The topic is identifying conflicts when they are simple to fix but difficult to perceive as problems (like finding a disease in its very earliest stages-- before we see symptoms?)
What in our current paradigm blocks us from perceiving a problem when it is just beginning? Denise Meyers suggests: "We are taught in school and at home to ignore simple problems. How many times have we heard a parent or teacher (perhaps we have been guilty ourselves) say: 'just ignore hem!' Quick fix for us, big problem for child. We are telling the child that looking for a solution is too much trouble; it's much easier to just ignore the problem.
"In our work with students," continues Denise, " one of the clouds that we have done is: ignore the problem/don't ignore the problem. Looking at assumptions, the students have said that if you ignore the problem it doesn't go away.
Rafael Conde of Venezuela thinks there are three potential constraints which block people from solving problems where they start. He writes, " there is a wrong assumption behind: 'small problems never hurt the other side.' Under this assumption there is one even more powerful: I only worry about myself. I am a happy 'self-fish.' . We live in a culture of egoism and people don't realize that there is something important that exists between us.
"A second assumption," shares Rafael, " is that the day by-day conflict is such a small problem, it isn't a real bug. Our ability to predict the future is broken because we don't see the negative branches caused by not solving the conflict. "
I see an extension of Rafael's thinking into win/lose. It is important to think through what happens if I just take my win and don't consider the other side's needs. Sometimes I do this automatically (without thinking?) because I am so used to solving (seemingly to ME) little stuff in this way? When teaching World Cultures I used a cool fable entitled 'The Jackal and the Camel' to illustrate how win/lose ultimately leads to lose/lose.
The third assumption Rafael shared is that "life is a matter of having conflicts. Totally different assumption, " he writes, " is 'life is a matter to continuous improvement by increasing our capability of solving problems.' That you need to use your time having problems because if you don't have problems to solve you can't justify the use of your time."
Thanks Rafael and Denise for taking the time and being willing to share your thought provoking comments.
Bottom line here? We all have some day to day assumptions to consider if we are serious about changing habits--a first step in being open to seeing conflicts when they begin. The more we move in that direction, the more we see/use TOC not only in conflict resolution but also as a beautiful (and world changing? :-) conflict prevention tool. Think of the implications here-- WOW!
More on this anyone? EVERYONE's thinking is of value in TOCFE. Send yours to suerken@nwfl.net.
CONNECTIONS
Dallas/ Fort Worth, Texas USA
A HTT class teamed with a TACT class as a lab for learning will be piloted February 16-20, 2000. Cheryl Edwards will facilitate.
Mexico: Marina Rodriquez called Kathy this week to inform her of a BIG PROBLEM IN MEXICO! It seems they have too much demand for TOCFE there!
6 full TACT seminars are scheduled this month! Alejandrina and Marina will facilitate two of them--one to members of the management staff in the Secretariat of Education (state of Nuevo Leon) and the other to 22 preschool teachers (representing 22 different schools) along with 5 principals and 5 parents.
The other 4 TACT seminars will be taught by the 8 newest TOCFE facilitators to 100 students teachers at a Teacher's College!
Well done TOCFE, Mexico!
South Africa: Francois Moll is just completing a full TACT seminar this week to 8 high school teachers in George, South Africa. Next week he and Alfreda Bekkers travel to Cape Town to teach the first half of TACT which will be completed in March. Congratulations, Francois on these two classes!
POOGI POOL
Rami's Question #8
Can we expose assumptions underlying B-D by exposing the obstacles that prevent the following target: B exists even though D' exists?
Rami's Answer #8 (A drum roll, please.)
YES. Exposing obstacles that prevent the following target: B exists even though D' exists, is actually explaining why when D' exists - B does not exist. When we examine why, when D' exists B does not exist, we are checking at the same time why D is a necessary condition for B. We are exposing assumptions underlying B-D.
Try an example:
B -> Insure Sharon's safety.
D -> Sharon comes home at 10 PM.
D' -> Sharon comes home at midnight when the party is over.
Now, expose the obstacles that prevent the target: Sharon is safe (B) even though Sharon comes home at midnight when the party is over (D). Why can't we achieve this target? What obstacles prevent us from achieving this target? When you answer those questions you will find out that they are also assumptions underlying B-D.
NETWORKING
In the Spirit of POOGI, a Thought for TOCFE Session 4: Achieving Ambitious Targets with Teams
from Father Anthony J. Ranada, Philippines
In the fall when you see geese heading south for the winter flying along in the "V" formation, you might be interested in knowing what science has discovered about why they fly that way. It has been learned that as each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.
People who are part of a team and share a common direction get where they are going quicker and easier, because they are travelling on the trust of one another and lift each other up along the way.
Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go through it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the power of the flock. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation and share information with those who are headed the same way that we are going.
When the lead goose gets tired, he rotates back in the wing and another goose takes over. It pays to share leadership and take turns doing hard jobs.
The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep their speed. Words of support and inspiration help energize those on the front line, helping them to keep pace in spite of the day-to-day pressures and fatigue. It is important that our honking be encouraging. Otherwise it's just. well honking!
Finally, when a goose gets sick or is wounded by a gunshot and falls out, two geese fall out of the formation and follow the injured one down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is either able to fly or until he is dead, and then they launch out with another formation to catch up with their group. When one of us is down, it's up to the others to stand by us in our time of trouble. If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other when things get rough. We will stay in formation with those headed where we want to go.
The next time you see a formation of geese, remember...
IT IS A REWARD, A CHALLENGE AND A PRIVILEGE to be a contributing member of God's Team (or TOCFE Team). -Taken from Christian Group on the Internet
Father Anthony's Suggestion: An acetate entitled "The V-Team" showing the V-outline of geese in flight may serve Session 4 as the acetate "Tug of War" does in Session 1. The text may be given, to avoid spoon feeding (an odious idea in TOCFE), at the end after the Socratic method has been employed so the students "make the finding themselves." Indeed, TOCFE enhances and can be enhanced!
QUOTE
"As long as we are alive, we are in the process of becoming."
-Susan L. Taylor