British psychologist Ernesto Spinelli was in Toronto this week, and delivered a presentation about the psychiatric malpractice of instructing patients to overcome fears and anxieties rather than deal with them. Healthzone covers here. The long and short is that patients who rid themselves of the natural anxiety they experience in certain situations are not being true to themselves and their tendencies/motivations.
What do you think? Should a shy person make efforts to become extroverted, or deal with the fact that they are innately introverted?
There is a parallel for meetings and group engagements. Should an organization or team focus more on adapting to overcome their group dynamic/interpersonal shortcomings, or should they acknowledge the shortcomings and work around them? Either way, acknowledging is a critical step. The challenge then becomes; how do you acknowledge sub-standard area without creating a bitch session?
Last question: what's the meetings equivalent of the exhilaration before confessing love (as referenced in article)? I'd submit that challenging people to address shortcomings and tackle them creates an exhilaration, and nurtures a risk-taking culture.
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I would argue that shortcomings should be challenged. The introvert may remain introverted, but that does not mean that the individual should remain in isolation because of it.
Part of my job as a counsellor involves facilitating group sessions. My own struggles with self-esteem mean that I am quite uncomfortable with facilitating these sessions. However, once I have gotten past my own feelings, I can focus on trying to help the individuals seeking assistance in the group. And this conflict occurs each session, but I know that the end result is more important than my comfort.
On your last point, I would suggest that a meeting equivalent to professing love might be any situation where someone presents a solution or opinion to the others present. As with love, such a statement could be shot down. Or, as the presenter might be hoping, the others could feel the same. As with love, this would allow the two parties to work together to accomplish something great.
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