Dublin, June, 2013

WP5: Content Development

Dublin, June, 2013

STUCKNESS:

A person, a family, or a wider social system enmeshed in a problem in persistent and repetitive ways, despite desire and effort to alter the situation.

--Watzlawick, 1974

Dublin, June, 2013

Individuals,families and organisations get stuck because an impasse develops between a conscious desire for change and an unconscious desire to avoid change.

Organisational Psychodynamic Theory

• Organisational Psychodynamic Theory • Bion: Organisations are defences against anxiety• Loss of boundaries in child/adult development - need

for outsider to relate to• Provides definition of status: ‘location of ‘me’ in

relation to ‘not me’• Employing organisation=holding environment• Organisations typically work to reduce anxiety by

creating a holding environment that is restrictive• Members often fear change and obstruct it by

‘mirroring behaviour’• Leads to organisational stuckness

KETHEA DEC 2012 Athens/Thessaloniki

EDEN, Oslo, 2013

‘Splitting’ in Organisations

OccupationalSubgroup

Level Subgroup

Societal Identity

DepartmentalSubgroup

Position or Opinion Subgroup

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EDEN, Oslo, 2013

Cardona (1999)

• ‘The team as a sponge’ (1999)• Team absorbs central dynamics of client group

– often unconsciously• ‘Mirroring’ process• Example: Cherry House (residential unit for

mentally ill)• Example: Harbour centre (support for drug

users)

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Dublin, June, 2013

Holding Environments• The concept of holding environment evolved from the requirements for

optimum support of the human fetus. (Winnicott, 1965; Kaplan, 1978).• The group or system attempting to provide a ‘holding environment’ is

symbolically faced with the same dilemma as that of a new mother. The group, or system, in order to be receptive to the birth of new ideas and changes that will eventually stimulate growth

• Individuals in groups and systems will not reveal their inner experiences and covert agendas unless the environment feels like a place safe enough to risk new behavior. To create a holding environment in the work place, group and organizational life must meet the conditions of safety and security

Dublin, June, 2013

Holding Environments—defensive positions

Melanie Klein (1959) identified two defensive positions or stances which people use that interfere with the expression of their inner experience:

• The Depressive Position—The Fear of Total IndifferenceIt is difficult to open up one’s inner experience (i.e., to ask for

help) when faced with the possibility that no one will even respond.• The Paranoid Position—the Fear of Retaliation

– It is difficult to risk expressing vulnerable inner experiences (i.e., to tell the truth in a controversial situation) when faced with the possibility of being attacked or punished.

EDEN, Oslo, 2013

If I get it right

everything will be OK

Everything is not OK

It must be my fault

Because I'm not good

enough

So I must try harder

to get it right

The cycle of ‘not good-enoughness’

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Who is looking after me?

HeadsSenior

management

Parents

TeachersGovernors

EDEN, Oslo, 2013

The missing pieces

• Emotional intelligence• A holding environment• Reflection and evaluation

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Emotional wellbeing

Dublin, June, 2013

Emotional wellbeing:

The need in schools

Bullying

Bereavement

AssertivenessAddictions

Obsessive/compulsive behaviour

ConflictThreats & accusations

Work/life balance

Peer pressure

Control

Relationships Politics

Popularity

Gossip

Work load

Responsibility

Duty of care

Dublin, June, 2013

The IGUANA Platform and tools

On-line portal and database

Assessment tools Resources Support ServicesCourses

Dublin, June, 2013

IGUANA Content

Courses

Emotional intelligence

Effective Governance

Evaluation

Assessment tools

Emotional well-being self-

assessment tool

Stuckness

Resources

Good practices

Learning courses

User-generated content

Dublin, June, 2013

The Courses

• Module 1: developing emotional intelligence (based on CONTOUR EI programme).

• Module 2: developing effective governance (based on Tavistock P3C/Group Relations programme)

• Module 3: developing evaluation skills (based on Arcola ‘theory of change’ methodology)

• Specific content based on results of WP2/3 and profile of pilot

Dublin, June, 2013

The Assessment Tools• Emotional well-being self-assessment tool• Individual assessment – simple easy-to-use checklist with

rating scales covering: self-esteem; confidence; social interaction; empathy etc.

• Adapted to three target groups: governors; teachers; students• ‘Stuckness’ assessment tool• Institutional (organisational) assessment – simple, easy-to-use

checklist with rating scales covering: innovation capacity; leadership capacity; self-review capacity; organisational learning capacity

• Specific content based on results of WP2/3 and profile of pilot

Dublin, June, 2013

Resources

• Relevant content uploaded to portal by partners responsible for co-ordinating pilot sites

• Learning programmes relevant to the 3 learning modules

• Examples of good practices

Dublin, June, 2013

User-generated content

• Content developed by users of the IGUANA platform, tools and learning programme

• Uploaded to database• Stories/experiences of IGUANA• Examples of use of IGUANA tools• Good practice examples