energy and fun. We were sometimes surprised by how much community, fun and trust can arise without real encounters and how many possibilities there are to hold a conference without constantly sitting in front of the screen. We especially learned a lot from the moderation of two multi-day online conferences – a team workshop for the project “X-Topien” and the kick-off of our EU project “Hosting Empowerment”. We had the luxury of having two very experimental groups in front of us who got involved with a remarkable openness, from systemic constellation over bodywork to an online spa.
Still, we were able to hold a few live events that we particularly enjoyed: a train-the-trainer seminar in Croatia, a team-building workshop for a new project team, a firewalk in Austria, a Salon of Courage, and the Event “Learning Future” with the presentation of the new book. Here you can find some retrospective photos.
