Appendices Relevant for the Understanding and the use of this Book

Contents

A.1 Short Historical Background of Social Ecology

Lievegoed Impulse and Social Ecology as the Names of the Method

Bernard Lievegoed, a Dutch medical doctor, had for a number of years successfully been running a school for handicapped children. In the early 1950s, he was asked to help a group of employees with problems in the industry. Based on this experience, he gave a number of lectures on which training was necessary for the employees in the Dutch industries. Based on these activities came a request from the Faculty of Social Economy, University of Rotterdam, for Bernard Lievegoed to take over a chair in a new institute of Social Pedagogy. ¹ B. Lievegoed wished for a worldwide institute not only based on books but also based on true life situations. In 1954, Netherlands Pedagogic Institute, NPI was formed as an independent institute with its own status and government integrated in the University of Rotterdam. He ensured that a non-profit consulting and research institute was attached to NPI.

As soon as in 1947–1948, a group of students studied social science based on the work of Rudolf Steiner's social lectures which they tried to apply in their field of studies. Lievegoed joined them a number of times, and many of them became co-workers when NPI was founded.

Originally, Bernard Lievegoed wanted to call the new venture ‘Institute for Social Ecology’ and the discipline Social Ecology, but in 1954 this was not be accepted by the university, since the expression was unknown. Instead, the discipline was named Social Pedagogy. ²

Lex Bos – one of the funding fathers of NPI – has always thought of the methods as Social Ecology since it for him is about finding the laws behind what happens in the social realm. The methods should be based on a holistic perspective, based on understanding, and be conscious of life and the development processes in organizations and human beings. ³

“The starting point of Social Ecology is respect for and a clear understanding of the phenomena of life: in the organic realm, in man and in society.” ⁴

For both Bernard Lievegoed and Lex Bos, the focus of Social Ecology is to explore and find life conditions for the healthy development of people, groups, organizations, and society.

NPI focused primarily on Holland until the beginning of the 1970s where the faculty members took the political decision of spreading their ideas, experiences, and concepts to other parts of the world. In fact, they divided the world between them. In some places, the method was named the NPI method, and in other places it was named Social Ecology. Lex Bos went to Brazil and gave lectures which became the foundation to a very well-established group of consultants there. Others traveled to South Africa and began their work there. A Center for Social Development was established in the UK which for years trained people from different places in Europe and other parts of the world. The organization SEA – Social Ecology Associates was established and was meant to be a body for people/organizations working in different countries such as Australia and Sweden.

The Nordic work with Social Ecology was started by Hans Brodal, who after being trained in Social Ecology in the Center for Social Development formed SEA Sweden in 1974. A few years later, Leif Nilsson and Hester Renoulf become co-workers in SEA. They started a Nordic Education Center for Social Ecology in Dormsjö, Sweden. The Social Ecological impulse came to Denmark in the 1980s where Bent Engelbrecht – who owned the consultant company Ankerhus – began to work with SEA Sweden.

In the mid 1980s, I was a member of an Anthroposophical study group which focused on Rudolf Steiner's social lectures. During these studies, I was introduced to the work of Bernard Lievegoed and NPI. In 1986, I attended my first seminar on Social Ecology and became so fascinated that I immediately decided that this was my vocation. Late in 1986, Bent Engelbrecht, Leif Alken, Steen Hildebrandt, and I took the initiative to establish Institute for Social Ecology. Bent Engelbrecht had already established Ankerhus as a consulting company, and we decided to continue with Ankerhus as the company name for our daily operations. In 1987, I became one of three co-workers in Institute for Social Ecology. In the beginning, there was a close co-operation with SEA Sweden and Lex Bos from NPI who gave a number of interesting and important seminars, last but not least about the Lemniscate or Common Judgment Building. I got most of my training in Dormsjö, Sweden. I attended three, seminars each lasting three weeks, later supplemented with a number of week-long seminars.

In 1979, the international network Association for Social Development, ASD was established for consultants working on Bernard Lievegoed's impulse. ⁵ The membership criteria were that their work was based on a spiritual understanding gained from Rudolf Steiner's Anthroposophy and the impulse of Bernard Lievegoed. The members also had to belong to an institute working on the basis of this spiritual impulse.

In 1987, a change took place in the policy for ASD. From then on, the consultants, being members of ASD, could be independent consultants as long as they were professional consultants working based on the Bernard Lievegoed impulse. Today, there are about 130 members of ASD from very many different parts of the world; many from European countries and from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South America, especially Brazil, and from USA and Canada, and from Russia. ASD hosts an annual conference where the ASD members meet about a relevant theme related to spiritual and organizational developments based on the trend and experience among the members. ASD is a non-profit organization, and the government body of ASD is a facilitating group. I became a member of ASD in 1990. In 2014, I became an emeritus ASD member.

A.2 Anthroposophical Spiritual Terminology

Purpose and Introduction

My purpose is to give the readers who are interested in the cosmic spiritual images behind the Social Ecology methods an introduction to Rudolf Steiner's Anthroposophy.

I will try to cover many of the main spiritual images which are related to Social Ecology, but Rudolf Steiner has given more than 6,000 lectures and written 28 books in the period 1883 to 1925. Therefore, what is described here must not be taken as a fulfilling description of Anthroposophy. Also, I shall not give a list of all Steiner's books but just a reference to a number of them.

As Anthroposophy is not a religion, it is not something you have to believe in. Rudolf Steiner has very clearly said that you should only connect to an image in Anthroposophy when you can do it based on your own healthy thinking.

When you cannot relate to an image, put it aside. Do not think that it cannot be so, but think that at the moment it does not resonate with your thinking. Maybe it will be so for the rest of your life; maybe one day you will be able to integrate the spiritual image in you. When I began reading Anthroposophy in the early 1980s I did as described. At that time, I, e.g., considered myself an atheist, and every time Rudolf Steiner mentioned Jesus Christ I put the image aside.

Anthroposophy is a combination of two words: Anthropos meaning human being and sophia meaning philosophy or divine wisdom. Anthroposophy may be regarded as Spiritual Science. Rudolf Steiner's intentions were that Anthroposophy was to be considered as scientific as the science we have in Natural Science. But the method for justification and proving truth in Spiritual Science is different from the method in Natural Science.

Tips for when Reading this Chapter

Tip #1: This part introduces the reader to most of the methods and terminology necessary for a good and basic understanding of Anthroposophy in relation to the content of this book

Tip #2: I recommend the reader who is interested in the cosmology behind Anthroposophy including Higher beings in Christianity to continue with A.2.2, chapter Occult science (A.2.2).

Tip #3: For the reader who already treads the inner path of personal development, I recommend to continue with A.2.3, chapter Inner spiritual development through esoteric schooling (A.2.3).

A.2.1 Introduction to Anthroposophical Methods and Terminology

Rudolf Steiner as a Spiritual Teacher and Practical Inspirator

During all cultural periods, esoteric schools have existed where the pupils were given spiritual knowledge with the purpose of initiation to obtain a connection to the cosmic/spiritual world. These schools were kept secret to worldly people and one could only obtain this knowledge if one was accepted as an esoteric apprentice. Rudolf Steiner shared a lot of this secret knowledge in his open lectures many places in Europe and other places around the world. Many consider that what Rudolf Steiner really brought to humanity was the ability to translate spiritual images and knowledge of the cosmic world to a language that can be understood by modern human beings.

Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925) began giving his spiritual lectures about the cosmic world around 1900. In the first period until around 1914, he developed Anthroposophy. Anthroposophy is as mentioned also named Spiritual Science and is considered a counterpart to Natural Science. Natural Science focuses on understanding the physical laws, but lacks an understanding of the spiritual laws, which from an anthroposophical perspective lie behind everything. The spiritual laws in the universe are as real as the physical laws. But one has to develop "organs" in oneself to be able to connect with the spiritual laws. To do this, one has to be on an inner path of initiation. ¹

Around 1914, different people with special professional interests began to put questions to Rudolf Steiner about what impact it would have on a profession when integrating anthroposophical images in it. This resulted in lectures given to teachers about Waldorf schools and Steiner kindergartens, to farmers about the biodynamic methods, to doctors about holistic anthroposophical medicine, to architects about holistic architecture, and so on. What Steiner gave was not only theory, but practical guidance and very specific instructions on the holistic implementation of what he stated. This can be observed today in the large number of institutions and professions whose work is based on Anthroposophy.

In 1923, there was a renewal of the Anthroposophical Society, and at that time Rudolf Steiner laid the foundation to the school of spiritual science The Anthroposophical High School which can be considered a university for the renewing of the old mysteries. His intention was that it was to consist of three classes, but he only managed to develop and give the First Class before his death in 1925. To become a member of the Anthroposophical Society, you only have to be in sympathy with the concept presented in Anthroposophy.

You may decide to go one step deeper and be an esoteric pupil and use Anthroposophy as a path to initiation. Knowledge about this is partly to be found in the open lectures and in the meditation exercises, but you may also decide to be part of The Anthroposophical High School. If you wish to become a member of The Anthroposophical High School, you must have studied Anthroposophy and you must see yourself as a representative of Anthroposophy. The material related to the First Class has only recently become accessible for the public.

If you have a striving for spiritual development and not only consider Social Ecology as a method, you may consider supplementing the Social Ecology methods with meditative exercises as a path of inner spiritual development, as a way to transform yourself. In that case, the Social Ecology methods described will not just become a method, but become a part of your own inner practice. If you do this, you will gradually turn yourself into an instrument, you will develop inner organs based on your developmental process by living and practicing Social Ecology. It can be steps on a way to spiritual initiation.

Key Words in Relation to the Picture of Man in Anthroposophy

The Human Being from an Anthroposophical Perspective

Our Connections with the Other “Kingdoms” on Earth

In Greek times, the philosophers said that four Kingdoms (Table 3) existed on the Earth: Minerals, Plants, Animals, and Humans. How they are connected to the fourfold human being we can describe as follows:

Minerals only have a physical body. There are no Life Forces or Astral Forces in a Mineral, and it has no Individuality. It does not reproduce, it does not feel or think.

A plant has a physical body, you can touch it, you can analyze its physical condition, and it is alive. It has etheric body/Life Forces, it can reproduce, it even has – in many situations – the possibility of recovering from physical damage. But it does not feel or think. It is these Life Forces that we human beings need from the plant as our nutrition.

Like a plant, an animal has a physical body and an etheric body plus an astral body or Soul Forces. An animal can feel pain, it can feel anger, it can feel happiness, it can feel connection to another animal and also to human beings. As animals are much more specialized and adapted to special life situations than human beings, their astrality is much stronger than what we observe in human beings.

Human beings have their Individuality or their Ego plus the other bodies mentioned earlier. It is our Individuality that makes us conscious, makes us able to think, reflect, learn, and develop. It is the Individuality that we must develop through life on Earth, and through the process of incarnation it is brought from one life to the next.

Human beings are born with an Individuality which normally is fully incarnated by the age of 21. It develops differently from person to person.

Based on this we can make Table 3 : “Kingdoms” on Earth , with the following combinations.

The Four Temperaments Described from an Anthroposophical Perspective

The old Greek philosophers have already described the temperaments (Table 4). ⁵ They describe the temperaments based on their relation to the four elements:

When the forces of the Individuality or the Ego primarily master the other parts of the fourfold human being, you see the choleric temperament. The choleric temperament is connected to the blood. In a human being where the Ego is spiritually active, the blood circulation flows more actively. This force becomes visible in strong Ego forces. It is the circulation of the blood which is the basis for the aggressive and the strong will impulses in a choleric person.

When the forces of the astral body primarily master the other parts of the fourfold human being, you see the sanguine temperament. The sanguine temperament is connected with the nerve system and gives a tendency to ups and downs in the Soul activities of Thinking, Feeling, and Will, which can lead to a lively imagination. If the Astral Forces are too strong, the person will be interested in one thing and very quickly drop that interest to go to the next interesting thing. These waves up and down in the imagination make it difficult for the person to stick to one thing, and the person will go from one life impression too the next.

When the Life Forces or the etheric body primarily master the other parts of the fourfold human being, you see the phlegmatic temperament. The phlegmatic temperament is connected with the gland system or the fluid system which strive for balance in the inner life. The phlegmatic person strives to live a very pleasant life. This means that a phlegmatic person in moderate degree turns his/her attention outwards.

A person is melancholic when the physical body masters the other three elements. When the forces of the physical body master the other parts of the fourfold human being, you see the melancholic temperament. The physical body is the denser part of a human being. If that is the master of the other parts, the person feels that he/she does not master the instrument or the physical body. This inability to master the physical body is the reason for the pain and suffering a melancholic person constantly feels. This mood comes due to the resistance from the physical body against the inner well being of the etheric body, the mobility of the astral body and the goal orientation of the Ego.

The different temperaments are visible in the appearance of the physical body of a person. I shall not elaborate on this here.

The temperaments begin to be visible in children at a very early age, and in Waldorf schools the teachers base their work on observations aiming to harmonize the temperament of the children.

Our temperaments follow us through this incarnation. One of the temperaments is often stronger than the others. What we can do is harmonize our temperaments, but not try to get rid of specific temperaments. ⁶

Planetary Qualities

When a human being is on its way to incarnate on Earth, he/she receives different qualities depending on what he/she has to learn and develop on Earth.

His/her path down to Earth goes through the different planetary spheres of the Universe and gets planetary qualities based on the time the individual spends in that planetary area. These qualities are connected to the astral body of that person.

These astral or planetary qualities are visible in the way we act in our daily life in relation to other people. It becomes visible when we interact with other people, e.g., in group work and in the way a person can act as a manager. ⁷

In the following outline of Planetary qualities or Personal qualities in a creative group, the Planet name of the specific Planet is mentioned and after that there are a few supplementary characteristics of each Planet (Fig. 22).

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Fig. 22.

Planet Qualities and Personal Qualities in a Creative Group.

Saturn: People with this quality always look for a deeper meaning behind things. The Saturn quality is often seen in people who are research orientated. Saturn people have a vision of the future and always make connections between the future and the past, and are very orientated toward where they want to go. When they have a plan, they want to stick to it. When they have an agenda, they want to follow it. They dislike improvisations and free-floating processes. They can be considered fossilized, and they do not like small talk and jokes.

Moon: The Moon mirrors the Sun. People with Moon qualities rarely give their own opinions but mirror what other people say. They are good at looking back and extract learning points. In meetings, they often sum up and take the minutes. They are very time conscious. They like routine jobs and often refer back to how things used to be done. People with Moon qualities are often very pleasant and easygoing people, but the downside is that it can be difficult to know what the person stands for.

Jupiter: Jupiter is the Planet of wisdom. People with Jupiter qualities think in grand pictures, are idealistic, have very high ideas, have the ability of getting the general idea, and of seeing the big picture in a situation. They are systematic and very clear and creative thinkers. They often have leading positions in an organization. They see through a situation without getting personally involved. Other people can consider them cold and arrogant and without humor. A person with Jupiter qualities can in a mature age transform this quality to real wisdom and compassion.

Mercury: Mercury is connected to the metal quicksilver, which means movability and flexibility. People with Mercury qualities are filled with new interesting ideas. They are very adaptable to a situation and quickly sense what is needed. They are aware of how to change a stuck situation by using their sense of humor, little stories, and jokes. Mercury people can be very good intermediates. Sometimes their flexibility becomes so strong that you cannot be sure whether the said is the truth. They can lack structure in their way of acting and can create chaos. But chaos can also redeem a situation and bring totally new perspectives.

Mars: Mars is connected to the warrior, who wants to take charge of the situation. They take a lot of space, are loud and very clear in expressing their opinions, and tell others what should be done and how. They are typical leaders, are entrepreneurs, they not only have the ideas of how to do things, they also have the will to transform make ideas to projects and realities. They are not afraid of conflicts and are willing to bring difficult things out into the open. They have a lot of energy and are very convincing and even aggressive in their way of handling a situation. This can create tension and relation problems in an organization.

Venus: Venus is the feminine, loving, mild, and caring quality. Beauty and sexuality are also part of this quality. This quality is supporting, gentle, listening, and filled with compassion. It has a genuine interest in other people and is good at putting questions to people and situations. If the quality becomes too strong, it can be suffocating.

Most people have two or three strong qualities. The qualities are both gifts and burdens. Gifts when they are used at the right level in different situations in life. Burdens if they are too strong in specific life situations. So, one of our life tasks is to use them in the right balance in different situations; to hold back the qualities that are too strong, and to decide to develop the lacking qualities, e.g., if my Mars quality is too strong and my Venus quality is underdeveloped, I can decide to develop my Venus quality and hold my strong Mars back. Working to find the right balance in the planetary area can be a lifelong task of transformation.

So far, I have described six Planetary qualities, but there is a seventh Planetary quality. The Sun. That is the ability to use the right level of all the qualities in any specific situation. I don't know whether any person masters this Sun quality in all situations, but when you work together in a group with all the different qualities presented, it can be the challenge and possibility to integrate and balance all the qualities.

Counterforces in Anthroposophy

Polarities in Relation to Resistance to Change

This chapter is an expansion of what is written in P1.1.1: Resistance to change in the threefold Picture of man.

When there is a need for change in a life situation, the human being often meets this situation with two types of resistance based on Soul qualities, constellation of temperaments, and Planet qualities. One polarity meets needs for change with great skepticism and great concerns and establishes a row of defense mechanisms for not accepting the need for change. The other polarity goes into life situations with strong wishes for change and the tendency of accepting everything very positively and often uncritically with the risk of regretting later.

The challenge in a situation of change is to find the right balance between the two polarities: to find the right balancing point between not accepting everything or rejecting everything through a healthy process of judgment; to find balance between not being seduced and not being too skeptical. This striving for balance and finding the middle between the two polarities is connected to finding the path to Christ in the middle between the polarities of Lucifer and Ahriman.

One can describe what happens in a change situation as a combination of the three Soul areas: Thinking, Feeling, and Will and how one lets these Soul areas be influenced by Luciferic or Ahrimanic Forces. The challenge in a situation that requires change is to open one's Mind, Heart, and Will and to reach healthy judgments through a connection to the forces of Christ (Table 5).

Social Threefoldness/The Threefold Society

During the First World War, Rudolf Steiner reflected deeply on how a healthy society based on democracy and social responsibility could be developed. Based on his spiritual research and understanding of what was needed in the future, he found that neither a capitalistic nor socialistic system would lead to a democratic society based on social justice and fairness.

Already in 1905, Rudolf Steiner formulated in Anthroposophy and the social question GA 34, the fundamental law of the social life as:

“The well-being of a community of people working together will be greater, the less the individual claims for himself the proceeds of his work, i.e., the more of these proceeds he makes over to his fellow workers, the more his own needs are satisfied, not out of his own work, but out of the work done by others.”

Rudolf Steiner sometimes expressed it in the form of the following way:

“The healthy social life is found

when in the mirror of each human soul

the whole community is shaped.

And when in the community

the virtue of each one lives.”

In 1919 and 1920, he published his findings in The social future and the renewal of the social organism where he describes society as a threefold social organism, where society consists of the three independent realms with very specific characteristics, roles, and laws connected to them. ¹² The goal for the three realms is that a mutual balance among them exists.

The cultural realm comprises a free self managing spiritual life. The cultural life in society (art, science, religion, education) must be based on Freedom. Freedom for each individual to learn, develop, and use his/her ability and skills in accordance to what will lead to the highest individual development of that person's qualities. This means that the school system must be free of state control. All families, not only the wealthy ones, must be able to choose between a variety of schools based on these ideals. This is the basis of The Waldorf Schools which are inspired by these ideals. The school system in society must stimulate thinking and creativity in each individual. This will lead to a population of creative people who can inspire the other realms in society with new ways of doing things.

The economic realm covers a free associative self managing business life. The task for economical life is to fulfill the needs of society and establish business life with industries and businesses that produce what is needed in society. Economical life or business life must be established based on its own rules and laws. Business life retrieves its creativity and ideas from cultural life.

In a company, work must be organized in such a way that every individual has the possibility of using and developing his/her special competences and creativity. By organizing work this way, you will acquire not only the highest productivity in the company but also the most motivated workers.

There are a number of very radical thoughts in relation to this realm

• In the economical realm/business life, the task is not to accumulate profit for the owners as we see it today where the few very rich all over the world become richer and richer. The surplus from business in the economical sphere must return to other parts of society to establish new business organizations or as donations or funds to support cultural and educational institutions.

• Business life is ideally organized in associations or cooperatives with neither state nor individual ownership. Steiner talks about user rights, where the most skilled people have the right and responsibility to run the business as long as they are the most qualified. When they no longer are the most qualified, a new person takes over the responsibility for the next period.

• Associations can be regarded as a group of people who share the same destiny. Some as suppliers to the company, others as members of/employed in the company, and others as customers of the product delivered/produced by the company. Companies and people in an association are mutually dependent of each other. You can even regard them as a karmic group.

• Another radical thought is that you are not paid a salary for your work, as labor is not regarded as a commodity that can be sold as you sell a produced commodity. If you are part of an organization – an association – which is organized this way, you are paid based on your or your family's needs and not based on what you do in the organization. The same rule goes for management/directors.

The legal realm, the policy realm, consists of the issuing of laws in society and function of making them complied. The basis for the legal system is to develop a democratic socially fair system based on equality in relation to each Individuality. One of the tasks of the legal system is to make sure to provide a mutual balance between the three realms securing that one of the realms does not become too powerful with the risk of becoming destructive to the society.

The Influence of Social Threefoldness

After World War I, Rudolf Steiner was very active in developing and creating a new Germany, based on the ideas of social threefoldness in co-operation with a number of highly profiled politicians. In the end, the initiative failed.

Following the failed initiative, the principles of threefoldness were most often implemented in specific anthroposophical organizations as Waldorf schools and associations connected to biodynamic farming organizations. The principles based on Anthroposophy were also used in the foundation of banks, e.g., Triodos Bank in Holland and Merkur Bank in Denmark.

Bernard Lievegoed has included threefoldness in his work in relation to organizational development and analyses. ¹³

In connection to Nicanor Perlas's work in developing an Agenda 21 plan for the Philippines, he gave threefoldness a new dimension in his book Shaping globalization, 2000. ^{14 , 15} His work focuses on how to transform from elite globalization to conscious sustainable development.

As you can see in his Fig. 23 p. 156, he operates with the three sectors, but he describes the cultural system as synonymous with civil society which includes both the individuals and CSOs and NGOs as cultural organizations working for climate issues and sustainability. Nicanor Perlas names the organizations in the cultural sector Civil Society Organizations or CSOs.

In his focus on the problems in relation to elite globalization, he argues that it leads to destructive influence in the economical sphere – the business areas – in its close and sometimes corrupt relation to the policy and government sphere, last but not least in developing countries.

He argues that to achieve sustainable development, seven different dimensions must be developed.

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Fig. 23.

Threefolding and Sustainable Development.

To reach this level, there must be a balance between the three spheres, which means no sphere can have a destructive influence on the other sphere, e.g., in new legislations the voice of civil society must be heard and included on the same level as the voices from the economic realm for the government to develop a healthy democratic sustainable society (Fig. 24).

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Fig. 24.

Sustainable Development Principles.

Nicanor Perlas expanded these seven dimensions with a number of principles of sustainable development which you can see in his figure. ¹⁶

After the financial crisis of 2008 and as climate issues become increasingly urgent, you can see that many CSOs and NGOs strive to find society models where sustainability is in focus, as described by Nicanor Perlas; a society model where there is less focus on growth and more awareness on reducing the level of CO₂ and an increase in respect for nature and the planet.

A.2.2 Occult Science

Major Planet Periods in the Development of Planet Earth

One of the basic books in Anthroposophy is Occult science – An outline, 1962, where Rudolf Steiner describes the cosmology of the Universe and the Earth including the higher beings, who are involved in creating the different Planet periods of the Earth.

In total, Planet Earth will go through seven incarnations/periods, and every Planet period consists of seven big and seven smaller periods. Planet Earth has already lived through three incarnations prior to Planet Earth as we know it today (Fig. 25).

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Fig. 25.

Planet Earth's Seven Phases of Development.

The first Planet period is named the Old Saturn and was created in ancient times. You must not imagine a physical planet as we know our Planet Earth of today. Rudolf Steiner's description is that if you were to pass through Cosmos – where the Old Saturn was – you would only feel an intensified warmth. In Old Saturn, the first germ to the physical body of the human being as we know it today was given by higher beings. Then Old Saturn was dissolved and there came a long resting period.

Then came the next Planet period named the Old Sun. It was still not a physical planet. It was characterized by air and light which are the germs of the etheric body of the human being. This again was created by other higher beings. At the end of the Old Sun, the human being consisted of the germs of the physical body and the etheric body. Then the Old Sun was dissolved and there came long resting period.

After this long resting period came the Planet period named the Old Moon. It was still not a physical Planet. It was characterized with a fluid consistency which is the germ for the astral body of the human being. This again is given by other higher beings. At the end of the Old Moon, the human being consisted of the germ of the physical to body, the etheric body, and the astral body. Then the Old Moon was dissolved and there came long resting period.

Then came the fourth Planet period which is Planet Earth which is the physical material planet as we know it today. At the end of the Planet Earth period, the human being will consist of a physical body, an etheric body, an astral body, and an Ego or Individuality. Before this can happen, there are different periods where Planet Earth relives the former states of Old Saturn, Old Sun, and Old moon. In these periods, the human being becomes physical and materialistic with a physical body, an etheric body, and an astral body. These stages will not be described. We are now in the fifth of these seven periods which also consist of seven smaller periods. I shall go directly to the description of the periods after the Atlantean Water Catastrophe – which happened in the fourth of the smaller periods – as they are very much connected to our understanding of the human being as we know it today. The task to be achieved during the whole Planet Earth period is to develop the Individuality or the Ego.

The Post-Atlantean Cultural period consists of seven phases, and we in our time live in the fifth Post-Atlantean Cultural period. Each of these periods lasts around 2,100 years. Already in the Atlantean period, there were mystery schools, and human beings were in close contact with the higher beings of the spiritual world. The human being at that time had an atavistic clairvoyance and was in many ways closer connected to the spiritual world than to the physical world.

In the end of the Atlantean period, the most developed people from the seven mystery schools emigrated from Atlantis and founded new mysteries in different places on the planet. The most advanced people emigrated to areas in the Himalayas and India and created new mysteries there. This is the beginning of the first Post-Atlantean Cultural period, in Anthroposophy named the Ancient Indian Cultural period. The atavistic clairvoyance was increasingly diminishing, and the human being longed back to its contact with higher spiritual beings. In this period, it was through meditation and exercises that yogis strived to find their way back to their lost clairvoyance which they longed for. They gave us the Vedas and Bhagavad-Gita. ¹⁷ What they created is to a great extent the basis of what we today find in the different eastern ways of meditation and yogi exercises. In Anthroposophy, this period is named the period for the development of the etheric body.

The second Post-Atlantean Cultural period is named the Ancient Persian Cultural period. People in this period began to get a closer connection to the sense world of the Earth and the materialistic world. They became farmers and grew crops. The Zarathustrian culture of Persia is directly connected to the Sun. The god they worshiped was the Sun god Ormuzd or Ahura Mazdao, who conquered the dark Ahriman. ¹⁸ In Anthroposophy, this period is named the period for the development of the astral body.

The third Post-Atlantean Cultural period is named the Egypto-Chaldean Cultural period. The people connected to the Chaldean, mysteries developed a deep understanding of the stars and astronomy. The Egypto-Chaldean Culture was a very rich culture around the Nile delta. The society was built around a Pharaoh and mystery temples with initiated priests. In parts of this period, the Pharaoh and the priests continued to be initiated on a level giving them direct contact with higher beings in the spiritual world and through that achieving answers from the spiritual world on how things were to be. There were initiation rituals where the pupils after long preparations in the temple could be initiated. These types of initiation rituals were performed by a Hierophant and 12 helpers. The initiation lasted 3,5 days where the pupil to be initiated was out of his physical body and in the spiritual world with his astral and etheric body. On returning, he would be initiated and clairvoyant. But already in the Egypto-Chaldean Cultural period, the mystery temple began to degenerate. In Anthroposophy, this period is named the period for the development of the sentient soul.

The fourth Post-Atlantean Cultural period is named the Graeco-Roman period and lasts from around 700 bc to around 1400 ad In this period, the human being sank deeper and deeper into the materialistic world. From the Graeco-Roman period, you see all the beautiful sculptures worshiping the human body. There were mystery temples and gods and an understanding of an afterlife, but it was more a shadow life in the spiritual world. A known saying was: “Rather a beggar in the physical life than a king in the afterlife.” The mind and thinking in those days were developed at a very high level represented by Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. It was the time where conscience first was observed in the human being. The turning point which began to lead the human being away from sinking deeper and deeper into the materialistic world was when the Cosmic Christ incarnated in the human being Jesus in the beginning of our time. Within the next approx. 300 years, Christianity was the major religion in Italy, and over the next 1,000 years it spread to all countries in Europe. It was the time where cathedrals were built and a number of monasteries, e.g., the Benedictine and Dominican were formed. The Catholic church had a very strong influence on everything that went on in Europe at that time. In Anthroposophy, this period is named the period of the development of the Intellectual and Mind Soul.

The fifth Post-Atlantean Cultural period began around 1400 ad, and we now live in this period. This period is the period of the development of our Consciousness Soul. ¹⁹ Today we still have about 1,100 years left to develop it. The Consciousness Soul will not be fully developed before around 3500.

This has been an era of great changes and new ways of exploring both outer and inner life. It is the time where the Europeans explored and “conquered” the world, and Europeans emigrated to other parts of the world. The Catholic church was with the Greek and Russian orthodox church the main Christian religion in the beginning of that time, but the whole Christian belief system was soon to be challenged by, e.g., Luther and natural science. Up to this era, art and science were integrated and based on Christianity. Natural science separated more and more from Christianity, and very many scientists today consider there to be very little connection between natural science and religion/spirituality. More and more people have become atheists and consider religion to be superstition. Many people have an existentialistic perspective of life as they believe there is no afterlife and that we live only this once. This leads to the thinking that everyone of us must get the most out of this one life. This can lead to the greediness we observe today.

Natural science is the basis of research and universities today. We can be grateful for this in relation to the highly developed materialistic world we live in today. But there is a price for this. Today we are beginning to be aware of a number of severe challenges as e.g., climate changes and exploitation of the natural resources of our planet. The awareness of this has led to a growing number of people all over the world finding sustainable solutions as an alternative to the mainstream market orientated thinking and doing. Some people do it on a scientific, non-religious understanding of the world based on their own personality, their Daily Ego. A growing group of people are beginning to find their own religious platform. Some find it through eastern inspired religion/practices, others find it through Christianity, as you can find it in, e.g., Esoteric Christianity given by Rudolf Steiner.

As mentioned earlier, the task to be achieved by human beings during the whole Planet Earth period is to develop the Individuality or the Higher Ego to the level of the Consciousness Soul. This is meant to happen during this fifth Post-Atlantean Cultural period. The challenge we have is to develop our Higher Ego in full freedom, and it is up to each one of us whether we wish to listen to the impulse coming from our Higher Ego or whether we wish to listen to impulses from our Lower/Daily Ego. The Daily Ego can be a two-edged sword. There is the risk for every individual that we only listen to the egoistic part of ourselves. This will lead us away from the development of our highest potential. The more contact we have with our Higher Ego, the more we strive for moral and ethic judgments based on our free will and love, the more we develop our Consciousness Soul to its highest potential. In this process, more and more people will acknowledge that behind the materialistic natural laws are the spiritual laws.

When the fifth Post-Atlantean Cultural period ends an additional two Post-Atlantean periods will come. These will not be described. ²⁰ Then there will come three longer Planet Earth periods after which Planet Earth will dissolve followed by a long resting period.

Earlier in this chapter, I have mentioned that Planet Earth will go through seven incarnations/periods. This means that there are three more major Planet periods to come before Planet Earth has fulfilled its incarnations, and the human being has developed itself to its highest potential, which is Spirit Man of which we in our incarnation today may develop the germ during the age of 56 till 63. ²¹

Higher Beings in Christianity and Anthroposophy

A number of spiritual beings exist in Cosmos which are on a higher development level than we human beings. They have different roles in Cosmos and in the development of life on the different Planet periods and their beings – including the human being – on Planet Earth. They have no physical form, but all cultures and religions on Planet Earth have known of them under different names. Some of the religions have created physical images of these beings whereas in other religions depicting is forbidden. The names used in Anthroposophy for the higher beings are the same as the ones found in the Bible, and the beings are depicted in some Catholic churches.

They consist of three Hierarchies of beings and above them is the Trinity of the Father , the Son, Christ and the Holy Spirit .

For readers who are interested in Esoteric Christianity, I can recommend many of Sergei Prokofeiff 's books.

In relation to the beings in the First and Second Hierarchies, only the names will be mentioned. The higher beings in the Third Hierarchy will be described.

The First Hierarchy consists of:

• Seraphim: Spirits of Love

• Kerubim : Spirits of Harmony

• Trones : Spirits of Will

  The Second Hierarchy consists of:

• Kyriotetes : Spirits of Wisdom

• Dynamis : Spirits of Movement

• Exusiai : Spirits of Form

  The Third Hierarchy consists of ^{22 , 23} :

• Archai : Spirits of Personality or Spirits of Time

• Archangeloi (Archangels): Spirits of Fire or Folk Spirits

• Angeloi (Angels): Sons of Life

Unfolding of the Third Hierarchy

Conflicts and the Occult Significance of Forgiveness

When we meet each other in daily interactions, we normally meet each other based on our Daily Ego and can in glimpses meet each other in the areas of our Higher Ego. When tension and conflict enter a relation, we tend to meet each other more and more through our Lower Ego, our Double or “Doppelgänger”. ²⁷ We can end up in a situation where it is both our Doubles who constantly fight each other, and in this situation, we are totally trapped by the conflict and see only the dark side of the other party (Fig 26).

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Fig. 26.

In a Conflict Situation, the Trap lies between the Lower Egos.

The task in conflict resolution is to bring new light into the situation by using awakening questions, tools to reach a healthy judgment, bring consciousness into the situation, and to lift the communication level to a professional level where two Daily Egos are to deal with each other and maybe even in some moments see glimpses of the other person's striving intentions and Higher Ego.

In Anthroposophy, we do not, as mentioned earlier, talk about “bad energies” between people in conflict. What happens is – from an anthroposophical perspective – that we in social situations create real living beings. When you come into a room where two people live well together, you feel a pleasant atmosphere. When you enter a room where people have had a heavy discussion – a conflict – many may feel coldness and an unpleasant atmosphere. This is because people in discussion have created Conflict Beings which remain in the room even after the fighting people have left the room. ²⁸ Rudolf Steiner names these beings Specters, Ghosts, and Phantoms. They are real living beings, and as all beings, they want to stay alive, and what they live on is conflicts. In conflict situations where one person tries to redeem the situation by offering a positive proposal, it often happens that the other person rejects it. This is the Conflict Being in action. To stop a conflict, you have to starve these conflict beings, which means not to give them nutrition. What creates them can be described as bacteria. ²⁹

In the spiritual world, there are nine higher beings above the human being. The inner Earth has nine layers of earth which have great and devastating effects on the human being, among others earthquakes. This is described in a series of lectures by Rudolf Steiner in 1906. ³⁰ Based on these nine layers of the inner Earth, Fredrich Glasl has developed his Conflict Staircase.

Sergei Prokofeiff gives some very interesting perspectives about what true forgiveness is and which spiritual consequences it has in relation to karma. ³¹

True forgiveness is about what you can do to forgive a person who has wronged you, and how you through the karmic laws of the universe in a next life have to meet a situation where the wrong deed can be outbalanced by this person. In relation to a wrong deed which you have inflicted on another person, you have to meet the karmic consequences in another life.

To reach true forgiveness of another person that you have wronged, you have to go through the following steps:

True interest is an aspect of tolerance

See the good and positive sides of the other person. Be tolerant toward another person instead of being trapped in an antipathic perception of the other. Try to see the striving and the Higher Ego of the other person.

Forgiveness is a higher degree of tolerance: it is to overcome yourself

Let your Daily Ego be illuminated by your Higher Ego. It is egoism that holds you back from forgiveness. You have to sacrifice this egoism to be able to forgive. When you do that, your astral body can begin to transform into your Spirit Self.

Perform an active deed

Based on your own free will you have to put as much good into the world as the other person's wrong deed has taken away from the world by having wronged you. You can only do this through compassion and love, and it can only happen based on an impulse from your Higher Ego. True forgiveness in this dimension is very difficult to grasp and practice, but Prokofeiff gives in his book mentioned above a number of examples of true forgiveness.

Every night, you meet your Angel – who carries your Higher Ego – with whom you night after night make an agreement about what to do the following day. And day after day your Daily or Lower Ego does something else. Your Angel forgives you all the same each night.

Anthroposophical Spiritual Biography Work and Life Stories

Description of the Different Seven-year Life Phases

In the course of a person's life, the human being develops the different members of his/her bodies one after another in the succession of the seven-year periods:

“First the three bodily members: the physical body from birth until seven years of age, the etheric body from 7 till 14, and the astral body from 14 till 21. Then the three Soul members: the Sentient Soul from 21 till 28, the Intellectual or Mind Soul from 28 till 35, the Consciousness Soul from 35 till 42, and finally – yet only as a premonition – the three spiritual members: the Spirit Self from 42 till 49, the Life Spirit from 49 till 56 and the Spirit Man from 56 till 63.” ³² (Fig. 27

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Fig. 27.

Planetary Phases in the Biographical U-model.

)

A.2.3 Inner Spiritual Development through Esoteric Schooling

The Art of Looking Back in a Spiritual Perspective

The art of looking back is described earlier. ³⁶ The spiritual background for looking back are these different types of looking back which happen in your daily life and when you cross the Threshold to the spiritual world in the moment of your physical death.

Meditation and the Quest for Initiation

A.3 Social Ecology and the Systemic Methods

A.4 Overview of Exercises

Purpose and Introduction

This appendix shows a variety of exercises that can be used as inspiration when you as a facilitator design your own seminar processes or programs. All described exercises have been used in specific training or client situations, but not all exercises are used in the selected program-examples in A.5. To make it easier for you as a facilitator to select what is relevant in your situation, every exercise begins with a short description of the purpose. Some of the exercises described are only relevant for one type of seminar/situation, but many of them are useful in a number of different seminar situations. The specific exercise must always be adapted to a specific process. For many of the exercises, time is specified for the different elements. This should only be regarded as a recommendation and must be adapted to the situation. In relation to a few of the exercises, the spiritual concepts for understanding an exercise are described.

A.4.1 Initial Presentation and Group Forming Exercises

Initial Presentations at the Beginning of a Seminar – Presentation (Two and Two)

Milling around without Sitting Down

Morning Greetings – Creative

A Lottery Group Forming Exercise – Spiritual

A.4.2 Observation Exercises

Observation of a Physical Object – Creative

A.4.3 Listening Exercises

Listening on Three Levels – Based on a Small Story from a Daily Life Situation

How do you Listen to the Different Levels in a Group Meeting?

Do you focus on listening no the Thinking level/the content level in a group meeting:

• Do you most often listen to the content of what has been said?

• Are you afterward able to give a precise feedback of what has been said without mixing your own thoughts, ideas, and arguments into the summary?

If you are not able to do this, those to whom you are referring will have no basis for their own judgment. They will only hear your opinion.

Do you focus on listening on the Feeling level/the relation level in a group meeting:

• Do you most often listen to what is going on within the story teller?

If you listen to the mood in the group, you listen on the level of Feeling. This means that you after the meeting will refer: It was a fine meeting due to the good mood, there was a lot of joy, and so on. Or maybe you come back and say that it was an awful meeting due to quarreling and so on. But those to whom we are referring do not get any impression of what was said during the meeting, as the summary primarily is relation and Feeling oriented.

Do you focus on listening on the Will level/the process level in a group meeting:

To listen to the Will impulses in a situation is not very usual for most of us. When you listen to the Will, you do it by observing the body language (e.g., the pointing finger, the voice being strengthened, hammering on the table, slamming a door, the look in the eyes). You may try to observe the Will impulses behind what is being said. You may listen to sentences like: We will do… We must do… We have already done… It must be so…

Most of us may be good listeners on one level or maybe two, but few of us have experience in listening on all three levels. You may train your weakest level by focusing your listening ability on that level in this exercise.

This exercise is classical in Social Ecological training, but you must do it more than once to reach an understanding of it.

Listening and Observation Exercises focusing on Different Dimensions in a Group Meeting

An Alternative way of using this Exercise is to Focus on Seven Different Personality Qualities

This exercise can be used as an independent exercise or as a supplement to the exercise focusing on Content, Relations, and Process.

One part of the group is asked to have a meeting focusing on a specific theme.

The other part listens to the seven different personality qualities (Fig. 4). ¹

Listening and Observation in Relation to Supporting Conversations

A.4.4 Teambuilding and Collaborative Exercises

Common Picture Building – Painting Exercises – Creative – Artistic

Detailed Description of the Exercise

• 1. The work is carried out in groups where everyone begins to paint with block crayons on a piece of A3-paper. ³

• 2. The painting is carried out based on a question in relation to the existing situation in the organization, e.g., Paint how you perceive the internal co-operation in the organization today (approximately 15 minutes for the painting)

• 3. Then comes the Common Picture Building phase, where one person at a time places his/her picture in the middle of the table (the other pictures have the blank side up).

• 4. The person on the left side of the painter begins to describe what he/she sees in the picture – often in relation to specific colors and figures in the painting. In this phase, the painter is not permitted to make any comments or confirmation, or to answer questions. Having finished the description, the teller looks at the person sitting to the left who takes over.

• 5. The next person now describes the picture on the table. Having finished the description, the teller looks at the person sitting to the left who takes over

• 6. When everyone has given his/her comments to the painting, it is time for the person who has painted the picture to give comments on what he/she has painted. He/she comments on which new insights there have been based on the comments from the others.

• 7. Now a new person places his/her picture in the center of the table, and steps 4 to 6 are repeated.

Building a Tower with Pipe Cleaners – Creative – Artistic

A.4.5 Vision Building Exercises

Vision Building through Story Telling and Guided Meditation – Creative

Vision Building through Painting – Creative – Artistic

A.4.6 Looking Back Exercises

Most looking back exercises are described in chapter P1.4: The art of looking back: p. 10.

Looking Back at the End of a Meeting – End of a Day or End of a Seminar

These exercises are described in P2.1.1, subchapter: Looking back at the end of a meeting: p. 21.

The looking back process is driven by selected questions.

The Use of a Logbook – to Look Back and to Learn

Looking Back in Connection to Rudolf Steiner's Weekday Meditation Exercises

A.4.7 Conflict Resolution Exercises

These exercises can be used in open conflict training seminars.

Conflict Escalation in a Heated Discussion where you try to Convince your counterpart to have your opinion

Understanding Conflicts and Conflict Resolution

Outplaying and Analyzing an Existing Conflict between Two People

Light and Shadow in Conflicts – Spiritual

Process

Focus on a “deep” personal conflict, and go through the four steps in Fig. 28. Explore the problems/conflict areas step by step as they reveal themselves:

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Fig. 28.

Steps 1, 2, 3, and 4 in Conflict Awareness.

Step 1: What is the conflict about?

Step 2: Involve the area of Feeling

When you said ........ I felt ........

Step 3: Create possible solutions

Step 4: Negotiation

Angels or Devils as Advisors in a Conflict – Creative – Spiritual

A.5 Seminar Programs and Support Material

Purpose

This appendix gives examples of different types of seminar programs or process overviews which can be used as inspiration when you design your own seminar processes or programs.

Introduction

All the processes or programs described have been used in specific training or client situations. As the programs are meant for instructors/facilitators, most of the seminar programs also include the purposes, the working questions and the exercises used during the seminar. Based on the instructor program, a participant program is also designed which does not include working questions or other guidelines to run the seminar. The participant program is not included in the following and is a subset of the instructor program. Most of the exercises in the program have a detailed description in A.4. I highlight one exercise Vision Building through painting – creative – artistic which gives basic training in Common Picture Building. The groups are recommended to use the methods of Common Picture Building in most of the Social Ecological programs.

Individual Programs

A.5.1 Teambuilding Seminar – How to Work Efficiently in Groups and Communities

Facilitator Program for a 2 ½ Day-seminar Program

Day One 16:00–19:00

16:00 Welcome and introduction

16:30 Check in and initial presentation including expectations

  (Appendix A.4.1, exercise: Initial presentations at the beginning of a seminar, p. 193)

17:00 Common Picture Building

  Present an overview of Common Picture Building and Common Judgment Building

  (P2.1.1, subchapter: Dealing with the different agenda points, p. 20)

  Group exercise based on relevant questions:

  What are the biggest challenges in our organization today?

  How is the co-operation in our organization?

18:00 Short break

18:10 Picture of Man

  Short presentation of the Picture of Man in Social Ecology

  (P1.1 The Picture of Man in Social Ecology, p. 1)

18:30 Looking back at the day

  Short presentation of the principles of looking back (P1.4.1, subchapter: Looking back during a seminar, p. 12)

  One or two looking back questions:

  What was important today?

  What resonates in you?

19:00 End of the day

Day Two 09:00–18:00

09:00 Introduction to the day. Questions from the night.

09:15 Lecture: Efficient group work and meetings

  Types of groups, content, relations, and processes

  (P2.1, chapter: Different types of groups, p. 17 and P2.1.1 The ability to run efficient meetings, p. 18)

10:00 Coffee break

10:15 Training in group work – first part

  A minimum of one dialog group is formed, and three groups make observations based on Content, Relations and Process

  (Appendix A.4.3, exercise: Listening and observation exercises focusing on different dimensions in a group meeting, p. 199)

12:00 Lunch

13:30 Feedback from group work

14:00 Deep listening – listening on three levels

  (Appendix A.4.3, exercise: Listening on three levels, p. 197)

15:00 Coffee break

15:15 Practical co-operation exercise – ball exercise

15:45 Training in group work – second part

  Switching of roles. Those who observed are now in the dialog group. The others are divided into three groups and make observations based on Content, Relations, and Process

  (Appendix A.4.3, exercise: Listening and observation exercises focusing on different dimensions in a group meeting, p. 199)

16:45 Co-operation exercise in building a tower

  (Appendix A.4.4, exercise: Building a tower with pipe cleaners, p. 204)

17:45 Looking back at the day

18:00 End of the day

Day Three 09:00–16:00

09:00 Introduction to the day – questions from the night

09:15 Lecture: Personal qualities in a creative group

  (P2.1.4 Seven personal qualities in a creative group, p. 24)

  Individual exercise: What are your major qualities? Which qualities do you lack?

  Sharing two and two

10:00 Coffee break

10:15 Training in group work with focus on personal qualities

11:30 Lecture: Elements in a mature group

  Freedom, Equality, and Brotherhood

  Pitfalls in group work

  (P2.1.2 Pitfalls in group work, p. 22)

  Exercise:

  Which pitfalls do you see when working together?

  Sharing of experiences two and two

12:00 Lunch

13:30 Deep listening on three levels – as Day 2

  (Appendix A.4.3, exercise: Listening on three levels, p. 197)

14:30 Questions that have emerged during the seminar. Which questions do you have in relation to the lecture?

  Coffee in the group

  15:30 Looking back at the seminar

  Individual preparation:

  What do I take with me from the seminar? What have I learned?

  Which dialogs have been important to me?

  What has been fulfilled in relation to my expectations?

  Sharing two and two

  Sharing plenary

15:50 Rounding off the seminar

16:00 End of the seminar

A.5.2 Dynamic Judgment Building Seminar: Using the Lemniscate

Common Judgment Building: Training in the use of the Lemniscate

Day One 16:00–19:00

16.00 Welcome and introduction

16.20 Morning greetings

  (Appendix A.4.1, exercise: Milling around without sitting down, p. 194)

16:30 Check in and initial presentation including expectations

  Group forming: four to five participants per group

  (Appendix A.4.1, exercise: A lottery group forming exercise, p. 195)

16:45 Lecture 1: The Lemniscate used in a supporting conversation

  (P3.1.3 Using the Lemniscate as a dynamic model in supporting conversations, p. 42)

17:30 Short break

17:40 Training in observation – exercise given by Lex Boss

  (Appendix A.4.3, exercise: Listening and observation in relation to supporting conversations, p. 202)

18:40 Looking back at the day

  Short presentation of the principles of looking back

  (P1.4.1 The art of looking back, subchapter: Looking back during a seminar, p. 12)

  One or two looking back questions, e.g.,

  What was important today?

  What resonates in you?

19:00 End of the day

Day Two 09:00–18:00

09:00 Introduction to the day – questions from the night

09:15 Lecture 2: The Lemniscate in relation to organization development and vision building

  (P3.1.2 The Lemniscate used as a model of phases in practice, p. 36)

10:00 Coffee break

10:15 Training in supporting conversations

  Plenary demonstration of questioning from the different fields in the Lemniscate

  (P3.1.3 Using the Lemniscate as a dynamic model in supporting conversations, p. 42)

11:45 Feedback from group work

12:00 Lunch

13:30 Observation exercise 1

  (Appendix A.4.2, exercise Observation of a physical object: p. 196)

14:00 Common Picture Building based on the Lemniscate

  Step 1: Focusing on the past

  (Introduction based on P3.1.2 The Lemniscate used as a model of phases in practice, p. 36)

  The group formulates a question they want to work with in relation to the past, e.g.,

  How does co-operation function in our organization/group today?

  Alternative question in the case of a mixed group from different types of organizations, e.g.,

  How do I perceive my working place today?

14:30 Creative exercise focusing on Common Picture Building

  (Appendix A.4.4, exercise: Common Picture Building – Painting exercise, p. 203)

  Every participant paints his/her picture in relation to the question (approx. 15 minutes)

  Coffee break during group work

15:30 Common Judgment Building of the past

  After painting, the group shares the painted pictures as described followed by a dialog and conclusion phase where the results are documented on flip-charts (P3.1.2, chapter: The Common Judgment Building phase – the path from B to C, p. 39)

16:30 Common Decision Making and Vision Building

  Step 2: Focusing on the future

  Reformulate the question making it focus on the future

  Create a vision of the future in relation to the question – Field D

  (P3.1.2, chapter: From the past: Common Judgment Building, to the future: Common Decision Making – the path from C to D, p. 40)

  Train your imagination by story telling:

  Tell a story about an ideal working day in the future in relation to your vision

  (Appendix A.4.5, exercise: Vision Building through story telling and guided meditation, p. 206)

  Then:

• Formulate your vision

• Formulate your goals

• It is a good idea to use moral imagination to evaluate the consequences of your decisions

  NB: In relation to creating the new reality – Field E – it is now time to make your implementation plan. This topic is not dealt with in this seminar

17:30 Feedback from group work

17:45 Looking back at the day e.g.,

  Which learning points did I have today?

  Were there areas where I felt resistance?

18:00 End of the day

Day Three 09:00–16:00

09:00 Introduction to the day – questions from the night

09:15 Lecture: Temperaments

  (P2.1.5, subchapter: The four temperaments, p. 28)

  Individual exercise e.g.

  What is your major temperament?

  Having this temperament, what are the consequences for you?

  Sharing two and two

10:00 Coffee break

10.15 Observation exercise 1

  (Appendix A.4.2, exercise: Observation of a physical object, p. 196)

10:45 Common Picture Building

  Lemniscate training in the group

  Consider reorganizing the groups according to their interest

  Step 1: Focusing on the past

  The group formulates a question they want to work with in relation to the past

11.00 Painting exercise A5

  (Appendix A.4.4, exercise: Common Picture Building – painting exercises, p. 203)

  Every participant paints his/her picture in relation to the question (approx. 15 minutes)

11.20 Common Judgment Building of the past

  After painting, the group shares the painted pictures as described followed by a dialog and conclusion phase where the results are documented on flip-charts

12:00 Lunch

13:30 Step 2: Focusing on the future

  Reformulate the question making it focus on the future

  Create a vision of the future in relation to the question – Field D

  (Appendix A.4.5, exercise: Vision building through painting, p. 207)

  Then:

• Formulate your vision

• Formulate your goals

• It is a good idea to use moral imagination to evaluate the consequences of your decisions

14:30 Focus on outstanding questions to the lecturer – coffee in the group

15:30 Looking back at the seminar

  Individual, e.g.,

  What new ideas have I got?

  What have I learned?

  What can be used immediately?

  What has made me reflect/wonder?

  What has been fulfilled in relation to my expectations?

  Sharing two and two

  Sharing plenary

15:50 Rounding off the seminar

16:00 End of the seminar

A.5.3 Initiative Taking Seminar

The seminar focuses on individual initiative taking, and can easily be adjusted to an initiative group focusing on a common initiative. ²

Purpose

• Introduce and train the participants in the Seven Seamarks model for initiative taking

• How to learn from old initiatives

• How to be aware of pitfalls in initiative taking

• Resistance to change

• Give an understanding of how to plan and review new initiatives

Day One 18:00–21:00

18:00 Welcome

   Introduction and expectations

   Forming of groups of four to five based on the following criteria:

• Coming from business life

• Coming from a public organization

• Coming from CSOs or NGOs

18:30 Model for initiative taking

  Lecture about the Seamark model for initiative taking

  (P4.1.1 Seamarks as a model for initiative taking, p. 48)

19:15 Break

19:30 Focus on an old initiative:

  Select an old initiative for learning

  Each individual:

• chooses an initiative and paints it (20 minutes)

  (A.4.4, exercise: Common Picture Building – painting exercises: p. 203)

• refers to the painting and prepares a three-minute talk about the initiative based on the Seamark model (15 minutes)

  Group work:

  One person in the group describes the initiative based on the painting and your preparation

  The others put questions for an understanding of the initiative

  NB! Next morning, there will be time for the rest of the group to work with some of their initiatives and to extract learning points from their initiatives

20:45 Extract learning points from the day and look back at the day, e.g.,

  What was new for me?

  What did I learn about initiative taking today?

21:00 End of the day

Day Two 9:00–18:00

09:00 Introduction to the day – questions from the night

09:15 Potential pitfalls in initiatives – lecture

  (P4.1.2 Pitfalls in initiative taking – the 12 dragons, p. 52)

09:45 Group work in relation to old initiatives

  Group work for the rest of the group:

• 1. Describe the initiative based on your preparation from yesterday

• 2. The others put questions for the understanding of the initiative

  NB! Divide the time evenly and finish one person at a time

11:05 Break

11:20 Process to extract learning points and pitfalls from old initiatives

  Individual preparation for all, e.g.:

  What functioned well/less well?

  Which pitfalls could I identify in my initiative?

  What should I have done differently when working with my initiative?

  Where did my weaknesses become visible?

  How can I strengthen my initiative capabilities before my next initiative?

11:35 Sharing learning points in the group

11:50 Sharing selected learning points plenary

12:00 Lunch

13:15 Focus on new initiatives

  All prepare individually:

• 1. Choose an initiative you want to realize

• Prepare yourself to tell about the initiative based on the Seamark model including focus on pitfalls

  Group work one person at a time:

• 1. Describe the initiative based on your preparation

• 2. The others put questions for the sake of understanding the initiative, both in relation to the Seamarks and the risk of pitfalls

  All prepare individually:

• 1. How can the initiative be strengthened?

• 2. Prepare for a reviewing process tomorrow

  NB! Information and questions: The review will take place in new groups

17:40 Extract learning points and look back at the day:

  What have I learned from my way of working with an old initiative?

  Where do I need to increase my consciousness when I prepare a new initiative?

18:00 End of the day

Day Three 9:00–16:00

09:00 Introduction to the day – questions from the night

09:15 Resistance to change – lecture

  For an introduction

  (P1.1.1 Resistance to change in the threefold Picture of Man, p. 2)

  (For more information see Appendix B1.1, Table 9: Resistance to change … in Theory U and in the Lemniscate, p. 246)

  (For the forces in relation to resistance to change see Appendix A.2.1 Polarities in relation to resistance to change, p. 150)

10:00 Review

  Form new groups (four to five people per group)

  Review process:

• One person in the group presents his/her initiative

• One person is the harvester: Writes everything down that has been said to the presenter

• The rest of the group puts questions for the sake of understanding and makes comments

  Review time per person:

• 5–7 minutes to present the initiative

• 7–10 minutes for questions, comments, and tips

• Total time 15 to max. 20 minutes per person

  The presenter answers the questions that have been put by the group and does not go into argument or defense

  After the review the presenter says thanks and the harvester gives his/her comments to the presenter and a new person is reviewed

11:15 Adjustment of the initiative

  Individual work:

• Adjustment based on recommendation and on the comments from the harvester

• Possibly, give the initiative a title

• What is my next step to realize the initiative?

11:40 Short plenary presentations of the initiatives

  Three minutes' presentation per initiative:

• Title

• The essence of the initiative

• What am I grateful for in the process?

12:00 Lunch

13:15 Social entrepreneurship – lecture

  Introduction to social entrepreneurship

13:45 Initiatives waiting for me – lecture and group work

  Individual:

  Which initiatives are needed in my surroundings?

  With what can I contribute to strengthen the taken initiative at my workplace or in my surroundings?

  Which initiatives are waiting for me?

  Group work:

  Sharing and tips for initiative taking

14:30 Break

14:45 Extract learning points and looking back procedure

  Individual preparation based on comments (15 minutes)

• Which tips and ideas concerning initiative taking can I take with me?

• What are my thoughts in relation to initiative taking?

• What was new for me?

• What resonated in me?

• Where did I feel resistance?

• What can I go home and use immediately?

  NB: Select three of the questions to cover in my looking back process

  Share in groups of two (20 minutes)

  Share in a circle – plenary (20 minutes)

• What was most important for me?

  Sharing learning points based on the dialogs in the groups of two

16:00 End of Seminar

A.5.4 Organizational Development Seminar at a University and/or an Institute

Focus and Purpose for the Seminar

• To focus on the existing and future organization of the institute ³

• To establish a basis for common values and basic beliefs for the institute

• To create common pictures for the most important areas and activities needed to develop a well functioning institute

• To focus on the existing and future internal co-operation in the institute

Day One 08:45–18:00

08:45 Morning coffee

09:00 Welcome by the institute director

09:10 Welcome and introduction by the facilitator

  Focus and purpose of the seminar

• To focus on the existing and future organization of the institute

• To establish a basis for common values and basic beliefs for the institute

• To create common pictures for the most important areas and activities needed to develop a well-functioning institute

• To focus on the existing and future internal co-operation in the institute

  The role of the facilitator: To make the participants co-operate differently from what they normally do. To change some of the participants' co-operation habits and patterns, and introduce the participants to a number of tools that can be used to strengthen the daily co-operation.

  Working methods during the seminar:

  To listen to and build on each other's contribution to Common Picture Building, Common Judgment Building, and Common Decision Making

  Seek/obtain agreements for these working methods.

09:30 Morning greetings

  You all stand up and greet the person standing closest to you as if they were old friends you have not seen for a very long time. Greet with all the warmth and openness you have.

  (Appendix A.4.1, exercise: Morning greetings: p. 195)

09:40 Presentation in the groups.

  Groups of five to seven are divided before the seminar by the planning group, so they are balanced in an optimal way for the process based on a mix of different positions, competences, and types of personalities

  The plenary is organized in “islands”, and the participants are placed at tables for the different groups

  Examples of questions and focus:

  Name

  Working areas

  What do I appreciate?

  What is important for me – privately and workwise?

10.00 Coffee break

10.15 Step 1: Focus on the past

  Focus on internal co-operation today

  Paint: How do I perceive mutual respect in our internal co-operation? (20 minutes)

  Each participant tells about his/her painting to the group

  Give examples and have a dialog about the internal co-operation

  (Appendix A.4.4, exercise: Common Picture Building – painting exercises, p. 203)

11.15 Continued group work in relation to the co-operation today

  Presentation of the methods Common Picture Building and Common Judgment Building

  What functions well in the internal co-operation?

  What does not function well?

12.15 Plenary group work presentation

13.00 Lunch

13.45 Step 2: Focus on the future

  Co-operation and internal relations in the future

  How can the mutual respect between all co-workers be strengthened in the future?

  How is it possible to secure good co-operation and relations between people on different levels and from the different departments in the institute?

  What is not acceptable behavior in the future?

  Document the results of Common Judgment Building on flip charts

15.00 Coffee break

15.15 Decision-making and resource efficiency

  How is it possible to increase our decision-making ability and how can we ensure that the decisions made are fulfilled?

  How can we secure resources efficiency in the future?

  Document the result of the Common Judgment Building on flip charts

16.15 Coffee break

16.30 Presentation of the group work

17.15 Lecture about the temperaments and their importance in co-operation

  (P2.1.5, subchapter: The four temperaments, p. 28)

18:00 End of the day

Day Two 08:45–16:00

08:45 Morning coffee

09:00 Welcome and introduction to the day where the first group work focuses on the following areas and questions:

  Expectations:

  What expectations do the employees have for management?

  What expectations does management have for employees?

  What expectations do the different department have for core services?

  Organization development including motivation and responsibility

  What is necessary in the different departments to make them function optimally?

  How to develop a mutual feeling of responsibility and a clear description of tasks and responsibilities?

  How can the institute become a good team with a high motivation and a healthy working environment for both the academic and the administrative personnel ?

  Document the results of the Common Judgment Building on flip charts

  Coffee breaks during the group work

11:45 Presentation of the group work

12:30 Future values and basic beliefs of the institute

  What are the major values, principles, and goals for the future

  a. ...in relation to research?

  b. ...in relation to education?

13:00 Lunch

13:45 c. ...in relation to co-operation and colleagues?

  d. ...in relation to resource priority?

  Document the results of Common Judgment Building on flip charts

14:30 Coffee

14:45 Presentations from the groups

15:15 Anchoring and realization including establishing working groups for the next step in the process

15:30 Looking back:

  What was important for me during this seminar?

15:50 Rounding off the seminar by the institute director

16:00 End of seminar

  After the seminar, all the written work from the different groups in relation to Common Picture Building and Common Judgment Building are to be summed up in a report. This report is used in the priority process to make Common Decision Building based on which implementation plan is developed.

A.5.5 Basic Training Seminar in Conflict Understanding and Resolution (2–3 days)

Day One 16:00–18:00

16:00 Welcome and introduction to the seminar

  Expectation from the participants: (individual reflection)

• What can I manage in a conflict?

• What do I admire in the way people handle conflicts?

• What do I want to learn?

  Share two and two followed by plenary glimpses

16:45 Individual reflection

  Choose a conflict you have been involved in:

  Write down the most important incidents in the conflict

17:00 Exercise: Conflict escalation

  Which themes are current in society?

  What is discussed amongst people?

  This is to illustrate how fast a discussion can escalate and become a conflict situation

  You select a topic where two participants have or are willing to have different and strong opinions:

  Two rounds with two participants.

  Exercise description:

  (Appendix A.4.7, exercise: Conflict escalation in a heated discussion where you try to convince your Counterpart to have your opinion: p. 210)

17:45 Looking back at the day

  What am I taking with me from this day?

  What surprised me?

18:00 End of the day

Day Two 09:00–18:00

09:00 Good morning and welcome to the day

  Short presentation of the program of the day

  Possible questions from yesterday or the night

09:15 Lecture: Introduction to the Conflict Staircase

  (For the lecture see P4.4.4: The conflict resolution process using the Conflict Staircase, p. 104)

10:15 Break

10:30 Lecture and process in relation to: Understanding conflicts and conflict resolution

  (For the process see Appendix A.4.7, exercise: Understanding conflicts and conflict resolution, p. 211)

  Steps for group work in relation to:

• A.

  Reasons for conflicts

• B.

  Understanding a conflict – painting

• C.

  Conflict diagnosing of the selected conflict

  11:45 Lunch

  13:00 Understanding conflict and conflict resolution. Continued group work – steps in relation to D-E-F

• D.

  Lecture: Bacteria in a conflict

• E.

  Forces working in conflicts

• F.

  Type of conflicts

14:00 Conflict diagnosis 1 – in groups of four

  Select one of the conflict paintings from the morning and perform a conflict diagnosis based on the following processes and questions

  The conflict owner describes the conflict:

  What has been said and done? (10 minutes)

Then:

• Step 1: The rest of the group helps to diagnose the conflict on the basis of what they have heard. They may put questions for the sake of understanding.

• Step 2: Conflict issue: What is the conflict about? (all + owner)

• Step 3: Conflict timeline: Place important incidents/clashes on a time line (owner)

• Step 4: Conflict partner: People who are involved? (owner)

• Step 5: What is the relation between the conflict partners? (owner)

• Step 6: What are their basic attitudes toward conflict? (owner)

• Step 7: On which step of the Conflict Staircase is the conflict? (all + owner)

    What is the key question in the conflict? (all + owner)

• Step 8: Potential solutions for redeeming the conflict? (all + owner)

• Step 9: Conclusions and agreements (all + owner)

  1. What is the first step to be taken?

  2. What must not happen again?

  Looking back at the process in the group

  Plenary sharing

15:00 Break

15:15 Conflict diagnosis 2 – in groups of four

  The process is almost the same as Conflict diagnosis 1 – merely with a new conflict

  Select another of the conflict paintings from the morning and perform a conflict diagnosis based on the following process and questions

  The conflict owner describes the conflict:

  What has been said and done? (10 minutes)

Then:

• Step 1: The rest of the group helps to diagnose based on what they have heard and put questions for the sake of understanding

• Step 2: Conflict issue: What is the conflict about? (all + owner)

• Step 3: Conflict timeline: Place important events/clashes on a time line (owner)

• Step 4: Conflict partner: People who are involved? (owner)

• Step 5: What are the relations between the conflict partners? (owner)

• Step 6: What are their basic attitudes toward conflict? (all + owner)

• Step 7: On which step of the Conflict Staircase is the conflict?

  What is the key question in the conflict? (all + owner)

• Step 8: Potential solutions to redeem the conflict (all + owner)

• Step 9: Conclusions and agreements (all + owner)

  • a. What is the first step to be taken?

  • b. What must not happen again?

  • c. Which principles can you agree upon to solve the conflict?

  • d. What will you contribute with when you return to your department?

• Step 10: Follow up: Short lecture about the importance of following up

  • a. When is the right time for a follow up meeting? (all + owner)

  • b. How will you work with the conflict issues prior to that meeting?

  • c. How will you secure that the agreements are not violated?

    Sharing plenary

17:15 Exercise: Listen to your inner voice – Whom are you listening to?

  (one round)

  (For the exercise see Appendix A.4.7, exercise: Angels or devils as advisors in a conflict, p. 216)

17:45 Looking back at the day

18:00 End of the day

Day Three 09:00–16:00

09:00 Good morning and welcome to the day

  Short presentation of the program of the day

  Possible questions from yesterday or the night

09:30 Lecture: Mediation

  (For an overview see P4.4.6 Mediation process between two people, p. 113)

  (For a detailed description of the process and questions see Appendix A.5.6: Outline for a mediation meeting between two people, p. 234)

10:15 Break

10:30 Group exercise:

  Acting and analyzing an existing conflict between two people.

  Purpose:

  To create a training and learning situation where a person in conflict makes two other people from the group act and play his/her conflict, and through this give the rest of the group the possibility of analyzing the conflict.

  (For the process see Appendix A.4.7, exercise: Outplaying and analyzing an existing conflict between two people, p. 212)

11:30 Lunch

13:00 Light and shadow

  (For the lecture see Appendix A.4.7, exercise: Light and shadow in conflicts – spiritual, p. 214)

  Group work in relation to light and shadow

13:30 Individual preparation: Select a person with whom you have a conflict:

  Step 1: Define the problem:

  What is the conflict about?

  Step 2: Involve the area of feeling

  When he/she said … I felt …

  Step 3: Create possible solutions:

  What could be a solution for me?

  What could be a solution for him/her?

  Step 4: Negotiate:

  What am I willing to do?

  Share in groups of two

14:00 Lecture: Forgiveness in a spiritual perspective

  Remember to talk about self-forgiveness

  (For the lecture, see A.2.2, subchapter: Conflicts and the occult significance of forgiveness, p. 165)

14:30 Break

14:45 Individual work in relation to forgiveness

  Individual preparation – list of names

• 1. Who needs my forgiveness?

• 2. Whom do I need to forgive?

• 3. Do I have specific conditions prior to forgiving?

• 4. How will it influence my future life if I do not forgive or am not forgiven?

  Possibly share in groups of two – there may be a need for more time

  Select two people and share points 2-3-4

15:20 Conflict or co-operation

  (For the lecture see P4.4.1, subchapter: Conflict or co-operation, p. 95)

15:15 Looking back at the seminar

  Individual:

  List the three most important things that I take with me from this seminar

  What will I do differently next time I am in a conflict?

  How have my learning points from the beginning of the seminar been fulfilled?

  Share in groups of three

  Share plenary – glimpses from looking back

15:50 Closure – maybe with a big whoosh

16:00 End of seminar

A.5.6 Outline for a Mediation Meeting between Two People

Purpose of the mediation.

• To recreate a good professional co-operation

• To understand what happened and how the situation developed

• To make agreements on how similar situations can be avoided in the future

• To make agreements on how situations can be handled if they arise again

It is recommended to begin the meeting with a clarification of the purpose and a definition of the roles (Table 8).

Description of the Mediation Process

The beginning of the conversation:

How did you perceive the co-operation between the two of you prior to the conflict episodes?

• Step 1. Problem definition

  Select one or two episodes to work through (depending on the time set aside for the mediation)

• Step 2. Each of the participants give their picture in relation to the selected episodes

  • A.

    Facts

    • What happened?

    • Has there been any attempt to find solutions?

  • B.

    Perceptions and feelings

    • How did you feel in the situation?

    • What was the trigger point for you?

    • How has the conflict influenced your behavior toward each other?

• Step 3. Mirroring

  • What have you heard your counterpart say?

  • How do you perceive the situation now?

  • Has anything changed for you?

• Step 4. Possibly: Short presentation of the Conflict Staircase (Fig. 18)

• Step 5. Conclusion – possibilities and solutions

  • A.

    What is the basic cause of our conflict?

  • B.

    Possibilities and solutions

    • What is the best solution?

    • Which wishes do you have for your counterpart?

    • What can and will you contribute with yourself?

  • C.

    Summary after conflict resolution

    • Identification of core issues behind the conflict

    • Agreement to secure a future constructive co-operation

      1. −

         What must not happen in the future?

      2. −

         What is necessary to establish a fruitful co-operation?

      3. −

         Principles and values behind future co-operation

      4. −

         Practical agreements to ensure future co-operation

    • How to anchor and make the new agreements a reality in our daily work?

• Step 6. Looking back at the mediation meeting

  • What was important for me?

A.5.7 Personal Development and Personal Qualities to Master as a Facilitator

A specific program for this part is not included as it is primarily the individual exercises and daily practices (described in P5.1: Personal development and personal qualities to master as a facilitator, p. 115) supplemented with your training in the art of listening, questioning, and looking back during your task as a facilitator that can lead to your inner development.

A.5.8 Seminar: Working with your own Biography – Your Life's Story

Facilitator Program for a Biography Seminar Program Given in Denmark

Day One 09:00–18:00

09:00 Welcome and introduction to biographical work

09:30 Lecture about life phases from the years 0–21

  (For lectures see 5.2.1, subchapter: Description of the Different Life Phases)

10:30 Break

10:45 Introduction to group work and ethics during the seminar

  Exercise 1:

• How are my physical surroundings today?

  − Do they support my health and wellbeing?

• Which rhythms do I have today?

  − Do the rhythms support my health and wellbeing?

• Authorities and role models today?

  1. −

     Whom do I admire?

  2. −

     Which values are most important for me?

  3. −

     Who has given me positive affirmations?

  4. −

     Who supports my development as a human being?

  5. −

     Who is holding me back?

12:15 Lunch

13:15 Exercise 2: Relations and meetings with people important for me

  First you write a list with the most important people in your life.

  Then you select one person possibly two of these people, either one whom you consider your ideal – role model – or one whom you have had a difficult relation to (don't select your parents or your partner)

  You describe their physical appearance. Your first meeting. What they have meant to you and how you perceive them today. You finally reflect on what you should be grateful for in relation to having met these people.

15:00 Break

15:15 Introduction to and the beginning of filling out your own Life Chart. This work is to be continued in the evening.

16:00 Exercise 3: Turning points in your life

Step 1: Make a list of turning points in your life

Step 2: Choose one or two turning points to work with

Step 3: Describe each turning point – your feelings, your thinking, and your reactions

• What happened afterward?

• What was positive or negative?

• What you have learned?

• Which consequences have the turning points had for your life now?

17:45 Ending of the day by reading a verse for reflection

18:00 End of Day

Day Two 09:00–18:00

09:00 Good morning – questions in relation to yesterday or the night

09:30 Lecture: Life phases from the years 21–63

(A.2.2, subchapter: Description of the different seven year-life phases and The germ to develop the three spiritual members)

10:30 Break

10:45 Exercise 4: Decision patterns in your life

 Focus on how you take small and big decision in your life.

 Choose a decision taken in the last years, and reflect on how it is related to:

  Thinking: e.g., lists, information gathering, judgment, planning, which were the guiding principles, etc.

  Feeling: e.g., what did you feel, antipathy/sympathy forces, which were the guiding principles, etc.

  Will: e.g., you will win, you will prove it is possible, it was impulsive.

• What was my motive?

  Evaluate my reactions:

• Am I reactive or proactive?

11:45 Lunch

12:30 Transfer from past to future

  Paint three trees on one piece of paper: One tree representing your childhood, one representing your situation now, and one representing your future. Share the paintings in the group.

13:15 Focus on the future

 Step 1. Develop your individual plan of action based on a number of questions:

• Which important questions do I have in relation to my future?

• Which important decisions am I confronted with?

• Which new initiatives am I to be involved in?

• Do I need to change/drop something in my present life?

• How can I get a deeper understanding of who I am, and whom I can become?

• Decide when and how I want to act.

• Decide which step is the first to take.

  Step 2: Group process including brainstorming and handing gifts to each other

• 1. One by one: Tell about your plan of action

• 2. Brainstorming:

  The rest of the group prepares which advices/gifts they want to give

• 3. Hand over the gift one at a time. NB! Give the advice, shortly and clearly, almost as a command. Don't reveal the reason behind your advice, e.g., You should begin to study again

  Meanwhile the receiver merely writes the advice down without any comments. This way both the giver and the receiver of the advice have full freedom

  Take the material home for further reflection

• 4. Go back to Step 2: The next person presents his/her plan of action

15:45 Looking back at the seminar – rounding off

16:00 End of seminar